By Celani Sikhakhane
• KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development MEC Musa Zondi says crime, vehicle break-ins and safety concerns pushed the department out of Durban city centre.
• The department has moved its offices to Dube TradePort near King Shaka International Airport to make it safer and easier for investors to do business.
Rising crime in Durban city centre has forced the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs to move its headquarters.
The department has relocated its offices from the city centre to Dube TradePort near King Shaka International Airport.
MEC Musa Zondi said the move was not an easy decision, but safety concerns and financial pressures left the department with little choice.
Speaking at the launch of the new offices, Zondi said investors and business people had repeatedly complained about crime in the city centre.
He said visitors often struggled to find parking and frequently returned from meetings to find their vehicles damaged or broken into.
“Although we moved out of the city centre, we did not want to move away from Durban completely because it remains a strategic economic hub,” said Zondi.
“That is why we chose Dube TradePort. It is safer and more convenient for investors and business people.”
Zondi said the new location would make it easier for local and international investors to access government services.
He said visitors flying into King Shaka International Airport can now travel directly to the department’s offices and return safely after meetings.
The MEC said the relocation also forms part of efforts to reduce costs at a time when government finances are under pressure.
Despite moving the department out of Durban, Zondi said the provincial government still wants to support the city centre.
For that reason, Ithala SOC, one of the province’s major state-owned entities, has been moved into Durban’s central business district.
Zondi said many small business owners complained that Ithala’s previous offices in Umlazi were difficult to reach.
“We did not want Durban city centre to decline. That is why Ithala now has its head office in the city,” he said.
The department oversees several provincial entities, including Ithala SOC, the Sharks Board and the KwaZulu-Natal Growth Fund.
Durban continues to battle high levels of violent crime, robbery and vehicle-related crime.
Several police precincts in the metro regularly rank among the country’s most crime-affected areas.
The move by the department highlights growing concerns about safety in the city and the impact crime is having on investment and economic growth.
Pictured above: KwaZulu-Natal Economic Development MEC Musa Zondi opens the department’s new offices at Dube TradePort near King Shaka International Airport.
Image source: Celani Sikhakhane
