Remarks by the mayor of KwaDukuza at the occasion of the 2024 Environment Day Open Street Event along King Shaka Street

Today we are gathered here to commemorate the fourth edition of the KwaDukuza Open Street Event which is hosted as part of the World Environment Day that is annually observed on the 5th of June.


The entire month of June is dedicated to strengthening environmental education to raise citizen awareness and encouraging behavioural change towards the preservation of the environment.


This is an opportunity for each and every one of us to celebrate our diverse cultures, talents, and skills throughout the day.

Reducing carbon emissions is no longer enough in our town, but we need to adapt and create resilience to a warming world.


The disruptive flooding disaster in 2022 and 2023 have taught us a lot of lessons. The plan to deal with extreme flooding events has become our new priority and making land use decisions teaches us that we need to put the impact of disasters in mind by adding more resources to address the costly and complex drainage issues - improving infrastructure and further engaging the public to help tackle these challenges.


Over and above this, we must ensure that projects to rehabilitate ecosystems are prioritised such as working with wetlands and rivers saves costs and protect infrastructure during flash floods. 


We took a decision to close the  King Shaka Street to underline the urgency of dealing with the changing climate as well as global warming.


Wanted to encourage spontaneous activities on this space in order to create an opportunity for citizens to live, learn and work.


Open Streets is an opportunity to re-imagine the future where we focus on raising awareness about environmental issues and interrelated social issues such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), crime, health & well-being with an intention to repurpose the space of King Shaka Street.


We want to enable active and safe mobility for our citizens to make the most of their street whilst enjoying a car-free space.


Let us therefore embrace the concept of Open Streets in that all of us can create shared spaces which symbolise respect and human dignity, social cohesion and environmental sustainability. With those few words, may you all have a fruitful & educational day ahead under the hash-tag #LetsHaveFunOnOurStreet #BuildingAClimateSmartCity.


Let us work together in building a climate-smart city that is sustainable, equitable where everyone can be safe and can thrive.


With those few words, a blissful & educational day ahead to everyone. 


I thank you.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

KwaDukuza Mayor welcomes R350 million set for the expansion of Hesto Harnesses plant in Shakaskraal

Image
KwaDukuza Mayor Siduduzo Gumede welcomes the R350 million commitment set for the expansion of manufacturing capacity and warehousing by Shreeprop in Shakaskraal of which Hesto Harnesses is a key tenant.   "We welcome the overwhelming confidence that the private sector continues to place in the local economy and this is evidenced by the investment of an additional R350 million towards the expansion of industrial capacity located in the Woodmead Industrial Park in Shakaskraal", he said.   A total of R620 million has already been contributed to the local economy through the property ownership of Shree Property Holdings. The Woodmead plant is a key manufacturing facility for Hesto Harnesses, currently employing over 800 residents from the local community.   An additional investment has been committed towards the construction of six new industrial and logistical facilities in the industrial park over the next twelve months. This was announced today, 05 May 2026,...
Read more

Media statement: KwaDukuza Mayor outlines implementation of Section 106 report following labour court challenges

Image
In line with a resolution of the KwaDukuza Municipal Council, KwaDukuza Mayor Siduduzo Gumede wishes to inform members of the public on the latest developments emanating from the findings and recommendations of a forensic investigation that was conducted in terms of Section 106 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, which relates to court proceedings instituted by the Municipal Manager, the Executive Director for Corporate Services, and the Executive Director for Civil Engineering who were placed on precautionary suspension by the municipal council on 13 February 2026. "Following the completion of the forensic investigation initiated by the KZN MEC for Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs, report was brought before the Municipal Council in-committee. The report details a number of findings concerning governance, administrative and financial management practices within the Municipality. These findings included weaknesses in certain internal control systems, procure...
Read more

KwaDukuza Mayor discusses investments and cooperation in bilateral with Gledhow Sugar Company

Image
As KwaDukuza Mayor Siduduzo Gumede is engaging with investors and big business in a bid to strengthen corporation and to build stronger partnerships as part of his Mayoral Investor After-Care Initiative under his Turnaround  Service Delivery  Improvement Plan. His first engagement was convened at the Gledhow Sugar Company where he has opened a dialogue on matters of mutual interests, with a particular focus on economic development of the local municipality and its people. The mayor is using this opportunity to establish an ongoing conversation with the sugar mill company that has received an injection close to R1.8-billion under a new investor, Chatthe Group. This was announced as the mill was re-opened last week, following a successful business rescue process that was initiated in 2023. The intervention has saved jobs in the hundreds. Mayor Gumede addressed the management of the mill that has been in operation in KwaDukuza for over 100 years. “We welcome the expansion of the ...
Read more