As construction of another dedicated bus lane for the GO!Durban integrated public transport network starts this month (October 2018) on the M21 from the intersection with the MR577 in Newlands to Springfield Park, businesses, residents and schools are asked to take note of the areas under construction, and any traffic accommodation and deviations that may come into effect as a result.
This route, called Corridor 1 (C1) is part of the overall network that eThekwini Municipality is rolling out over a number of years to improve public transport for all. At present the first route, called C3, is nearing completion from Pinetown to Bridge City via the MR577 and this C1 route will eventually connect the MR577 to the CBD via Springfield Park. The C1 construction will be divided into two phases: C1A from the MR577 to Springfield and C1B from Springfield to the CBD. Construction will only begin this month on the C1A section, as is expected to take 24 months.
“We are asking people who live, work and visit this area to be mindful of the construction for their own safety and the safety of those working on the roads,” says Thami Manyathi, Head of the eThekwini Transport Authority. “Of course, we know that any construction on an existing roadway creates delays, and is often inconvenient and frustrating for those who use the roads, and live or work alongside. We ask for people’s patience, and understanding as we strive to improve public transport for all, and ultimately upgrade the existing roadway, which will undoubtedly have positive outcomes for all living and working here. We recommend that during this construction phase that people make plans to start their journey earlier, and to possibly look at alternate routes. We also recommend that all valuables are kept out of sight of opportunistic criminals, who often take advantage of the slow moving traffic to target unsuspecting commuters.”
Members of the public using the M21 between the MR577 and Springfield Park are advised that traffic will be slower than usual, roadways will be narrowed to allow for construction, and to be mindful that there are heavy construction vehicles in operation.
The eThekwini Transport Authority has already been engaging with affected wards to explain the plans, and will host two further community engagements. These take place on Sunday, 21 October from 2 to 4pm at the David Landau Hall, Asherville for Ward 25 and on Monday, 22 October from 10am to 12 noon at the Greenwood Park Hall, 726 Chris Hani Road, Greenwood Park for Ward 34.
For more information or to keep up to date on construction and road deviation/ accommodation plans go to godurban.local:8890 or follow us on Twitter/ Facebook and Instagram.
Construction to upgrade and expand the M13 and Essex Terrace interchange in Ward 30 in Westville will begin in October this year.
According to the eThekwini Transport Authority, traffic on this interchange has increased significantly due to new developments (residential, office and shopping) that have taken place and other future developments that will take place in this area. In order to support a more fluid and efficient traffic flow through this area, the bridge on the M13 over Lincoln Terrace will be extended on both east and west bound carriageways. The on and off ramps will also be upgraded, extended and realigned to accommodate current and expected increase in traffic.
Devon Terrace, Lincoln Terrace, Latina Place, and Essex Terrace will also be realigned and form part of this construction contract.
Traffic accommodation plans will be in place in order to minimize the inconvenience to those using the roads in the area, and some deviations are expected.
“We ask that people who live, work and visit this area be mindful of the construction for their own safety and the safety of those working on the roads,” says Thami Manyathi, Head of the eThekwini Transport Authority. “We ask for people’s patience, and understanding as we strive to improve our road infrastructure.”
The ETA advises that commuter/ drivers using these routes start their journeys earlier, and to look at alternate routes. Notifications of deviations will be posted on the GO!Durban and eThekwini Municipality Twitter and Facebook accounts.
A community engagement to explain and outline the construction plans will take place at the Truro Hall, Meerut Road in Westville on Tuesday, 16 October at 7pm. All are welcome.
Construction is expected to take around 20 months.
2018 marks the second year that the GO!Durban Cycle Academy is competing in the KZN Spur Schools MTB League and it has proven to be a season beyond expectations!
The racing team has performed consistently over the last three events (29 July, 19 August, 26 August), with their results improving each time and achieving a number of top 10 finishes.
The flashes of bright green GO!Durban kit have become instantly recognisable on the course with our riders competing in almost all of the age categories, from Primary School through to High School, and 40% of these being girls.
“The Spur MTB Schools League is an annual highlight on our racing calendar as it really puts our training during the year to the test,” says Shaun Peschl, Programme Director of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy and Director of PeschlSports. “We have seen significant improvement in our team from last year and being able to consistently put up to 22 riders on the start line is a proud achievement for us.”
“We are particularly impressed with our ladies’ results and we are hoping to send some of our female athletes to represent the province at the National finals.”
As the first development programme in KZN to train female cyclists, Head Coach Siyabonga Njiva is also very pleased with the ladies’ performance to date:
“The girls are improving with each race. It’s their first XCO series so it’s still new to them, but they are doing very well and we’re on the right track.”
For the academy as a whole, the Spur Schools MTB League is the foundation of competitive XCO racing and is a training ground for young riders to hone their skills, before moving up to compete in the more difficult National MTB XCO Cup Series.
“I’d like to say thanks to Spur and the organising team for allowing us the opportunity to participate in the league,” says Njiva.
“For us, it’s bikes and school; we work on the basis that you have to pass the term in order to race so the kids make sure that they pass at school so that they are able to race in the Spur series. Even if they come last, that medal means a lot to them!”
With just one more provincial race to go, the stakes will be high at Thomas Moore College in Kloof on the 9th of September 2018 with all riders hoping to collect as many points as possible to qualify for the National Spur Schools’ MTB League finals, taking place in Gauteng in October.
Upcoming Race:
KZN Spur Schools MTB League #4: 9 September 2018
“The difference between a broken community and a thriving one is the presence of women who are valued.” – Michelle Obama.
Women play a pivotal role in our communities and the GO!Durban Cycle Academy places enormous focus on ensuring that the women in our organisation are acknowledged, valued and supported.
This August, we celebrate Women’s Month by taking a closer look at the phenomenal women who keep the wheels turning at the GO!Durban Cycle Academy!
1. Andiswa Susan Dlamini: KwaDabeka Bike Park Site Manager
Susan was born and bred in KwaZulu-Natal. After her father passed away when she was just 12 years old, she went to live with the family where her mother was employed as a domestic worker and she remained with them throughout her high school years at Durban Girls’ High.
“Even though I was wearing a second-hand uniform because we couldn’t afford a new one, my Mom was determined to take me to that school because she wanted me to have a better education and better opportunities than her.”
After high school, Susan received a scholarship to Rhodes University, but there was no way she could afford to pay for housing, transport and food expenses as the bursary only covered the cost of tuition. So, Susan opted to stay close to home and go to the Durban University of Technology. In her first year, she unexpectedly fell pregnant with her daughter, but she did not allow that to deter her vision for her future. Instead, motherhood fuelled her to achieve even higher.
“My mom and daughter are the best investments in my life. Everything I do, I do for them.”
Susan started working for Durban Green Corridors (DGC) as an intern in 2012.
“I needed practical experience to pass my Diploma,” she explains. “I was so inspired by the community involvement and the youth programme at Isithumba and I wanted to bring that same inspiration to KwaDabeka because my passion is to develop communities.”
After convincing her mentor Gary Cullen to open a site in her own community, Susan became the site manager in the same year. Later, in 2015, she had the opportunity to spend time with Weltwärts, a development volunteer service in Germany, through DGC’s environmental sustainability partnership with the City of Bremen. This experience really formed the foundation of her expertise in managing youth programmes and how to liaise with local schools and other community stakeholders.
She came back to South Africa in 2016 where she played a critical role in the launch of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy bike park in KwaDabeka.
When asking Susan what her favourite part of her job is, she answers without hesitation – “Making a difference; having an impact in someone else’s life. We could have no budget and I’d still do it.”
“Without this academy, our kids would be playing on the streets – we’d have teenage girls who are pregnant and teenage boys involved in drugs and gangs. It’s a place where kids come to feel safe, where they are never judged, but they are able to be themselves and they are always pushed to become better.”
“Children are a reflection of the community that they come from and one day when they are businessmen and women or entrepreneurs, I want them to say: ‘if it wasn’t for that academy, I wouldn’t be here. It embedded the morals that I have, it kept me away from bad things and because of the academy I’m able to be a proud ambassador of my community.'”
And lastly her closing thoughts on the power of women: “I think women are underestimated a lot. I would love to see more female coaches; I would love to see our young girls growing up to be coaches and giving back to their communities as well.”
2. Nonhlanzeko Purity Mpanza: KwaDabeka Bike Park Site Assistant
From Left to Right: Sthabile, Mbali, Nomfundo, Nomonde and Nonhlanzeko (KwaDabeka Site Administrator)
Nonhlanzeko was also born in KwaZulu Natal, but growing up in the Apartheid era forced her parents and 3 siblings (two brothers and a sister) to move around a lot. She still lives with her parents today and is a mother to an eight-year old daughter.
“Growing up I wanted to be a psychologist, but as I grew older and I became a Mom I was drawn to kids so I decided to enrol for my BA degree in Education through UNISA, specialising in Senior Phase and FET.”
At the time when Durban Green Corridors was establishing their site in KwaDabeka, Nonhlanzeko was pursing her dream of becoming a teacher by gaining experience as a volunteer at the community nursery school on the site – Letukhanya.
Susan recruited her for the DGC job where she now fulfils multiple roles as the Site Assistant, Youth Programme Facilitator and Academic Coordinator.
Despite her quiet and calm demeanour, Nonhlanzeko’s enthusiasm for the youth in her community is unmistakable.
“Seeing the smiles on the kids faces when they come here blesses me every day. If children come here, they won’t be the same as the other kids in the community. We teach them respect, responsibility, to appreciate one another, and to love themselves.”
Her vision for the future of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy is to see at least one of the kids pursuing cycling professionally, but more importantly, for the youth to grow up to be successful and to come back and be an example to the others and show them that everything started here, at the academy, to motivate them.
Similarly to Susan, Nonhlanzeko goes above and beyond the description of her job title and is a trusted mentor to the kids, particularly the young girls.
“I want them to know that we are all human and we make mistakes, but the important thing is to rise above those mistakes and never think that some things are impossible – if you put your mind to it, you can achieve it.”
3. Nomonde Makwa: Inanda Bike & Tourism Park Administrator
Hailing from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, Nomonde moved to KwaZulu-Natal with her family in 2007. She started working for Durban Green Corridors in 2011 where she was trained as an Environmental Educator by Debbie Bennett and they worked alongside each other, going to schools to encourage environmental awareness and conservation among learners and educators.
Nomonde is married to Lonwabo Makwa who is the Youth Sports Coordinator at Inanda and together they have three children – a daughter (17) and two sons (14 and 7).
Nomonde’s role includes overseeing site operations and accompanying the kids to sports events, particularly the trail running team which is coached by Lonwabo.
“I love working with the kids and seeing their smiling faces when they come to the site!”
Although her background is in environmentalism and tourism, a love for sports has also rubbed off on her.
“I did my first trail run in May [2018]. I also enjoy road running and I do events like the Spar Ladies Run and Total Sports Women’s Race.”
Her unique blend of skills for environmental education and youth sports development makes this formidable wife and mom-of-three an invaluable asset.
“What we are doing for the youth is so important for the community and I want to make sure that our programme can empower them for the future, so that they can be successful even after they have matriculated and left our programme.”
Two riders from the GO!Durban Cycle Academy have been awarded full scholarships to attend Northwood High School as part of the academy’s long term plan to invest more heavily in education, backed by GO!Durban and the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA).
(L to R) Grant LeRoux, Mcendisi Mkhize, Lungani Mbambo, Paul Viljoen and Shaun Peschl – Credit Sifiso Mngoma
Mcendisi Mkhize (Grade 8) and Lungani Mbambo (Grade 11) started participating in the cycling activities at the first GO!Durban Cycle Academy bike park in Inanda, managed by Mr. Nhlanhla Sibiya and Mrs. Nomonde Magwa, in 2016, and quickly became members of the racing team after showing much promise on the bike.
The young men have now taken a giant leap forward in their sporting and academic journeys, enrolling as learners and full time boarders at Northwood High School, in Broadway, Durban North.
They will be following in the footsteps of Northwood Alumni, Cayde Muldoon, who was instrumental in the success of the Northwood Cycling Team during his tenure at the school and continues to achieve top 10 race results in the province as an ambassador of the academy.
To assist in this journey, the two have started an elite athlete training and development programme with Peschl Sports.
Mcendisi Mkhize and Lungani Mbambo at the entrance to Northwood High School – Credit Sifiso Mngoma
“It is very important for the boys to be in close proximity to gym facilities and their coaches, and to have consistent nutrition in order to improve their natural talent. Thanks to our partnership with Northwood we are now able to offer them this,” says Shaun Peschl, Director of Peschl Sports and manager of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy sports programme.
“Education is also a critical component of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy and we apply a strict ‘no pass, no race’ rule. Therefore it was imperative for us to make sure that our top riders have access to the best available basic education so that they are well-rounded and well-educated athletes,” explains Peschl.
“Mcendisi and Lungani are the pioneers of this programme, and we believe that they will serve as beacons of hope to their peers as we strive to enhance the academic support offered to all members of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy.”
The boys are adjusting well to their new school and are eagerly preparing for the start of the national Spur MTB Schools Series this weekend (Sunday 29 July 2018), with the hopes of adding to Northwood’s already prestigious trophy cabinet.
“This is an opportunity for Mcendisi and Lungani to take their lives to another level,” says Mr. Paul Viljoen, headmaster of Northwood High School. “We are very excited about their talent and will do our best to develop this, as we do with every other boy in our school. We uphold very high academic and sporting standards at Northwood and we look forward to seeing these two young men thriving in our environment and achieving great results.”
Hoopers VW and the GO!Durban Cycle Academy spent Mandela Day empowering youth and celebrating the value of education.
The activities included a handover of 40 school bags and stationery donated by the 80 members of staff at the Hoopers VW dealership. 10 volunteers from the dealership, including the Managing Director Mr. Dave Hooper, spent their 67 minutes for Mandela Day with the children on site, playing fun games led by the coaches and nurturing their creativity with colouring books and “playdough”.
Education is a key pillar of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy with academic support provided to learners by tutors every Saturday morning before riding commences. At the end of every term, learners are required to share their school reports with the site managers, and a strict “no pass, no race” rule is applied to riders in the race team.
“In the first term this year, our site had a 61% pass rate,” says Brightson Dldadla, KwaMashu Site Manager. “The kids are very dedicated to the extra classes and we have seen improvement in their marks. We are expecting the overall pass rate for Term 2 to be higher.”
“In line with the National Development Plan, we believe that access to quality basic education is the foundation of a successful future for our youth,” explains Shaun Peschl, Sports Director of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy.
“We use sports as a means to empower the youth, and in addition to the life skills that they learn on the bike, we simultaneously provide academic support to ensure that they have multiple avenues of opportunities available to them once they matriculate and thus increase their chances of employability as active citizens in their communities.”
“We are grateful to our partners, Hoopers VW, for their investment which has greatly motivated, inspired and enabled members of the academy to keep working hard in school and pursuing academic excellence,” Peschl concludes.
The Inanda trail runners celebrated Youth Day through sports with a day of running! They competed in distances of 5km and 10km with stellar results.
The event was a partnership between Blaeque Amyoli Events and Inanda Quadi AC, and sponsored by the KZN Department of Sports and Recreation.
5km
Boys:
3rd: Msizi Msomi
Girls:
1st : Sisanda Skhakhane
2nd : Lusanda Luthuli
3rd : Asanda Ngubane
4th : Thobeka Khuzwayo
10km
The ladies dominated again in the 10km, taking all three podium spots:
1st : Sphumelele Gumede
2nd : Mandisa Mkhunya
3rd : Nokbonga Zungu
Boys:
1st : Mbuleli Mathanga
3rd : Nkosinathi Mndaba
“On your marks,…” – our runners get set to get going!
On Sunday, the Youth Day celebrations continued with the Qaphe Eqolo Road Race where our own Mbuleli Mathanga placed 4th overall in the competitive 21km (half marathon).
The juniors also put on yet another impressive performance with podium finishes for the boys and girls in the 5km and 10km.
10km
Male Juniors: Nkosinathi Mndaba 2nd place
Female Juniors: Asanda Ngubane 3rd place
5km
Males: Musawenkosi Zungu 1st place
Females: Lusanda Luthuli 1st place; Asanda Ngubane 2nd place
Our very own Mbuleli Mathanga (centre) placed in an impressive 4th overall in the competitive 21km (half marathon).
EThekwini Skateboarding Club (ESC) puts kids on track to a brighter future
The ESC held their first official event at the GODurban Cycle Academy pump track at KwaDabeka on June 16. Founded in May 2017, the organisation aims to engage with and inspire township kids to reach their potential skills through skateboarding.
With 15 kids aged between 7 – 17 years in the programme, they first started training on a public road, but thanks to the partnership with the GO!Durban Cycle Academy they are now able to skate safely on the pump track on Sunday and Monday afternoons.
“We are excited for this partnership with the eThekwini Skateboarding Club which enables us to reach more kids with the positive impact of sport. We are proud to see multi-sport use of the pump track in the KwaDabeka community, says Shaun Peschl, Sports Director of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy.
“Having an event has significantly boosted the confidence of our kids,” says Musa, the founder of the organisation. “Thanks to Durban Green Corridors and GO!Durban for giving us a place we can call home; we appreciate their help in hosting our event!”.
The winners for the day were:
1st place : Lindokuhle Mlitwa
2nd place : Malusi Nzama
3rd place : Ngcina Zuma
4th place : Shaka Ngcongo
“By helping these youngsters we are trying to bring hope to the community and keep the kids away from the streets. By doing so we believe their future will look brighter for them,” concludes Musa.
Ellah’s story is truly a inspiring one. At 58, she is the director of her own construction company: QEDA. At 17 Ellah suffered a tragic spinal injury that left her wheelchair-bound. Determined to rise above her disability, she obtained a Diploma in a Business Administration and founded QEDA in 2006. Since then, she has been involved n several construction projects within her community.
Through GO!Durban project QEDA was awarded a small storm water sub-contract. Impressed by her commitment and tenacity Phayindani Joint Venture, the main contractor on a section of the C3, provided Ellah with further mentorship. Soon after, management decided to include her in a formal programme. This afforded Ellah the opportunity to win another sub-contract. This time for a portion of the sidewalks. QEDA has since grown from strength to strength, with the continued support of the Joint Venture management team.
When asked about the challenges she faces, Ellah spoke of the judgement she faced from her male counterparts. Far from discouraging her, their negativity fueled her determination.
“It was really tough for me but I was determined to grow my business. I felt supported and well mentored by the Joint Venture. My staff made me really proud, and we delivered! I am so pleased to have experienced this as it has given me an opportunity to develop my small business.”
Fortunately, after the success of her projects, she was able to buy a Bantam bakkie making her more mobile. When she began the contract QEDA’s industry grading was at level 1. Since then, QEDA has attained a level 3 grading, enabling her to take on bigger contracts.
The 5thleg of the inaugural Red Bull Pump Track World Championship series is set to take place in Durban, KwaZulu Natal on Saturday, 28 April 2018. The South African qualifier round will be hosted by the GO!Durban Cycle Academy and Durban Green Corridors at the KwaDabeka bike park, where they have recently built the first Velosolutions pump track in the province.
The circuit is designed to be “ridden” without the need for pedalling as riders create momentum around the track with their up and down “pumping” body movements.
“We are thrilled to have partnered with Velosolutions and Claudio Caluori to bring this exciting event to Durban and we are proud to be the South African representatives in the global series. The aim of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy is to inspire and motivate the youth through sport. Together with Durban Green Corridors, we are transforming previously disregarded or unusable areas into clean, accessible and safe spaces for the youth to engage in active learning through our youth development programme which includes sports, education, and life skills components,” says Thami Manyathi, Head of the eThekwini Transport Authority.
“When we first heard about Claudio Caluori’s concept for an international Pump Track series, we immediately knew that our sites would be the ideal place to build a track as we already had the space and basic infrastructure available. By bringing the track and the qualifying event to Durban, we hope to encourage more community participation in cycling and to further promote a lifestyle of active mobility amongst all ages,” says Shaun Peschl, Sports Director of the GO!Durban Cycle Academy.
With athletes coming from across the country to participate in the hopes of winning the coveted first prize including a trip to the Red Bull Pump Track World Championship Finals, it is sure to be a day of fast-paced, nail-biting competition. The racing line-up will also include riders and coaches from the GO!Durban Cycle Academy who are eager to display their skills on home-ground.
“It is important for us to not only host such events, but also to give our riders the opportunity to participate at an international level. We have no doubt that they will be competitive on the day and will make us proud.” Peschl concludes. Entertainment will be on offer for spectators including a food and drinks garden, and the racing will be followed by a line-up of hot local DJ’s on the Red Bull stage.
For more information and regular updates visit the GO!Durban Website or Facebook Page.
This year marks a significant milestone for the City as the eThekwini Municipality prepares for the much-anticipated start of service of the first route of the new GO!Durban integrated public transport network from Pinetown’s CBD to KwaMashu’s Bridge City.
Aligned to the eThekwini Municipality’s vision to be Africa’s most caring and liveable city by 2030, this integrated network of public transport will give people access to places and opportunities in a manner never before experienced in Durban. Once the service begins in the latter part of 2018, the new system will provide commuters a world-class transport solution, which will get them to their destination safely, on time and at affordable rates.
The first route, which features a dedicated road lane only accessed by the new state-of-the-art GO!Durban buses, runs from Anderson Street in Pinetown’s CBD to Bridge City in KwaMashu utilising the provincial road MR577 (Dumisani Makhaye).
“The new transport system is a game-changer for the City,” says Her Worship, the Mayor Councillor Zandile Gumede. “Globally we have seen how transport systems, have worked to improve the liveability of a city and unlock economic and social opportunities. So our first provision of a route in an area so in need of opportunities and development, is very exciting.”
“This has been, and still remains one of the important catalytic programmes we have embarked on, and it has come with a sea of visionaries, experts, planners, contractors and labour who have been working tirelessly to deliver the prototype for the future. As part of the overall process of providing a new safe and reliable system, current public transport operator leadership and our City’s leadership are planning how they will participate and integrate into the new system for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
Areas and precincts along the route have begun to attract investors and interest in developments, as the transport network now has the potential to attract critical mass to stimulate economic growth. Along the routes, upgrades of urban precinct nodes with new lighting, street furniture and landscaping, have already begun to alter the way in which people use these spaces, making for much more user-friendly and safer environments.
“Our message to citizens, from commuters, operators and businesses – small, medium and large, is that as a city we can deliver the infrastructure and systems, but ultimately it is yours to embrace, look after and utilise for the betterment of all. This is a legacy project which means getting around the City and accessing opportunities will continue to improve, and in that there is enormous hope.”
“The City will be embarking on a communication campaign in the second quarter of 2018 to create awareness of how the new system will work, so that by the time it begins, commuters fully understand how to use it,” says Cllr Gumede.
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