Durban — R6 million has been earmarked to replace the Dolphin Stadium video screen, which aims to increase local tourism. Ratepayers spoke out about this allocation and said that the funds could be allocated to areas of priority.
This item was set to be revealed during the full council meeting at the ICC in Durban on Tuesday (today).
Bluff Ratepayers & Residents Association (BRRA) vice-chairperson Allison Schoeman said that although they acknowledged the City’s efforts to maintain this tourist attraction, they had questions about whether this expenditure would bring tangible economic benefits to the eThekwini economy.
“Investing such a substantial amount in a single piece of equipment, even one as central as a video screen, should be justified by clear, measurable benefits to the local economy and community,” she said.
Schoeman said that they should focus more on items like service delivery; tariff hikes and financial burden on residents; security concerns; and, sanitation and cleanliness.
In the agenda to be tabled on Tuesday (today), the authority is requested to repurpose the capital expenditure grant to be allocated for an operating expenditure of R6 000 000.00. Also, the reclassification of expenditure allocated for maintenance as consumables.
The reasons for this request were that “the Dolphin Stadium Video Screen is an integral part of the Dolphin and Seal Shows visitor experience. This is a DMTP asset but operated by the South African Marine Biological Research (Saambr) as per its expertise in this function. The Saambr has managed to keep the video screen functional beyond its expected lifespan.
“However, this has now since become obsolete, and thus an urgency to replace this equipment. An amount of R6 000 000.00 is required for this purpose.”
Given the detailed explanation, and the committee being in support, the committee recommended that the Dolphin Stadium video screen be declared obsolete, it was urgent to replace it in order to maintain competitiveness.
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