Durban CBD traders press eThekwini for action as inner-city revival company takes shape
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Long-established businesses in Durban's central business district say they are waiting for the eThekwini Municipality's planned Inner-City Development Company to deliver better services as the city centre continues to decline.
Decades-old businesses in Durban's central business district are watching and waiting as the eThekwini Municipality moves to establish a dedicated entity to revive the city centre and restore its economic potential.
Earlier this year the municipality announced that its proposed Inner-City Development Company was intended to accelerate the regeneration of Durban's CBD and surrounding areas by improving service delivery, attracting investment, leveraging public-private partnerships and creating a more vibrant and inclusive urban hub.
But while the city develops its plans, business owners who have survived for decades in the CBD said they have already endured years of decline.
Yunus Kamroodeen of Safey Bazaar said the family business, which specialises in sportswear and footwear, had been trading since 1958 and was initially located in Field Street before moving to Dr Yusuf Dadoo (formerly Grey) Street. “Back then the shop attracted customers from across Durban, including Phoenix, Chatsworth and KwaMashu, and weekends were so busy that there was barely time to eat or speak to friends. But things have changed drastically, including the CBD, which has deteriorated,” he said.
He said the decline was evident in unkempt roads and pavements, unresolved infrastructure problems, crime and congestion. “A section of a side road across from our shop had been dug up for more than a month to repair a burst water pipe. It is still open, and water continues to leak,” he said.
Kamroodeen said the business could not simply relocate. “We cannot close because we have been here for years. We are also older, and these are our last few years to keep the business running, as there will be no one to take over since the younger generation have taken different career paths,” he said. “But while we are still around, we would like to see change. Any attempt to revive the inner city must start with basic municipal services,” he added, calling for roads and pavements to be fixed and crime to be tackled as a priority.