As part of the transport month activities, the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA) held its 8th Annual Conference at the Durban International Convention Centre on Tuesday, 19 October 2021. This year’s conference was hosted under the theme: New World Transportation: Resilient, Efficient and Innovative through leadership and collaboration.
Led by the Head ETA, Thami Manyathi, the multi-seminar and networking conference was attended by approximately 130 ETA staff members.
The conference provides the opportunity to reflect on the unit’s achievements and successes, as well as some of the challenges and service delivery issues that are being addressed in very creative and innovative ways. This platform is a safe environment for staff across all levels of the ETA to exchange ideas and impart knowledge so we can advance delivery in the city
Thami Manyathi
The programme responded to challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic growth, social change, demographics and the need to become more sustainable.
Staff deliberated on a range of topics presented by their colleagues including: Traffic Signal Innovations; Incident Management for GO!Durban; Transit-Oriented Development; Second Access to the Port of Durban; The Impact of Covid-19 and 4th Industrial Revolution on Transport and Road Safety for scholars.
Ten students from the GO!Durban Academy in Inanda received their national colours at the South African Championships of the Performing Arts (SACOP) held in Rustenburg, in the North West from 1 to 10 October.
The talented students performed in the categories of singing, dancing, and acting and returned home with a tally of 20 medals (15 gold, four silver and one bronze). They also won the highest award of the competition, the Grand Champion Group Award. Furthermore, they have all qualified to be part of Team South Africa to represent the country at the World Championships in Los Angeles in July 2022.
These young stars from Inanda have been trained and developed by the GO!Durban Musical Theatre Programme, a youth development initiative by the eThekwini Transport Authority. The programme is a branch of the GO!Durban Academy and offers free weekly classes in singing, acting, and dancing in the communities of Inanda, KwaMashu and KwaDabeka.
Since starting in 2018, the programme has grown from strength to strength, unearthing new talent and producing stars in the performing arts. There are currently 85 youth enrolled across the three locations. The programme employs 20 local coaches, administrative staff, and interns.
In addition to musical theatre training, the Academy also stages bi-annual performances in communities.
Head of the eThekwini Transport Authority Thami Manyathi said the team’s achievement is testament to the hard work over the past three years to build the programme into the successful youth development academy that it is today.
“These young stars are ambassadors not only for the City, but KwaZulu-Natal. We are extremely proud of them. Their triumph will serve as a beacon of hope in their community and will pave the way for future students who aspire to be part of the performing arts,” he said.
Issued by eThekwini Communications unit. For media enquiries contact Spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela 060 966 4220
One year on, the UK’s Global Future Cities Programme continues to promote inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, and gender equality in many of its partner countries. During 2020, the programme launched transformative projects on transportation and mobility, urban planning, resilience, and data innovation in South Africa. This UK Official Development Assistance programme is working with three municipalities- City of Cape Town, eThekwini Municipality and City of Johannesburg – to strengthen capabilities for innovative urban planning rooted in inclusive socio-economic development, sustainable financing and evidence-based decision-making. This technical support continues to be delivered in partnership with PwC-led Consortium Future Cities South Africa (FCSA) and Strategic Advisor UN-Habitat.
As the programme highlight, the technical support for eThekwini Municipality offers an optimistic outlook through its approach to urban regeneration, resilience, economic development and informal settlements. This is owed to the Municipality’s innovating thinking, due-diligence and evidence-based approach to urban economic growth and development, complemented by the technical expertise offered through the Programme.
The ongoing projects in Durban enable the operationalisation of Transit-oriented Development (TOD) policy, and data-driven planning and integration of informal settlements. These projects strengthen the role of this programme in delivering the strategic objective to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by working with national and sub-national governments. Furthermore, these projects are of vital importance to the UK and in turn, the Global Future Cities Programme, given the growing global impetus on the need for green resilient cities and infrastructure to forge inclusive and zero-emission pathways to urbanisation.
As part of the UK’s climate ambition domestically and internationally, one of the top priorities is to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in transport. In South Africa, the transport sector is responsible for nearly a third of fuel combustion linked GHG emissions. To tackle this challenge, this programme aims to deliver low carbon and well-connected urban development that fosters improved access to employment opportunities and basic services for all.
Evidently, TOD in Durban addresses this priority by integrating high-density mixed-use development with transport nodes and routes, thereby reducing the commuting hours, increasing transport affordability and activating sustainable infrastructure investment in South Africa’s third largest metropolitan economy. If implemented successfully, the TOD vision is expected to result in access to safe, affordable and quality transport for nearly 85% of Durban’s residents, thus increasing access to opportunities and improving lives and livelihoods. TOD will benefit businesses, governments and residents alike and create jobs while promoting sustainable investment in infrastructure in South Africa’s third largest metropolitan economy.
Sea Cow Lake informal settlement
The second project of data-driven Informal Settlements Information Management Solution (ISIMS) will ensure evidence-based management and integration of the City’s nearly 290,000 households within informal settlements. As a coastal city, Durban’s increasing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change amplifies the urgency and gravity of such macro-scale projects. It also means that the UK’s support and partnership with eThekwini Municipality must demonstrate inclusion and empowerment of vulnerable communities while building broader resilience in the City’s environmental, social and economic fabric.
Collectively, these two projects have already demonstrated remarkable progress in the face of unforeseen circumstances due to Covid-19. Drawing from the FCSA’s UK and South African expertise, and reinforced by eThekwini Municipality’s leadership, year 2020 concluded with a TOD Vision for Durban, and fundamental data governance principles for the ISIMS.
Furthermore, in April 2020 Global Future Cities Programme was able to expand, adapt and offer a funding uplift in response to Covid-19 crisis in cities. Through this uplift, eThekwini Municipality expanded upon ongoing FCSA assistance to manage the shocks induced by the Covid-19 pandemic with support to develop an economic model to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy in Durban and review the potential impact of economic policy interventions in addressing the Covid-19 induced recession. In addition, a high-level sustainability filter was developed and tested on some of the projects, which form part of the Municipality’s economic recovery plan, to ensure that economic recovery is both sustainable and equitable. The second area of support focussed on technical support to gather and assess data from different municipal departments and informal settlement communities, to facilitate informed and efficient service delivery (i.e. water, sanitation and waste removal) for informal settlements.
The programme is also investing in knowledge sharing, based on the lessons learnt from Covid-19 recovery support, with its South African and international stakeholders through City-to-City dialogues and webinars.
Overall, Global Future Cities Programme through its cutting-edge work in cities such as Durban has proven instrumental in delivering on this global development programme’s commitments to greater ambition on inclusive and sustainable urban economic growth. The UK programme values its partnership with eThekwini Municipality and looks forward to continued cooperation for greener, resilient and inclusive development.
For more information contact:
For Programme Coordination: Dr Debra Roberts, debra.roberts@durban.gov.za Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, Jo Douwes joanne.douwes@durban.gov.za, Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department and Manisha Maganlal, Manisha.maganlal@durban.gov.za , Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department
Motorists, commuters, public transport operators and residents’ in the Newlands area are advised of the traffi c deviation on Musa Dladla Drive and Inanda Road, Newlands East. This is due to construction work of the GO!Durban C1 Route. The deviation of traffi c will commence from 22 February to 30 April 2021. The work on Musa Drive will be conducted in two phases, as follows:
The eThekwini Transport Authority urges for co-operation from local residents and motorists and recommends that commuters/drivers seek and make use of alternative routes, should they wish to avoid any possible inconvenience.
Riders and coaches at the KwaDabeka Bike Park celebrate the 5th anniversary of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy. Image by Tyron Mackenzie
The Cycle Academy was launched in 2016 as a joint initiative between the eThekwini Transport Authority and Green Corridors NPC, and fast made its way to being recognised as Durban’s leading youth development and active mobility programme. It provides free cycling training, academic support, and life skills opportunities to youth at four sites in the heart of communities in Inanda, Chesterville, KwaDabeka, and Kwamashu.
Now the largest cycling development programme in South Africa, the Academy has 400 beneficiaries between the ages of 6 and 18 years at these sites. The primary objective is to offer recreational cycling at a grassroots level, but talented riders are recognised and selected to participate in provincial and national events based on technical ability as well as their school academic results according to the “no pass, no race” rule. The programme is the only cycling development academy in South Africa to cover all five Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*disciplines of mountain biking, i.e. XCO (Cross-Country Olympic), Marathon, Pump Track, Downhill and Enduro.
As a pioneer in the discipline of pump track in South Africa, the Academy is home to three world-class Velosolutions pump tracks and has hosted two Red Bull Pump Track World Championships qualifier events (2018 and 2019) at the first track built in the province in KwaDabeka.
“It takes our community to another level and makes our kids united. They have fun, learn respect, and get skills for cycling and school.”
Jabulile Dlamini, Mother of Sfundo Dlamini (age 14) – Inanda Bike Park
Setting the precedent for similar programmes across the country, the Academy won the Sports Development Programme of the Year Award at the 2019 Hollard Sport Industry Awards. The awards celebrate outstanding accomplishments in the South African sports industry, and the Academy was recognised for its holistic approach to youth development, achievements within the sport of cycling, and its positive impact on the community. In addition to improving the lives of its direct beneficiaries, the programme creates gainful employment for a number of bike park staff including coaches, bike mechanics, trail builders, tutors, cleaners and caterers.
A key focus in the last two years has been female development, and the programme made history in 2019 when it produced the first Black female riders to ever compete in the KZN Gravity series (Downhill and Enduro MTB), as well as represent the province of KwaZulu-Natal at the Spur High School MTB League national finals in October 2019.
In 2019, the programme expanded to include a musical theatre academy where youth are enrolled in singing, dancing and acting classes. Every year, this academy stages an original “edutainment” production in the local communities which creates an opportunity for the youth to showcase their talents while at the same time delivering an important message to the audience.
The programme has continued to invest in the success of the youth during the Covid-19 pandemic. This included providing monthly food packs to all members, as well as adapted academic support where Mathematics and English tutors conducted Whatsapp sessions with Matric students to assist them in preparing for their final examinations.
“Awande loves riding a bike and there is a lot of improvement in her school work. It is important to have the academy in our community because it takes our kids off the street and provides a healthy lifestyle for them.”
Phumelele Sibiya, Mother of Awande Sibiya (age 12) – KwaMashu Bike Park
“We began the GO!Durban Cycle Academy as a proactive way to encourage a culture of active mobility within communities who would not usually have had access to cycle training and equipment,” explains Head of the Ethekwini Transport Authority, Thami Manyathi.
“Little did we envision that this would become so much more than just a place to learn to cycle. We have seen how, through the care and efforts of the managers, coaches and teachers, these youths’ lives have changed with improved academic results and cycling abilities, as well as greater involvement and commitment to the sport, and their communities. Thanks to all in the City and our private sector partners for believing in this worthwhile programme.”
For more information about the GO!Durban Cycle Academy please email cycle@godurban.local:8890 or follow the programme on Facebook and Instagram.
Creating an active and enjoyable learning environment is one of the approaches through which eThekwini Municipality is familiarizing learners with road safety, in an effort to reduce death tolls on South African roads.
The current statistics of fatalities on the country’s roads every year was recently announced by Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula where it emerged that 14 000 fatalities were recorded in the last financial year, costing the country R166 billion.
As part of the City’s pledge to save lives, eThekwini Transport Authority’s (ETA) school road safety awareness campaign is underway.
ETA officials, Metro Police and the City’s road safety ambassadors visited 10 schools between 7 and 16 October. During the programme, learners were taught the basics of road safety such as the correct procedure to follow when crossing the road and using public transport; in a fun, stimulating and memorable manner.
Schools located on the Corridor 3 route from Pinetown to Bridge City in KwaMashu were targeted as there is going to be a lot of activity with the GO!Durban programme.
According to ETA Head Thami Manyathi, creating an active and fun learning environment is critical to ensure a lasting and unforgettable education experience. “I was pleased that the learners portrayed eagerness to learn and were asking questions during the sessions.”
Manyathi further said there is about 800 primary schools in the eThekwini area and ETA plans to continue hosting such campaigns as this is envisaged to have a positive impact in increasing road safety awareness and in reducing child pedestrian accidents.
Furthermore, partnering with the South African National Taxi Council and other law enforcement agencies, ETA will also during this month conduct the road safety initiative in various taxi ranks to continue with the informative sessions aimed at changing drivers’ mindsets in a bid to decrease road crashes.
13 year old Aphiwe Goge lit up the cycling field with her speed and technical ability this year. She has made her mark as a versatile rider who is able to excel in multiple disciplines, and this has earned her a nomination as a finalist for the Newcomer of the Year category at the 2019 Kwa-Zulu Natal Sport Awards.
Aphiwe Goge. Photo Credit TCMphotography
The award nomination is based on Aphiwe’s extraordinary performances on the bike between August 2018 – July 2019, including her first race win at the 2nd round of the KZN XCO Lap Challenge Series and a 4th place finish in her first national competition at the SA XCO Cup #5 in Pietermaritzburg (Sub-Junior Female). Her skills are not limited to the XCO circuit either. She competes in various MTB disciplines, including MTB marathon, Downhill, and Enduro.
Aphiwe is the youngest member of Velosolutions Izimbali, a women’s cycling team produced from riders of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy and specifically dedicated to the development of young black female cyclists as a #pumpforpeace initiative by Velosolutions.
Although she is not eligible to race in the Red Bull Pump Track World Championships due to her age (minimum criteria is 16 years), she travelled with the team to Roma, Lesotho in March this year and competed in the unofficial u16 race, placing 2nd behind a 15-year old local rider.
“I learned to cycle at 5 years old when my dad first introduced me to a bike. He motivated me to join the GO!Durban Cycle Academy in August 2017 as he could see the passion I have for cycling and he knew the bike park is safe and I would learn more,” Aphiwe explains of her cycling journey.
“I love cycling because it fulfils me and it is the one thing that completes me. When I’m on a bike I feel fearless, happy and powerful, like I can take over the world!”
Aphiwe is not only a talented cyclist, but she is also an inspiration to other young girls in her community, encouraging them to learn to cycle. “I think more girls must come and join GO! Durban Cycle Academy because we don’t only learn about cycling, but we also learn different values and they even help us with school work,” she concludes.
“We are incredibly proud of Aphiwe and her achievements which have led to this award nomination,” says Shaun Peschl, Programme Director of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy and Team Manager of Velosolutions Izimbali. “It is incredible for us to have one of our riders recognised at the top provincial level. We believe that she will continue to be a positive brand ambassador for the programme and we also look forward to more nominations for our young riders in the future!”
The KZN Sport Awards take place on Saturday, 12 October 2019.
Aphiwe Goge on course at the first round of the KZN XCO Lap Challenge Series. Photo Credit QuickPix.
Sub Junior Girls Podium at the 2019 KZN MTB XCO Champs. Photo Credit QuickPix
Motorists, commuters, pedestrians, public transport operators and residents in the Pinetown, New Germany, Wyebank, KwaDabeka, Clermont and Newlands areas are advised of the permanent closure of the link road between Cumnor Gardens and Dinkelman Road (MR577); for further construction of the new 11th Avenue interchange that will allow surrounding communities ease of access to the GO!Durban Bus Rapid Transit system.
The roads affected are: Dinkelman Road (MR577) North & South bound traffic that want to access Cumnor Gardens from MR577 and the traffic that want to access MR577 from Cumnor Gardens.
Traffic accommodation plans have been put in place and motorists are advised to familiarise themselves with these and proceed with caution on these alternate routes. Drivers are advised that this alternate route is through a residential area with schools, and should proceed carefully. Residents and pedestrians in the alternate route areas are advised to be mindful of the increase in traffic from this week onwards.
Vehicles travelling from the North – that is from Wyebank / KwaDabeka / Newlands and then along MR577 Dinkelman Road are to Continue South to the Shepstone Road / Otto Volek Road / Posselt Road Intersection and then to Turn right onto Shepstone Road and continue for 1260m.
Turn right onto Regent Street, and then turn right onto Sander Road and Continue on Sander Road for 1400m.
Turn right onto Westermeyer Road and continue to the stop street. Turn Right onto Berkshire Drive and continue for 200m. Turn left onto Cumnor Gardens.
Vehicles travelling from Cumnor Gardens to Dinkelman Road:
Continue on Cumnor Gardens and turn left onto Berkshire Drive. Continue South on Berkshire Drive to the Shepstone Road Intersection. Turn left onto Shepstone Road and continue to the Dinkelman Road Intersection. Turn left onto Dinkelman Road.
The eThekwini Transport Authority recommends that commuters aim to leave a little earlier than usual for their destinations to avoid any possible congestion.
The eThekwini Transport Authority has expanded its GO!Durban Cycle Academy service offering to now include an exciting new arts programme.
The Academy has partnered with the Young Performer’s Project (YPP) and is set to launch the very first “Road Safety Musical Theatre Academy”, in association with Durban Green Corridors. YPP is a non-profit organisation that trains talented high school performers in the art of musical theatre (dancing, singing and acting), and they will now be bringing the joy of arts and culture to the communities of Inanda, KwaMashu and KwaDabeka.
Auditions were held in January in each area and all kids aged 13 -19 were invited to showcase their budding talent. Out of 148 hopefuls, 70 participants were selected to join the program – 19 in Inanda, 21 in KwaMashu and 30 in KwaDabeka.
“We were absolutely blown away by what we saw at the auditions!” says Des Govender, Chairperson of the Young Performer’s Project . “We cannot wait to get started with the programme to develop these young gifted children into shining stars.”
The RSMTA programme will offer classes in acting, singing and dancing three days a week at the GO!Durban Cycle Academy Bike Park sites. The curriculum – which was specially written and composed for this project – will not only focus on the arts, but will use the medium of musical theatre to teach participants valuable life skills, such as the rules of the road, being a good neighbour and a responsible citizen, and environmental conservation. The academy will also stage two original productions in 2019 – written by Mthokozisi (Mtho) Zulu, Head of Drama and script writer for RSMTA.
Mtho was born and bred in Durban and graduated Cum Laude in Drama from the Durban University of Technology. His list of theatre and film work is extensive and he is currently working on set in Johannesburg, but is so passionate about this project that he will be travelling to KZN every Thursday to coach the drama class in KwaDabeka.
“Movement through the performing arts is another form of active mobility and we are thrilled to be adding the Road Safety Musical Theatre Academy to our CSI portfolio,” says Thami Manyathi, Head of the eThekwini Transport Authority. “We believe that the combination of sports and arts-and-culture will further benefit the local communities in our municipality and provide a platform for young talent to thrive.”
In what is a massive boost for women’s cycling in KZN, Velosolutions has joined forces with Peschl Sports to empower an all-female team of young riders from the GO!Durban Cycle Academy called, “Velosolutions Izimbali”.
Izimbali means “flowers”, or “to blossom”, in Zulu. “As this is an all-female team, we wanted the name to reflect their femininity. We believe that the name is very apt as our hope for these girls is that they will blossom into well-rounded, self-confident women, both on and off the bike,” says Shaun Peschl of Peschl Sports and Programme Director for the GO!Durban Cycle Academy.
Previously in South Africa, there has been little to no support for African women in cycling and there has never been a team solely dedicated to the advancement of black female riders. Velosolutions and #pumpforpeace believes that is it important to address this gap in the sport by creating a platform where the potential of young African women can be unlocked. Not only is this beneficial for the empowerment of individual athletes and for the growth of cycling on the African continent, but it also has a knock-on effect in their local communities where they become role models for other girls to believe that they can achieve their dreams. Cycling is not seen as a “girl’s” sport in typical township communities, but these ladies are defying stereotypes and changing perceptions of what is possible with hard work, determination and the right team of support around you!
Similarly to Velosolutions, the GO!Durban Cycle Academy aims to promote a healthy and active lifestyle by encouraging cycling in communities, whether it be for recreation, competing or commuting.
This synergy came together with a bang in March 2018 when the first Velosolutions track in the province was built in KwaDabeka, and the track was the host venue of the South African qualifier event for the inaugural Red Bull Pump Track World Championships in April 2018.
“Velosolutions is active around the globe, but focuses on every town where we build a track as if it was our own,” explains Claudio Caluori, Managing Director of Velosolutions. “We are grateful for what we are able to achieve in these towns and we want to give back where we can. Durban is very close to our hearts, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to support this first black African women’s MTB team in South Africa with girls that have been developed through the GO!Durban Cycle Academy.”
Earlier this year, Peschl Sports identified the need to create an elevated team structure to fully grow the skills of the most promising riders of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy, and to give them insight and experience as to how a professional team operates. With his own background as a professional rider and manager of the Kargo-Pro MTB Team (2014-2016), Shaun Peschl is excited about partnering with another former professional rider (Claudio) and a brand that is as passionate about cycling development as he is.
“We are thrilled to have Velosolutions and #pumpforpeace on board for this journey. We have unearthed incredible talent through the GO!Durban Cycle Academy and we are eager to see what can be achieved with additional support from partners such as Velosolutions, who have extensive knowledge in the industry and a desire to see young cyclists thriving on the world stage.
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