CHAPTER 7: FINDINGS AND DATA INTERPRETATION
7.5 Interview with the Developers of the Point Development Precinct
114 Private developers see the land as something they can develop and create investments in through projects that they implement. Their aim is to generate income for the city through projects. He says that they view the prime location in the inner-city as land which is a completely different perception to the view of the public. To the public, it is public space. To the municipality and the Point Development Company, it is land. He says that it is land which they need to develop to boost income for the economy through investment.
An important remark that Mr Nelson Nair made was that the municipality needs money to finance the maintenance and running of Urban Renewal Projects such as uShaka Marine World to avoid bail-outs. He informed me that uShaka Marine World is completely financed by the eThekwini Municipality and, because uShaka Marine World does not generate enough revenue from its use, the development is actually running at a deficit to the municipality. The municipality has to finance the maintenance of the public space within the development, as actually, insufficient people visit and use the facilities at uShaka Marine World to generate the amount of income required to make a profit. Therefore, he believes that development within the Inner-city has to be privatised, as the municipality requires the assistance of private companies to fund development. This funding would allow for the upkeep of existing developments within the Durban Inner-city coastal area.
115 7.5.1 Why is public space privatised in the Durban Inner-city coastal area?
Mr Musa Mbhele said that, in order for Durban to achieve its vision to create urban renewal projects that are accessible, useable and in line with a strategy for Durban to be a liveable city, public spaces such as Vetch‘s Beach have to be redeveloped. It is prime land in the city, and if the municipality does not seize the opportunity to develop the land, another private sector entity will. The land upon which Vetch‘s Beach, as a public space, exists, has massive potential to be built up to attract investment in the city of Durban. This revenue is needed for the maintenance of the various projects that are run and maintained by the eThekwini municipality. Mr Musa Mbhele said that there is a need to create these urban renewal projects for economic development in the Durban Inner-city coastal area.
Currently, the Point Development Precinct does not generate enough revenue for the city, and the new proposed plan would bring in a lot of capital and foreign investment. They need to create opportunities whereby the multiplier effect in the city in heightened through projects that enhance local and tourist consumer spending. The development would also create job opportunities for the city. Approximately 11 000 jobs per annum would be created. The proposed development would increase surrounding property values and this would result in fresh investment capital for the city. The economic benefits for the city are needed more through this development. The economic growth that could result due to the redevelopment of the Durban Inner-city coastal area is more important for the city than the need for people to protect the beach for social reasons.
7.5.2 How will the people who enjoy public spaces at Vetch’s Beach be accommodated?
Soban Beverah, the developer at the Point Development Precinct stated that there has been an agreement between the users of the public spaces and the clubs of Vetch‘s Beach to go ahead with the development. The clubs that are using Vetch‘s Beach will be accommodated in the new redevelopment plans, upon the new proposed promenade. They have reached an agreement and the public has endorsed the new plans.
7.5.3 Is public space being privatised in the Durban Inner-city coastal area?
According to Soban Beverah, the proposed redevelopment of the Point Development precinct aims to create another suburb. The new proposed plan is a mixed-use development and creates a commercial centre, incorporates taxi routes and comprises hotels and retail centres that are needed by the community of people living in the Durban Inner-city coastal area. Public spaces are created within the development. The new proposed plan creates a recreational public, open
116 space which serves the same purpose as the public space at Vetch‘s Beach. Public spaces will be created and will be used to integrate and converge the different phases of the proposed plan.
In accordance with the Economic Impact Assessment of the eThekwini municipality which says that ―a raised Promenade is introduced near to the beaches so as to reduce dune areas impacts, enhance beach access, and continue the success/extent of the upgraded beach promenades northwards of the Point upwards towards the Moses Mabhida stadium‖ (EIAP, 2015:36). Mr Soban Beverah said that the first stage of the development implements the creation of a public promenade/family beach. This would be a public open space that would exist upon Vetch‘s Beach which people will be able to access as public spaces within the development. It is called the harbour-side promenade. He also said that the small craft harbour that is proposed for development on Vetch‘s Beach is above the high-watermark and that the promenade will be located at the set-back line of the beach. The beach will still be a
‗beach-zone‘ which is an open zone regarded as a public space. People will not be restricted and their access into all parts of the development, which includes all public spaces, will be obtainable through the parking that will be created for users. In addition, he stated that an easy access transport node created within the proposed plans would allow people to use the public spaces.
7.6 The Benefits of the Privatisation of Public Space in the Durban Inner- city coastal area:
As stated in the Economic Impact Assessment of the Point Development Precinct, the privatisation of public space to accommodate the expanding project will have these benefits:
It will:
Generate a GDP that is worth 3.4 billion on a daily basis. Capital formation will be 5.9 Billion on per annum. R881 million will be contributed to the national and provincial fiscus (EIAP, 2015:37). In total, international visitors are expected to contribute up to R12 billion in direct expenditure (EIAP, 2015:38).
This shows that economic investment and the generation of capital for the Durban Inner-city coastal area is a priority. It also shows that Neo-liberal and capitalist principles of the Postmodern Urbanism theory have a great influence and is rife within the Durban Inner-city
117 coastal area. Public spaces are privatised within a Postmodern urbanism context to ensure that economic development and capital investment is promoted in the city, irrespective of the social benefits that public spaces historically and currently provide.