Medical Officer's annual report [to] Durban Corporation.

  • Durban (South Africa). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1964]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical Officer's annual report [to] Durban Corporation. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/144 (page 1)
    REPORT 5 A8 L HISTORICAL AWD GEOGRAPHICAL DATA Durban, situated on the eastern coast of South Africa, is the Republic’s principal maritime City. Since Durban’s proclamation as a borough in 1854 when the population was 1,200, there has been a marked growth and today some 640,000 persons are resident in the City. This rapid expansion can be attributed to the following factorsi- (a) Seaporti Durban has developed into South Africa’s most important harbour both for imports and exports and an amount in excess of 10 million tons of cargo is handled annually. This is more than 50 per cent of the Republic’s maritime tonnage. (b) Industry8 Rapid industrial expansion has taken place since the 1959/45 War and large areas of land, particularly in the southern part of the City have been made available for private enterprise. The annual yield from manufacturing industries amounts to many hundred million rand. (c) Commerce: By virtue of its sub-tropical climate, Durban is the country’s premier holiday resort to which a quarter of a million people make their way annually to enjoy the vast range of attrac¬ tions provided for them. This has resulted, from the public health viewpoint, in the establishment of numbers of food hand¬ ling businesses such as hotels, restaurants, milk bars, food vending vehicles and machines, particularly in the vicinity of the foreshore which constitutes the visitors5 major playground. (d) Extensions of Boundariesg The Durban Borough Extension Ordinance, 1931? became effective from 1st August, 1932, and resulted in an addition of 57 square miles to the existing area of 13 square miles following the incorporation of 5 health committee areas contiguous to Durban. The population almost doubled, increasing from 125,000 to 215,000. Subsequent extensions, especially the Indian Township of Chatsworth to the south and the Bantu Town¬ ship, kwaMashu, to the north, now gives the local authority jurisdiction over an area in excess of 94 square miles. Valuation (1963 figures in parenthesis)! Rateable Values Total Values (excluding Chatsworth, kwaMashu and North-Eastern Extremity of Bluff) Rates (including Water Rate) Agricultural, (excluding Water Rate of .41 cents in Rand) Chatsworth (Total Values in bracketsT Rates Land Buildings R146,657,430 11275,367,460 (146,213,560) (R263,898,210) R181 ,340,930 2319,465,760 (R178 ,305,320) (^293,913,740) Lands 3.20 cents in Rand Buildings! 1.60 n «t Lands 1.395 ti tt Buildings! 0.595 IS H Lands El,535,240 (K2,314,480) Buildings! Rl,366,520 (Rl,479,790) Lands 1 1/16th cents in Rand Buildings s 7/l6ths f! »< »»