June 19, 2007

Durban street renaming deadline extended to 25 June

The deadline for submitting street renaming proposals in Durban has been extended to 25 June.

At the same Council meeting, council also approved the Masakhane Committee's recommendation that the street naming policy be amended to replace “consultation with addressees” with “consultation with ward committees”. So, instead of canvassing the opinions of those who live in affected streets, communities will be represented and consulted by their ward committees on the process.

Communities must now submit fresh proposals, even for streets and other infrastructure that was not included in the previously published list. And people can still make comments on the existing list. At the multi-party meeting the Council Speaker James Nxumalo said: “ We want to ensure the process is participatory, something we have tried to ensure from the start. We therefore urge the public to send their comments and proposals”.

The new names need not refer only to political heroes, but can include people who have helped make the lives of eThekwini residents better, through sport, art, music, or any other field of human endeavour.

The extension of the deadline gives people another chance to make their choices.

T he ward committees will analyse the proposed names and make comments, suggestions, criticisms and approvals, as well as presenting alternative proposals. They will also be free to propose any other streets, roads, freeways or buildings to be renamed, as a way of honouring the country’s heritage, and helping to transform the city.\

Their recommendations will then be channelled to the street renaming task team, which will in turn collate all the relevant facts and scrutinise the submissions. These fine-tuned submissions will then be forwarded to the multi-party Masakhane Committee for further deliberations. Thereafter, they will submit a report to the city council’s executive committee.

Proposals must be forwarded to corporategis@durban.gov.za or to the
Municipal Manager, 41
Margaret Mncadi Avenue,
2nd Floor, Rennie House,
Durban, 4001.

Proposals can also be faxed to 031 311 4024.

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