Calls for eThekwini Mayor to extend Funworld lease

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini has promised to write to the Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, calling on him to urgently consult with the owner of the Fun World amusement park in Durban, Nic Steyn, and to either extend the lease of the park or to work with him to allow for him to transfer skills to any new development which replaces it.

Durbanites and holidaymakers were devastated last week when Fun World’s closure at the end of April was announced. Many a childhood memory has been made at Funworld since it began 80 years ago (“I can still smell the crackle of the sparks coming off the dodgem” said one fan). Many called for solutions to be found to allow the fun in the sun at Durban Funworld to continue. According to one local, Debbie Landers who walks there most days, “I still see people enjoying facilities especially during holidays and weekends.” She said its imminent closure was “a sad day indeed”.

Today the DA agreed, saying the closure is a “major blow” to the Durban Beachfront, which “suffered the worst holiday season in recorded history this past December, and indicators are that the Easter Break was equally bad”.

Plans are said to be afoot for the establishment of a new “world-class” theme park on the Northern Harbour wall; however, like all major development plans for the city, “there is little to no indication that this will ever become a reality”, Councillor Sakhile Mngadi – DA eThekwini Caucus Whip: Economic Development and Planning, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“These instances of ill financial practise speak to a bigger issue in eThekwini. There is no visionary leadership and a lack of will from the ANC to turn this sinking ship around.

”Instead, eThekwini is now left with nothing attractive to offer tourists on its Golden Mile and has deepened the woes experienced by the Durban Tourism Office, which continues to struggle to market and sell the city to international visitors.

“It is becoming more evident that residents in eThekwini may not survive a full term of office under the ANC-EFF coalition. Tourism is a huge money generator for a tourist city like Durban, and the decline of this sector will further plunge the metro into an abyss of service delivery failure and decay.”

The DA will also submit questions to the Acting DCM of Economic Development and Planning, Lihle Phewa, to explain why the city did nothing to retain a major operator that contributed to the heritage and landscape of the beachfront, and to establish a timeline for the anticipated new development at the harbour.

The amusement rides and attractions are due to be sold off and removed from the beachfront, from 20 April, with the facility shutting down all operations on 1 May.

Nic Steyn, who is a third generational owner of Durban Funworld said the beachfront has changed in recent times, negatively affecting the appearance and appeal of the area.

“Over the past number of years I’ve watched in sadness as the jewel in Durban’s crown, its beachfront, has deteriorated at an alarming rate. I don’t want to add to that deterioration but after six years of operating on a month-to-month basis, the situation has become untenable,” Steyn said.