By Annisa Essack
29:06:2021

Durban International Convention Centre is seeking R47-million from the Department of Health. It was revealed that it had reneged on a contract to build a COVID-19 field hospital in one of its centres.

Durban ICC chief executive officer Lindiwe Rakharebe made the revelation during a presentation before the eThekwini Executive Council (EXCO) yesterday. She had been invited to speak about the ICC’s financial woes since the start of the pandemic last year.

“The Durban ICC tried its best to weather this crisis by exploring opportunities to repurpose the facility and by cutting costs. The Department of Health subsequently cancelled the field hospital, and payment of R47 million remains outstanding,” she said.

EXCO, last June, with an impending second wave, approved a request from the Department of Health to repurpose the Durban Exhibition Centre – which falls under the ambit of the ICC -into a temporary field hospital.

“The health authorities have reviewed the current bed capacity and have concluded that the availability may become insufficient should the crisis develop on a scale as seen in Europe and the United States over the past few months,” said the report.

But the field hospital never materialised. According to Agiza Hlongwane, KZN DoH spokesperson, there were no reasons for the matter. However, the department did decide to retain the Royal Showgrounds, Clairwood, General Justice Gizenga Mpanza and Ngwelezane field hospitals at the time.

Rakharebe informed the EXCO that the ICC was a self-sustainable profit-making entity before the pandemic. However, it now has depleted cash reserves and requires bailouts from the City to keep the lights on.

In her presentation, she said the present lockdown levels had affected cash flow, as the ICC had secured R40 million in potential events. Still, they may not happen due to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Sunday that all public gatherings will be prohibited for 14 days.

eThekweni mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, said the Durban ICC was one of the City’s best performing entities. The council will do everything to keep it afloat and avoid staff reductions. In a unanimous decision, Exco voted to give the ICC a bailout of R15 million.