EThekwini ratepayers have reacted with outrage at the proposed R2,8 million city rebranding proposal, describing it as a vanity project that will not improve service delivery.
The head of eThekwini communications unit Mandla Nsele, in a statement, said the municipality is undergoing a brand transformation journey.
He said that the current municipal brand, commonly referred to as "the Dome" due to its design, was introduced around the year 2000 as part of the consolidation of all Durban local councils into the eThekwini Metro.
Nsele said the goal of the rebranding project is to create a new logo that reflects the City's evolving identity, future aspirations and a brand that resonates with all eThekwini residents and stakeholders.
“The associated costs include public participation campaigns on community and mainstream media calling for proposals, roadshows to internal departments, campaign concept development, competition prizes, professional design of the new logo, and the production of a branding manual,” Nsele said.
According to Nsele the budget for the rebranding is not sourced from service delivery units but forms part of the Communications Unit budget, which is mandated to communicate service delivery programmes, promote and market the City.
Ish Prahladh, president of the Ethekwini Ratepayers and Residents Association (ERRA) said this could be a “tender for a pal" scenario.
“Heads must roll for those that conceived this proposal. It should be stopped immediately and whoever wants this done knows nothing about service delivery. Service delivery means fixing infrastructure, not throwing away hard earned taxpayers money,” he said.
The Ethekwini Ratepayers and Protest Movement (ERPM) chairman Asad Gaffar said the city has mismanaged funds, prioritising wasteful and fruitless projects over essential services like water and sanitation.
“To prevent further looting of public funds, strict oversight is imperative. Ratepayers must demand transparency and accountability in the city's financial management, particularly for critical projects aimed at resolving the water crisis. The ERPM has consistently vocalised concerns about the water crisis over the past 2.5 years, and our call for oversight is non-negotiable," he said.
Allison Schoeman, Vice Chairperson of the Bluff Ratepayers and Residents Association (BRRA) said they were both shocked and outraged by the decision at a time when the city’s infrastructure is collapsing and essential services are failing.
Schoeman, who is also the Chairperson of Ethekwini United Business, Ratepayers and Civics Organisation (EURBCO), said the communications unit’s budget is still ratepayer-funded. She said it should be measured, strategic, and aligned with the city’s actual priorities — not vanity projects that do nothing to alleviate the daily suffering of residents. Schoeman said businesses and residents are not calling for cosmetic changes or slick branding campaigns.
“They are crying out for a municipality that delivers services, ensures accountability, and manages public funds with wisdom and urgency. The city’s claim that this rebranding exercise is intended to improve service delivery and organisational culture is not only deeply disingenuous but frankly, careless and thoughtless.
"It is unfathomable that such a statement could even be made with a straight face, when thousands of residents are living without water, struggling with power outages, driving on crumbling roads, and wading through sewage in their homes and communities," Schoeman said.
Schoeman said rebranding a logo will not, in any way, contribute to actual service delivery and that logos do not fix broken pipes, fill potholes or keep the lights on.
“Logos do not restore dignity to residents who are suffering under municipal failure. In a time of financial strain, every cent must be spent responsibly. This tone-deaf initiative only confirms what communities across eThekwini already know: that the Municipality is out of touch with the reality on the ground.” Schoeman said.