Durban – Safety takes centre stage as KwaZulu-Natal gears up for the holidays.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier and Community Safety and Liaison Executive Authority, Hon. Thamsanqa Ntuli, officially launched the Safety Month and Integrated Festive Season Safety Plan at Durban’s beachfront.
Ntuli assured residents, businesses, and visitors that the plan will reposition KwaZulu-Natal as the safest destination for both local and international holidaymakers this festive season.
The initiative includes heightened police visibility across identified crime hot spots, community safety campaigns, and strengthened cooperation among law enforcement agencies. It also integrates the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, with a strong focus on combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide.
Over 24,000 law enforcement and safety personnel will be deployed province-wide from ports of entry and beaches to highways and rural towns to safeguard lives, property, and livelihoods.
Premier Ntuli called for collective responsibility, urging citizens to play their part in ensuring that KwaZulu-Natal’s festive season is remembered for joy, discipline, and unity, not tragedy.
“Safety and prosperity go hand in hand,” said Ntuli. “Together, we can make this festive season one of peace, dignity, and growth for all.”
Have your say: What safety measures would you like to see strengthened in your community this festive season? Share your views in the comments below.
Xaba Leads eThekwini Economic Summit to Revitalise Inclusive Growth
30 October 2025
By Portia Mbambo
Durban – Building an economy that leaves no one behind took centre stage as eThekwini Municipality kicked off its Local Economic Development Summit.
The two-day summit, themed “Revitalising Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth,” commenced Tuesday, at the Durban International Convention Centre. It brings together government leaders, business executives, academics, and civil society organisations to explore innovative ways to unlock the city’s economic potential.
Delivering his keynote address, Mayor Cyril Xaba said unemployment remains a pressing concern, with more than 32.2 percent of South Africans still out of work. He urged stronger partnerships to ensure the benefits of growth are shared equitably.
“Far too many young people remain without economic opportunities. While Durban is a city of potential and resilience, the benefits of growth still exclude the majority of our people,” said Xaba.
The Mayor emphasized that the summit is not just a talk shop, but a platform to address economic challenges head-on and create actionable strategies.
“This summit will help us share insights on how we can build an economy that leaves no one behind,” he added
The opening session featured discussions on leveraging eThekwini’s strengths, aligning national development frameworks, and supporting informal businesses. Speakers from SALGA, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, and the Private Office of the President shared insights on innovation, investment, and linking developers with communities.
Mayor Xaba further noted that real progress must translate into tangible change for residents.
“Our metro continues to anchor provincial trade, logistics, tourism, and manufacturing activities. As a city, we are committed to supporting the provincial government’s economic agenda,” he said
Have your say: What steps do you think can help create more inclusive growth in Durban? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
No Child, No Voice? Lauren Bernardo on Education, Power and System Change in South Africa
In this episode of African Echo, host Portia Mbambo sits down with Lauren Evanthia Bernardo, founder of the Organic Humanity Movement (OHM) and the widely supported campaign #LeaveOurKidsAlone. What unfolds is an honest, sometimes uncomfortable, but deeply necessary conversation about children’s rights, education, bodily autonomy, and the urgent need for system change in South Africa.
Why This Conversation Matters
Lauren Bernardo is not new to advocacy. Since 2018, she has been at the centre of national debates around Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), parental rights, and the role of the state in shaping children’s futures. What began as a Facebook group opposing the introduction of CSE in schools grew rapidly to over 130,000 members, reflecting widespread concern among parents across the country.
We unpack why many parents felt excluded from decisions affecting their children and why education, she argues, cannot be used to fix broader social failures.
“Parents have the final say. It’s not the role of schools or the state to replace parenting.”
Children, Technology and a Changing Society
Beyond curriculum debates, the discussion dives into the realities facing children today from early exposure to harmful online content to the emotional and psychological toll carried into classrooms. Lauren shares why these concerns ultimately led her to homeschool her own children, emphasising that the challenge goes far beyond textbooks.
This part of the conversation raises difficult but vital questions:
Are schools still safe spaces for children?
Who is responsible for protecting childhood innocence?
What happens when technology outpaces guidance and accountability?
Immunisation, Bodily Autonomy and Constitutional Rights
The episode also tackles a topic many parents quietly struggle with: immunisation policies in schools. Lauren explains why she believes current approaches raise constitutional concerns around bodily autonomy, and why informed parental consent must remain central to public services.
Rather than framing the issue as “pro” or “anti” vaccination, the discussion focuses on state power, personal rights and informed decision-making a nuance often missing from public debate.
The Organic Humanity Movement: Rethinking Politics
Lauren also unpacks the philosophy behind the Organic Humanity Movement, a political movement calling for a return to human-centred governance in an increasingly digitised world. From education systems to governance structures, OHM argues that real change cannot happen without systemic reform, not just party politics.
One of the bold ideas explored in the episode is direct elections, where individuals not parties are elected and held accountable by voters.
“Changing political parties won’t fix a broken system. The system itself needs to change.”
Nathi Zungu: Faith, Music, and the Power of Purpose
By Portia Mbambo
6–8 minutes
In this deeply reflective episode of The African Echo, we sit down with Nathi Zungu – a musician, minister, music director, lecturer, and farmer whose life journey is rooted in faith, discipline, and purpose.
Born in Mandeni, KwaDukuza, Nathi’s story begins in a strict but loving Christian home where faith was not an option, but a foundation. From early encounters with gospel music and giving his life to Christ in high school, his path unfolded into a calling that would shape South African gospel music and worship spaces for decades.
Nathi reflects on his journey through faith, music studies, and tertiary education, eventually becoming a respected music director at Durban Christian Centre, where he has helped shape a sound of excellence, authenticity, and spiritual depth since 1996. He speaks honestly about the demands of studying music, the discipline behind creativity, and the responsibility of producing new sounds rather than recycling old ones.
Beyond the stage and the church, Nathi shares how he balances his many roles of husband, father, businessman, and farmer, emphasising that home is the source of peace, and purpose flows from knowing when to lead and when to serve.
A standout moment in the conversation is his reflection on servant leadership, the understanding that the church, the gift, and the calling do not belong to us, but to God. This mindset, he says, is what prevents burnout and keeps the work grounded in humility rather than ego.
As the episode closes, Nathi offers powerful advice to young people across Africa: “Find what disturbs you. That’s where your calling lives.” In an age of information overload, he urges young people to seek knowledge, discover their passion, and commit fully to the work they were created to do.
This episode is a reminder that purpose is not found in trends or applause, but in obedience, service, and staying true to who you are called to be.
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