PART 1

A SAFER CITY STRETEGY FOR DURBAN

Chapter 1

THE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

The establishment of the Durban Safer City Project was motivated by the Durban Metropolitan Council’s commitment to make Durban the safest city in Africa. The Best City Practice Commission, set up by the council, identified safety and security as the number one threat to the city’s ability to attract investment and implement its economic growth strategy. Making the city safer was thus singled out as a necessary condition for growing the city’s economy and attracting investment and tourism. Tourism, in particular, is the major economic generator for the city.

The Safer City Project was established in October 1999 following discussions between the city and officials from the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) who visited Durban and proposed a partnership that would link the city with similar initiatives in other cities in the world. One of the first tasks of the project was to develop a safer city strategy that would provide the framework to guide the city’s initiatives and partnerships for safety.

The strategy development process was preceded by a victim survey conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Undertaking this survey meant that official crime statistics recorded by the South African Police Service (SAPS) could be supplemented with data reflecting citizens’ experiences of crime — many of which were not reported to the police. The survey also recorded ordinary people’s perceptions of crime and their feelings of safety.

Other research reports were collected and reviewed to complete the picture of the nature and extent of crime in the Durban area. Part of this assessment included an investigation of the causal factors of crime that would have to be addressed in the strategy. Existing programmes and service providers that could assist the Safer City Project were also identified.

Extensive consultation was subsequently undertaken with appropriate structures and organisations both inside and external to the council. Through this process, many issues were identified that had to be addressed in the strategy. The co-ordinators of the Safer City Project then had to prioritise the key issues for inclusion in the final strategy.

A framework consisting of the most important issues was developed and discussed with key roleplayers. The framework was subsequently accepted by the decisionmaking structures in council and served as the basis for developing a more detailed strategy. The strategy had to be a simple plan with clear roles and responsibilities identified for the various agencies and with realistic and achievable objectives. Although crime prevention is implemented at the local level, the strategy had to be broadly applicable to most places in the Durban metropolitan area.

The strategy was developed by the Safer City Project co-ordinators with the assistance of the Independent Projects Trust (IPT), which was contracted for this purpose. The co-ordinators presented the draft strategy to the various committees in council for consultation and input. The strategy was officially agreed to and adopted by the Unicity Committee on 11 October 2000 and implementation could begin.

While the strategy was being developed, various projects were implemented and piloted. These projects informed the strategy development process and are reflected in the strategy document. A major development was the establishment of the Metro Police on 1 July 2000, which made Durban the first city in the country with a metropolitan police service. The Metro Police, in partnership with the SAPS, will play an important role in the implementation of the strategy.

The strategy also recognised existing best practices in the Durban area and recommended that these should be extended to other areas where they will make a difference. New projects and new ways of approaching some issues were also recommended in the strategy. The strategy has three key components, each of which will be led by an official appointed on a full-time basis when implementation begins.

The strategy was publicly launched in Durban on 12 November 2000. Widespread support for the strategy has been evident among politicians, the SAPS, the business sector, community organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and practitioners from other cities in South Africa and abroad. The council has committed itself to its implementation and has called on its partners in business and civil society to play an active role in the process. Discussions are already under way between the SAPS and the Metro Police to establish ways of co-operating and co-ordinating activities to ensure that the strategy is implemented and that the vision for a safer Durban is achieved.