Former Durban municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe is again playing a crucial role in a decision that would have a major impact on the city.
Sutcliffe’s company, City Insight, has won a tender to sit on a panel of the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) that is researching and evaluating a far-reaching proposal for boundary changes.
The proposal — whose author the board declines to disclose — would mean that King Shaka International Airport and the Dube Tradeport, both of major economic importance to eThekwini municipality, would be rezoned as part of KwaDukuza municipality.
KwaDukuza includes towns such as Ballito, Salt Rock, Stanger and Zinkwazi Beach.
City Insight evaluated this proposal and another in the Eastern Cape.
Sutcliffe, a former ANC MPL who bowed out of local government in 2011, won praise during his term for his role in ensuring the construction of landmarks such as the International Convention Centre and Moses Mabhida stadium.
But critics called him autocratic and some of his decisions ruffled ratepayers’ feathers.
EThekwini municipality has instructed its municipal manager, Musa Mbhele, to oppose the proposal while KwaDukuza municipality is pushing for it to go ahead as part of its strategic development goals.
Sutcliffe, a former chair of the MBD, told the Sunday Times his company conducted several investigations for the board between October last year and January.
“The investigations in broad terms required us to examine the submissions received by the MDB, which may have come from a person, a community, a municipality. [We] then obtained evidence and did site visits to evaluate the degree to which each submission met the objectives and criteria for demarcation as laid down in the Municipal Demarcation Act,” he said.
• June and July: MDB will hold public hearings
• Between November and January 2024: a final decision must be published
— In Numbers
Sutcliffe said he could not comment on the intention behind the airport/tradeport proposal and rubbished suggestions that it was an attempt to somehow manipulate the voters roll.
“I am not sure how this would impact on votes as that is not a criteria which the MDB must consider, and it is the first time I am hearing of it.”
King Shaka International Airport and Dube Tradeport have made submissions to the board expressing “high concern”.
The airport said its primary concern was “ensuring adequate provision of municipal services” to support its own growth and that of the broader “aerotropolis”.
The president of the Durban Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Prasheen Maharaj, said delinking a major economic node would jeopardise service delivery in the city, reduce revenue and cause job losses.
“If this node were to go to KwaDukuza, this would mean higher taxes on businesses over and above the currently unaffordable property rates,” he said.
“We believe this will trigger disinvestment from Durban into more competitive regions. Whichever way you look at it, it would be highly disruptive in an already constrained business environment.”
EThekwini municipal spokesperson Lindiwe Khuzwayo said the city understood demarcation decisions were not made “with just the financial implications in mind but also take into account the impact they will have on communities”.
“The city will allow the process to run its course and provide its comments through the appropriate channels.”
Sikhumbuzo Hlongwane, executive director of economic development & planning for KwaDukuza, noted the airport was situated on his municipality’s border.
“The inclusion of these wards to the KwaDukuza municipality would not only enhance the municipality but the whole economy of the iLembe district municipality. The airport will enhance the scope of transportation within the municipality. With the municipality having no minor or major airport, this inclusion will promote positive economic growth.”
He said KwaDukuza had aligned its industrial land-use zones to complement the aerotropolis and used the N2 and the R102 as main linkage corridors.
“This creates opportunity for investments coming towards the Ballito area, rather than away from it.
We believe this will trigger disinvestment from Durban into more competitive regions. Whichever way you look at it, it would be highly disruptive in an already constrained business environment
— President of the Durban Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Prasheen Maharaj
“The proposal of incorporating these wards enjoys the support of all parties represented at KwaDukuza council. This issue is being treated as a strategic development goal, rather than a political issue by our council,” said Hlongwane.
The municipality said it did not know who made the proposal.
EThekwini residents have already submitted objections to the board.
Bruce Stephenson, who represents Umdloti and the Sibaya coastal precinct, which would be affected by the change, said the overwhelming consensus among residents and businesses was to oppose the proposal.
“The community has not had sight of any motivation for the [proposal]. As such our objections to the MDB are based on conjecture and supposition. We submit due proper process has not been followed and that the proposal is not in the interest of the community. The invitation to submit objections is premature, baseless, and fatally flawed.”
The La Mercy Civic & Ratepayers Association also submitted an objection.
MDB spokesperson Barileng Dichabe said decisions would only be made after considering the submissions.
“If the board decides to consider any of the proposals, the board will either publish for objections or conduct public meetings or conduct formal investigations.”
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