eThekwini Mayor Updates Public on Major City Priorities at Media Briefing

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Cyril Xaba, addressed the media on Sunday, outlining key developments and ongoing city challenges facing residents of South Africa’s largest metro in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mayor Xaba provided fresh details on the long-awaited unveiling dates for the bronze statues of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo, to be prominently installed near the Moses Mabhida Stadium and along the beachfront promenade a landmark cultural project eagerly anticipated by the community. 

A major focus of the briefing was the city’s a homelessness and drug abuse, particularly along Che Guevara Road (formerly Moore Road) where vulnerable individuals have been living in makeshift conditions. Xaba reiterated that the municipality is intensifying a coordinated, multi-sector strategy that emphasises humane, lawful, and sustainable interventions, including partnerships with family networks, civil society and law enforcement. He highlighted the ongoing development of the Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter in Illovo to support reintegration and life-skills development.

The mayor’s remarks come amid rising public pressure for effective responses to urban social issues. Xaba called on the broader eThekwini community to engage constructively and work collaboratively to create lasting solutions to homelessness, substance abuse and public safety concerns.