Anant Singh at the eThekwini Presidential Working Group meeting on March 3.
Image: Supplied
The Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) has committed to ensuring that the multi-billion rand film studio development earmarked for Durban gets off the ground.
Deputy chairperson of the Working Group Mike Mabuyakhulu told The Mercury yesterday that work is already underway to resolve any remaining challenges and ensure the project commences.
Mabuyakhulu spoke on the issue following an engagement between President Cyril Ramaphosa and business people at the Durban ICC last week, where the developer of the project and filmmaker, Anant Singh, raised the issue of delays directly with the President. The President reaffirmed support for the project and called for the challenges to be resolved.
While the project has been delayed by legal challenges in the past, the latest issue is a dispute over rates between the City of eThekwini and the developer.
The developer stated that the project is caught up in a dispute with the City’s valuations department, which saw the value of the property escalate 14-fold a few months after transfer.
Mabuyakhulu said, “The Presidential eThekwini Working Group can confirm that it had already facilitated a meeting between the Durban Film Studio and the City of eThekwini to address the issues, even before the President had commented on the matter during his visit to the City last week. PeWG will continue to render support to ensure that a solution to this issue is achieved.”
Speaking at the session with the President, Singh said, “I welcome the opportunities that the PeWG has tried to initiate to get resolution for our studios here in Durban. Whilst it has thus far been unsuccessful, I live in hope, and I hope that we can make progress.”
Singh, addressing President Ramaphosa directly, stated, “There is great potential for Durban, and I do hope that the PeWG can push for the closure of a solution. My passion and my heart are here in Durban. I live here and I want to see it happen. Thank you very much for your support.”
President Ramaphosa, in response, said at the time that, “The film industry is very key and important, and Anant Singh is absolutely right. To have a film season bringing in $200 million (R3.6bn) in just one season, yes, it's happening in the studios in Cape Town.
“We need to open another set of studios here (in Durban), and he's been working on it for years. He has just given me an updated report, which I will read, and we need to support him. He has even had to go to court due to various bottlenecks and logjams that I aim to eliminate.”
Political parties in eThekwini said the city must remove red tape that delays such projects.
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) in eThekwini said it believes that excessive bureaucratic systems and red tape have severely hindered the establishment of the Durban Film Studio.
ACDP councillor Jameel Essop said this catalytic project has remained unrealised for years, despite its potential to create approximately 50,000 temporary jobs and 4,300 permanent jobs, alongside an estimated R7.5 billion investment into the local economy.
“The ACDP eThekwini is deeply concerned that projects of this magnitude, which have the capacity to positively transform the municipality, are delayed for decades. Such investments are critical for stimulating economic growth, creating employment opportunities, and improving the lives of residents across the city."
He said the reality is that years of delays have meant lost opportunities for thousands of people, while unemployment remains high and the cost of living continues to rise.
“It is precisely this bureaucratic inefficiency and red tape that the ACDP eThekwini is committed to addressing when in government. Municipalities must actively facilitate investment rather than obstruct it, ensuring that the economic environment is conducive to job creation and sustainable development.
“The Durban Film Studio holds enormous potential to position the city as a premier destination for broadcasters, filmmakers, and actors, ultimately establishing Durban as an iconic hub for the film and creative industries while generating meaningful economic opportunities for its people,” he said.
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