Namhlanje kuvulwa imingcele eNingizimu Afrika emva kokuvalwa izinyanga eziyisithupha ngenxa yeCOVID-19. Loku kubhekwe ukuthi kuqale kuvuselele imboni yezokuvakasha neyemicimbi ethembele kakhulu ekuhambeni kwabantu ngokukhululeka. USLINDILE KHANYILE uyabika
NGENYANGA edlule olunye udaba olube sematheni wukuvalwa komgwaqo u-N2 eThekwini ngamaciko ayebhikishela ukuthi uhulumeni uvule ukuba khona kwemicimbi ngoba efa yindlala.
Noma abanye bawagxeka amaciko ngaloku ngoba umbhikisho wawo, njengemibhikisho eminingi, waphazamisa abantu abangangeni ndawo kule nto ababekhala ngayo, kodwa bakhona ababewaseka bethi ngoba nezinye izimboni sezivuliwe, ayivunyelwe imicimbi ngoba namaciko anemindeni ayondlayo.
Lo mbhikisho wakhumbuza nababenganakile ukuthi le mboni yemicimbi imqoka kangakanani. Ngokusho kweSouth African National Convention Bureau, le mboni iheha izivakashi ezilinganiselwa esigidini ngonyaka kanti yeseka imisebenzi ewu-250 000 yabantu abaqashwe ngokugcwele.
Ziwu-1 700 izindawo ezikhona ezweni lapho kwenzelwea khona imicimbi uma kubalwa nama-International Convention Centre (ama-ICC) eGoli, eKapa, eThekwini, ePitoli, eMonti naseBhayi.
INkosi Albert Luthuli ICC eseThekwini ngenye yezindawo eziba matasa ezithole isivalwa. Isikhulu esiphezulu sayo, uNksz uLindiwe Rakharebe, sithe kube nzima kakhulu ngenkathi kuhlehla imicimbi, kuncishiswa isibalo sabantu abavunyelwe ukuya emicimbini nokusho ukungangeni nhlobo kwemali kule ndawo.
Enye yemicimbi egcine ingabanga bikho kule ndawo yi-Africa’s Travel Indaba, yi-World Football Summit neComrades Marathon Expo kanti isiyonke imali ebaphunyukile wuR165 million.
Nokho uNksz uRakharebe uthe sekuntwela ezansi.
“Ngiyaziqhenya kakhulu ngokuthi kuthe uma kuma le ngxenye ewumongo webhizinisi lethu, asivelanga nje sasonga izandla samukela leso simo (kodwa) sisiqondile isimo esinzima ebesibhekene naso, amakhasimende ethu nomphakathi. Ithimba lethu libhukule kakhulu kunakuqala ukuthola ezinye izindlela esingazisebenzisa ukuze siqhubeke sisebenze,” kusho yena.
“Sigxile ekuthuthukiseni indlela esisebenzisa ngayo ubuchwepheshe ukuze sikwazi ukwenza imicimbi sisebenzisa bona, sikwazi futhi nokwenza imicimbi ezohanjelwa abantu siqu sabo kuphinde kube khona abangena ngobuchwepheshe; loku okuthiwa yi-hybrid,” kwengeza uNksz Rakharebe.
Ngesonto eledlule le ndawo ibe ngenye yalezo zokuqala ezisingathe umcimbi oyi-hybrid ezweni ngesikhathi kukhona iDurban Business Fair, ebihlelwa yi-Ikhono Thrive Global.
Zonke izigcawu bezinabantu ababekhona bukhoma bese kuba khona nalabo abebebukela kwi-internet.
Nokho uNksz URakharebe uthe akakholwa wukuthi ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe kuzosivala thaqa isikhala sokuthi abantu babonane ubuso nobuso, bahlale phansi baxoxe, baxhawulane.
Uthe nakuba kudingeke ukuthi babophe izifociya ngenxa yalesi simo kodwa bakwazile ukugwema ukudiliza izisebenzi eziqashwe ngokugcwele. Nokho labo abebenikwe izinkontileka zesikhathi esithile abasekho.
Akusizo-ke izindawo ezinkulu kuphela ezithintekile njengoba le mboni kukhona nosomabhizinisi abaningi abancane abathembele kuyona. UNkk uSlindokuhle Khumalo we-August Bloom Events, ehlobisa emicimbini, uthe kunemicimbi eyisithupha abezoyenza ngaphambi kukaJulayi egcine ingaqhubekanga, obekukhona kuyo imishado nomunye wobezogubha iminyaka yokuzalwa ewu-40.
UNkk uKhumalo uthe ukubheduka kweCOVID-19 kumhlehlisele emuva kakhulu ngoba lo nyaka yiwona abewubona njengonyaka amalahle abeseqala ukuhlangana ngawo ngemva kokuphemba iminyaka.
“Sonke lesi sikhathi bengilokhu ngitshala ebhizinisini lami, ngingajahi izinto eziningi ngoba ngifuna ukuzakhela igama. Besengizibona izinto zihlangana kanti kuzovele kubhede,” kuzikhalela yena.
“Siyawubona wona umehluko kancane njengoba imithetho isixegisiwe njengoba abantu sebeqalile futhi sebenza ama-baby shower, ama-bridal shower neminye imicimbi emincane kodwa basekhona abantu abasamanqika ngoba kusenokwesaba ngoba kuthiwa kusengaqala phansi ukutheleleka kwabantu njengoba sigade i-second wave futhi kukhona nesisabanqinda lesi sibalo esibekiwe,” kusho uNkk uKhumalo.
Nokho uthe ukhala abuye nganeno ngoba kuningi futhi okumvule amehlo njengosomabhizinisi osafufusa.
“Enye into nje manje esengiyiqikelela wukuba nenkontileka ecacile kahle nokuthi uthini umgomo womuntu ohlehlisa noma ogcina engaqhubekanga nomcimbi ngoba ingilimazile le nto sekufanele ngibuyisele emuva imali abantu abesebeyikhokhile. Umcimbi uqala ukuwuhlelela kusenesikhathi kodwa uma umuntu engasaqhubeki bese kufanele ubuyisele emuva yonke imali uyalimala wena; manje senginenkontileka ecace kahle, engivikelayo nami.
“Okunye ngifundile ukuthi angingabheki uhlobo oluthile kuphela lwemicimbi kodwa angibheke nakwezinye izinto njengokuthi nje nasemingcwabeni abantu bayawudinga umsebenzi engiwenzayo. Hhayi ngoba sijabula ngokufa kwabantu kodwa-ke ukuba ngusomabhizinisi kudinga nakho ukwazi ukubona amathuba amasha,” kusho uNkk uKhumalo.
Imboni yezokuvakasha yeseka imisebenzi engu-1.5 million kanti ifaka u-8.6% emnothweni wezwe.
UMnu uTshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, isikhulu esiphezulu seTourism Business Council of South Africa, uthe ukuvulwa kwemingcele ngalesi sikhathi kuzobasiza baqale umshikashika wokuvuselela le mboni.
Uthe kuqondane kahle ngoba sekusondele isikhathi sokuthi abantu bakukhuthalele ukuvakasha.
“Sicela ukuthi sibambisane kakhulu kunakuqala ukuze sivuselele imboni yethu. Siyasamukela isinqumo sikamengameli futhi lokhu kuyakhombisa ukuthi kukhulu kangakanani esingakuzuza uma uhulumeni nezimboni ezizimele besebenzisana,” kusho yena.
Njengoba izwe selivulwe ngokwesigaba sokuqala abantu emcimbini sebengaba phakathi kuka-250 no-500, kuye nohlobo lwendawo esetshenziswayo. Emingcwabeni khona abantu bavunyelwe ukuthi babe wu-100.