Durban to welcome African mayors for crime prevention dialogue

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2 days ago

Durban will host the upcoming Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) dialogue in August
Image: File
eThekwini councillors gave the go-ahead for Durban to host the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) dialogue in collaboration with the African Forum on Urban Safety in August.
The CPTED event is expected to be attended by mayors from other African countries when it is hosted at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban.
According to the municipality, the CPTED became internationally popular as a field of study and practice in the 1990s, introducing concepts such as "target hardening" and preventing crime through the implementation of physical, architectural, and infrastructural measures.
eThekwini Safer Cities stated that CPTED has benefited from advances in urban design and from the movement towards integrated urban safety approaches.
The report stated that Safer Cities require an integrated approach to transform an unsafe place into a haven for all.
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The objectives of the dialogue are to: Share case studies that reflect the opportunities of using these approaches.
Investigate the financial burden that is carried by the city when public infrastructure is vandalised and stolen, and when safety is not factored in early on.
Promote the use of transversal design and communications to break the cycle of infrastructure vandalism.
Explore innovative ideas for safe sanitation for women as a safety metric.
Mobilise stakeholders for the revival of the African Forum on Urban Safety.
And capacitation of city practitioners to embed safety in their processes, procedures, and functions.
The municipality believes that the dialogue is a catalyst for sustained safety programmes and city safety strategies to be implemented both locally and across Africa.
It anticipates that participants will gain a profound understanding of the benefits of building safe and inclusive cities for all.
At a council meeting on Thursday, IFP councillor Petros Mbonambi encouraged people to support the initiative that he said would contribute to making eThekwini the number one city in fighting crime.
He added that there was a need for a new approach to crime and violence to make the metro crime-free.
'This initiative could lead to a reduction in crime in our city,' Mbonambi said.
EFF councillor Ncami Khawula hoped that Community Policing Forums (CPF) would receive support, equipment, and also get protection from law enforcement because they were volunteers on the front line and vulnerable to criminals.
Zandile Myeni, National Freedom Party (NFP) councillor and deputy mayor of eThekwini, said the municipality was recently appointed to organise the dialogue that will play a critical role in the African diaspora.
'We will be rolling out the red carpet to all the mayors from Africa, and we see this as another economic boost to the municipality,' she said.
The estimated cost includes:
Accommodation for the 10 mayors and speakers for three nights - R70,000.
Ground transport over four days at R6,000 per day - R24,000.
Two-day venue booking with Technical Support Interpreter (ICC) - R280,000.
Printing of branding, banners, and booklets - R63,000.
Aidan David, the chairperson of the eThekwini District policing board and Provincial Board treasurer for KwaZulu-Natal, said engagements of this nature had taken place many times, and they yielded fruitless results.
He said these funds can be better utilised towards the fight against crime.
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