President Cyril Ramaphosa says the eThekwini municipality has moved from crisis to cautious recovery, after years of sliding service delivery and collapsing infrastructure.
He was speaking at an event commemorating 22 months since the establishment of the Presidential Working Group on eThekwini, which he set up after business leaders raised alarm about water interruptions, electricity cuts, crime and derelict buildings in the city centre that were eroding investor confidence and threatening Durban’s status as a gateway to the continent.
Earlier Ramaphosa officially unveiled 9m-high statues of former ANC presidents Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo at Moses Mabhida Stadium and the Durban promenade amid controversy over the R22m price tag.
“The green shoots are visible in tourism numbers, business confidence, revenue performance and infrastructure projects under way. But we must not confuse early recovery with guaranteed success. The work ahead requires discipline. It requires courage. It requires partnership,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “Together, we can protect eThekwini’s industrial base, modernise its infrastructure, secure its water future and restore its urban core. And together we can ensure that eThekwini once again stands as a gateway to the continent, and as a beacon of resilience, partnership and shared prosperity.”
He also stressed that his government is working with stakeholders to save Tongaat Hulett and the thousands of jobs at risk in the sugar industry, after the company’s debt crisis and provisional liquidation placed tens of thousands of livelihoods in jeopardy.
KwaZulu‑Natal premier Thami Ntuli said he was impressed by the progress made in Durban since the committee was formed, noting that the city had begun to stabilise after years of decline.
Mike Mabuyakhulu, ANC KwaZulu‑Natal co‑convener and co‑chair of the working committee alongside mayor Cyril Xaba, said the committee had already secured R1.4bn in investments, describing this as proof that the alliance between government, business and civil society was beginning to bear fruit.
Business leaders also weighed in.
Paul Ngema, KwaZulu‑Natal provincial chairperson of Nafcoc and head of the Durban Chamber’s Infrastructure Task Team, had glowing words for the committee: “The committee has helped clean up the city centre, and you can see the difference in the growing number of tourists arriving in Durban. There is still a lot of work ahead, but the progress is real and visible.”
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry also praised the president and city leadership for their efforts, saying the working committee had restored confidence among investors and helped turn the city’s fortunes around.
Yet many stakeholders remain cautious.
We have not seen any improvement on service delivery like water, electricity or housing for flood victims. Informal settlements are still in bad shape and RDP housing is very slow
— Ish Prahladh, chairperson of the eThekwini Ratepayers Association
Ish Prahladh, chairperson of the eThekwini Ratepayers Association, said residents had yet to see improvements in basic services.
“We have not seen any improvement on service delivery like water, electricity or housing for flood victims. Informal settlements are still in bad shape and RDP housing is very slow. They have not been involving ratepayers and civic associations in their meetings — and we are the ones paying for services.”
Prahladh, however, praised Cyril Xaba as the most responsive mayor in recent memory, saying he had consistently engaged with ratepayers and civic associations, stayed until the last person left meetings, and even patrolled the beachfront to talk to communities.
Still, he warned, service delivery remains dire: “The mayor has to step up his game to win over ratepayers and residents because at present they are suffering.”
Many business people who attended the engagement said they were cautiously optimistic.
One, who asked not to be named, remarked that there have been times when their hopes were heightened, only to be disappointed again — and warned that unless promises are followed through, hopes could once more be dashed.
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