Durban - Councillors in eThekwini Municipality have asked for more investment to be channelled to uShaka Marine World to turn the facility into a world class tourist attraction.
Councillors from different political parties said uShaka was the last real tourist attraction that remained on the City’s “Golden Mile”. The state of uShaka was discussed last week as the council approved additional funding for the entity.
Last month, the executive committee (Exco) members recommended the approval of the transfer of grant funding of R129.6 million that has been provided for in the 2023-2024 operating budget for the entity.
The bulk of that money would go towards funding the work of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research, a non-profit organisation based at uShaka that manages Sea World.
During the full council meeting last week, ANC councillor Nkosenhle Madlala said the City’s entities were facing strong competition from private businesses.
“We must make an investment that will allow that precinct to develop. For instance, we have put in money and developed the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal, we have put in money to fund the extension of the promenade,” said Madlala, adding that the City needed to invest to ensure that there were linkages in these areas, so that they could assist in growing one another.
Madlala also highlighted procurement issues that frustrated the City’s entities, including Moses Mabhida Stadium and the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, stating that the City must set up different procurement systems, especially for perishable items, as the current system was not serving the entities well.
Similar views were expressed by DA councillor Sakhile Mngadi who said procuring something “as simple as bread was a cumbersome process for the entities”.
“When it comes to our entities, one of the things the City needs to realise is that they need to be assets that generate income so we can further service delivery, that is not happening.
“It is important that for an entity like uShaka, it is functional and sustainable because the offerings on the beachfront have all but diminished. We are not competitive any more, when people arrive in eThekwini they don’t actually come to uShaka, they go to Ballito or the Midlands and that is a problem for us as a City because we are not able to galvanise the money they would spend here,” said Mngadi.
He said many attractions had been removed from the beachfront and there was a need to bring in attractions that would cater for people of all income levels.
“UShaka presents this City with a key opportunity to do that.”
IFP councillor Mzwethu Gwala said parts of Durban had been premier tourist spots years ago, “but these days you find there are people selling chickens, there is smoke (fires for cooking), you just do not know what is going on there any more”.