“KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW”

CITY PARTNERS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR TO BOOST JOB CREATION

ABOUT 760 long term jobs have been created in the Momentum Group Contact Centre,

in the catalytic project area of Cornubia, with a further 71 employment opportunities to be created in the near future.Momentum Group, which also houses Metropolitan and Guardrisk, started operating in the Cornubia Industrial and Business Estate in May 2017. The R360 million development

was as a result of eThekwini Municipality’s partnership with land converter, Tongaat Hulett

Developments and Business Process Enabling South Africa (BPESA). Momentum Group’s three

year period growth projection indicates that an additional 71 new jobs will be created. Deputy City Manager for

Economic Development and Planning in eThekwini Municipality Phillip Sithole said the City will continue to partner with various industry stakeholders to drive new investment and job creation. “This is a key part of the City’s

combined efforts to address

the persistent challenges of unemployment and new revenue generation for all,” he said.Sithole added: “Together with

BPESA we want to attract new operators to invest in Durban, especially within catalytic projects areas as this creates much needed jobs. The Invest Durban Unit is tasked to support this initiative with the Unit being scaled up to make even more meaningful impact alongside industry bodies.” BPESA is the national industry

body for business process

outsourcing and contact centres, and has a regional presence in South Africa’s major cities including Durban. Sithole said the City is

strengthening its partnership with BPESA and other industry bodies to jointly come up with new strategies to further promote Durban as the business location of choice. “This will accelerate our goals of employment creation, enhance industry competitiveness and facilitate more youth and women opportunities,” Sithole added.

ETHEKWINIWEEKLY BULLETIN

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By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable City 19 March 2018 [Issue 115]

An artist impression of the Momentum Group development at the Cornubia Industrial and Business Estate which has created much needed employment in eThekwini Municipality.

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2 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUE 115

A FOREIGN investment initiative by an Indian company in Cato Ridge has made a notable economic impact on the City as well as spurred job creation in the area.SRF Flexipak Factory,

which manufactures fl exible packaging plastics for food, non-food items and industrial products, began their operations in February 2014 and has created 200 direct long term jobs for locals as well

FOREIGN INVESTMENT CRUCIAL TO LOCAL ECONOMIC GROWTH

COLLABORATION TO DEVELOP SMMES

Locals employed at SRF Flexipak (SA) PTY LTD utilising their newly acquired skills of manufacturing packaging plastics for food, non-food items and industrial products.

THE growing number of public-private partnerships that eThekwini Municipality has forged with business has unlocked further employment opportunities and continues to develop Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs).This is evident based on the

large number of big businesses that continue to heed the call by government to collaborate with organs of state in order to support small businesses to help reduce unemployment and poverty. On 13 March, 18 local

emerging businesses attended the fi rst business development workshop under the banner of the SA Home Loans Sekela Enterprise Development Programme. Since its inception in 2016,

the SA Home Loans Sekela Programme has empowered 32 businesses with business knowledge, coaching, mentorship, accounting services and fi nancial support. Sherwin Esbend of Sbenz

Construction, who has been empowered through the programme said: “The learning experience took my business

to greater heights,” he said. Esbend said when he started in the programme his business was very small, but through the training, mentorship and fi nance received, he now has an offi ce, has bought three company cars, employs seven permanent and six temporary staff with his company’s turnover increasing by an incredible 300 percent. SA Home Loans Director of

Business Development Zakheni Dlamini said SMMEs are vital drivers of the economy and job creation, hence the Sekela Programme was initiated by SA

Home Loans to give support to emerging businesses.Lungile Ngubane from

eThekwini’s Business Support, Tourism and Markets Unit said their core mandate is to facilitate such strategic partnerships that will further empower businesses. “Already two previous benefi ciaries of the Programme are now working independently and trading within the Municipality’s Umkhumbane Entrepreneurial Incubator and employ approximately eight employees,” said Ngubane.

as 60 indirect jobs.SRF Flexipak (SA) PTY LTD

Senior Vice President Grant Page said of the company’s R600 million turnover per annum, the bulk is reinvested back into the local economy which boosts the City’s coffers. “The vast majority of the revenue goes back to raw material which is purchased from local companies as well as on employee costs, electricity and rates.”He said the plant supplies

plastic fi lm to printing companies who produce plastic packaging products such as Unilever, Coca Cola, Woolworths and Simba to name a few. “This investment has been good for Durban as there is a strong printing industry in Durban which we supply to. The uniqueness of this venture brought in new skills and technology, hence we brought on board experts from India to transfer the skills to locals,” said Page.“We also have an intake of

graduates from various local universities being skilled and some are now working on a

permanent basis,” Page further revealed. He said they chose Durban because about 50 percent of their product is sold to Durban-based customers as well as its close proximity to the port with plans for the dry port in Cato Ridge which would make their business more effective.Page supports the City’s

concerted efforts to create an investor-friendly business environment following the introduction of the One Stop Shop and many other initiatives. “Going from one department

to another for building approvals and other paper work when you are not even familiar with the City and country is frustrating and demotivated investors.”Russell Curtis from

Invest Durban said foreign investments are critical to building a stronger local economy. “I am glad that our recent

efforts of creating an investor friendly environment are valued which means we are on the right track,” said Curtis.

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ISSUE 115 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN 3

DESALINATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT PROGRESSING WELL

THREE SUSPECTS ARRESTED FOR ILLEGAL ELECTRICITY CONNECTION

THE construction of the Energy Saving and Environmentally Friendly Desalination Technology ‘Remix Water’ Demonstration Project is expected to commence in March and will be completed in November 2019.According to a progress report

submitted by the eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) Unit to the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee’s meeting this month, a feasibility study was conducted to establish if it was financially viable to implement desalination technology as a solution to the water challenges currently facing the City.

Current studies underway by EWS to assess inner city water demands indicate a demand of approximately 65 megalitres per day. “This demand outstrips the supply of 50 megalitres per day and thus the need to augment the supply by 15 megalitres per day by 2020. This is to be done in a phased approach as the demand grows with the development of the inner city,” said EWS Head Ednick Msweli.In 2016, eThekwini

Mayor Zandile Gumede signed a Memorandum of Understanding between eThekwini and Japanese organisation and implementing

agent New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation. The City also signed an implementing document with Hitachi. Once the demonstration plant is complete, it will run for a one year period and during this time the technology and the potable water produced will be assessed. A study conducted to review the water demand in eThekwini found that the water demand will exceed the water supply in 2020. This situation was worsened by the current drought that is being experienced countrywide. Msweli said in response to

the drought challenge EWS investigated technologies available to implement in the City. “One of them being the Remix

Water System, an energy-saving and environmentally friendly desalination technology,” he said. A Remix Water System consists of a combination of seawater and treated effluent from a wastewater treatment that is treated through the use of membrane bioreactor technology. The Central Wastewater Treatment Works has been identified as the ideal location of the remix treatment plant because of its close proximity to the sea,” he said.

ETHEKWINI Municipality has sent out a strong message to corrupt service providers and members of the public, this comes after three men were arrested for allegedly illegally connecting electricity in Nazareth, near Pinetown on 26 February.Two hundred metres of

electric cable and tools worth an estimated value of R14 400 were also recovered from the suspects who have since appeared in court. The arrests were made after the City Integrity and Investigations Unit (CIIU) and Revenue Protection Services team conducted an operation in the area to curb the theft and vandalism of Municipal infrastructure.CIIU Deputy Head Dumisani

Cele said one of the suspects worked for a service provider that was appointed to assist the Municipality with electricity connections and disconnections.

The Unit has a special team dedicated to infrastructure theft that conducts various site inspections as part of an ongoing proactive measure to combat illegal electricity connections.Cele said while on a routine

inspection to Nazareth, the team noticed three men connecting electricity cables. After contacting the South African Police Service, the team requested the men to produce their job cards for the work they were performing, which they failed to do. The City would like to remind

the public that illegal water and electricity connections are against the law and is a criminal offence. Illegal electricity connections also carry risks such as electrocution if you step on exposed cables.The CIIU is determined to

eradicate fraud and corruption within the City and with entities doing business with

the Municipality. Service providers are reminded that illegally connecting water and electricity will result in their contracts being terminated and their businesses being blacklisted which prevents them from doing business with any organ of the state thereafter. To report illegal connections

and cable theft call 080 311 11 11. All forms of fraud and corruption can be reported to the CIIU on 0800 20 20 20 or email ombuds@durban.gov.zaThe office is based on the

10th floor, 41 Margaret Mncadi Avenue (formerly Victoria Embankment), Durban. All complaints are treated with confidentiality.

EThekwini Municipality’s City Integrity and Investigations Unit and Revenue Protection Services team swooped on three suspects who were allegedly illegally connecting electricity in Nazareth, near Pinetown.

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Email: gugu.mbonambi@durban.gov.za

If you would like to submit feedback or contribute to eThekwini Weekly Bulletin

EDITORIAL TEAMEDITOR: Tozi Mthethwa, Head of Communications • CONTENT EDITOR: Gugu Sisilana

SUB-EDITOR: Charmel Payet • WRITERS: Janice Lee Moodley, Silindile Maluleka,

Nonduduzo Ngcongo and Romita Hanuman-Pillay

DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Zama Zwane

MILE FACILITATES TALKS ON ISSUES AFFECTING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DURBAN academics in the construction sector along with eThekwini Municipality offi cials converged at the Durban Botanic Gardens on 16 March to participate in the 19th segment of the Built Environment Seminar Series.The Series is hosted by the

Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE) in partnership with eThekwini Municipal Academy (EMA) and the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT). The Seminar theme focused

on graduate readiness for the labour market and their place as economically active citizens as well as their role in the regional economy. EThekwini Municipality Chief

Learning Offi cer Dr Mpilo Ngubane offi cially welcomed participants to the Seminar and highlighted that the theme was timely and relevant not only to the built environment but across other sectors. “The Built Environment

Seminar provides a platform for sharing knowledge, ideas and best practice. The main objective of this learning

event is to fi nd out if there is any congruence between the skills that are produced by institutions of higher learning and those demanded by the labour market in the built and environment sector,” said Dr Ngubane. The keynote presentation was done by Professor Theo C. Haupt, Research Professor

of Engineering at MUT along with various research partners who are doctoral students from MUT, the Durban University of Technology and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. “There is a serious mismatch

between what universities continue to produce and what industry actually needs,” said Prof Haupt. In his presentation,

Professor Haupt expressed the need for more problem-based learning and its application to the local environment. Subsequent presentations focused on how academia was grappling with the balance between teaching, learning, assessment and the sectoral impact on the fourth industrial revolution.

Fezile Njokweni Senior Manager at the Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE) is pictured with Dr Mpilo Ngubane Chief Learning Offi cer at the eThekwini Municipal Academy together with Ebrahim Zulu from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Ferdinand Cedric Fester from the Durban University of Technology, Prof Theo C. Haupt and Adesoji Jaiyeola both from the Mangosuthu University of Technology and Collin Pillay, Programme Manager at MILE at the Built Environment Seminar.

ONLINE recruitment giant LinkedIn hosted an informal engagement session at RCL Foods in Westville on 8 March. EThekwini Municipality was invited as one of LinkedIn’s major business partners in Durban. Juggy Moodley from the

Human Resources Unit said the engagement proved fruitful as the team was able to

speak to other organisations and share knowledge. “The session was great because we got to learn about how other companies do business and their input regarding the recruitment and retention of staff.” The City began their

partnership with LinkedIn in 2016 which has since proved to be a major success.

Gideon Vundla, Project Manager in the City’s Human Resources Unit said: “We partnered with LinkedIn to retain and attract ideal candidates for all Municipal vacancies and to continually keep up with technological trends.” He said the Municipality faces

the challenge of recruiting suitably qualifi ed candidates in

the scarce skills industry such as Engineering and Medicine. Jesse Cook from LinkedIn

said: “The African continent has become a priority and eThekwini Municipality is one of our major business partners. We look forward to continue assisting by fi nding skilled candidates to ensure a more economically transformed society.”

LINKEDIN ENGAGEMENT PROVES BENEFICIAL