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All set for WEF Africa in Durban

Xinhua, May 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

South Africa is ready to host the African leg of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Durban.

The WEF Africa will meet under the theme "Driving economic transformation in Africa through inclusive growth models". Global and regional leaders in government, business, academic, civil society, media and the arts will meet and discuss inclusive growth among other range of issues between May 3 to 5.

Over 2,000 delegates are expected to attend, including 21 heads of state. The conference will include high level sessions, workshops and televised panels.

The host City, eThekwini municipality confirmed Tuesday that they are ready to host the event. The road closures around the venue, emergency medical services, traffic control, the police and parking are all in order.

Phillip Sithole, Acting Deputy City Manager for Economic Development and Planning, said the City will get many benefits from the conference.

Sithole said, "A number of high profile investors are coming to our City. International media will also be covering the event. It is a good opportunity to change perceptions of the City as well as attract investment."

EThekwini Governance and Human Resources chairperson, Barbara Fortein said the conferences will benefit the City in many ways. "We see increased hotel occupancy, restaurants are visited and jobs are created even if it is in the short term," she said.

The South African Police also said they are ready to ensure the delegates are safe during the WEF Africa. The police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said various police sectors are in place to ensure the WEF take place in a incident-free environment.

"The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure has put measures in place to ensure that the event will take place in a safe and secure environment. Various departments within this structure, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), have been activated to deliver on their respective mandates with the ultimate objective of ensuring the safety of all role players, including delegates." Endit