MANZINI COUNCIL ENVISION 24-HOUR VIBRANT CITY

MANZINI – “The future Manzini City that we envision is a 24-hour vibrant city.”

This was said by the Manzini City Council Mayor Councillor Nozipho Dlamini during the City of Manzini’s 2023 Christmas carols and night market event held over the weekend. Dlamini noted that the night market day started with a flea market, wherein she appreciated all the traders and buyers who have made the flea market possible. “Without your participation, the flea market would not have been possible. I trust that you have been able to make money so that you make this christmas a memorable moment for your families and loved ones,” said Dlamini.

The mayor stated that extending the flea market to the evening, was not a mere coincidence as a municipality, they were in the process of introducing night markets in the vibrant city.
She highlighted that as they as they recover from the drastic effects of COVID-19; they constantly needed to innovate and open as many avenues as possible to economically and socially empower citizens. In order to support the 24-hour operation vision, Dlamini encouraged more and more shops to operate 24-hours from the year 2024 onwards. The mayor said, as a municipality, they strive to create a vibrant and inclusive community.

Recently, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched London’s first ever 24-hour London vision. This vision set out the Mayor’s plan to turn London into a leading 24-hour global city, it focused on building a night-time culture which; promotes culture and leisure for all ages and interests; increases opening hours; ensures safety for residents, visitors and night-time workers and works closely with boroughs and the police, to create a balanced and sustainable night time offer. From the experience of cities like London, there can a series of advantages or reasons of promoting a greater night-time economy;
1. More jobs: The night-time economy is a source of new jobs and new income for the city.
2. Revitalisation of public space: It allows the revitalisation of areas and buildings in the city, particularly those that are not used after a certain hour of the day.
3. Safety: 24-hour cities promote citizen security. Why? Because–at least perceptually–a street that is filled with people, feels much safer than an empty street. For this reason, policies that invite people to stay outside, such as expanding the hours of operation of shops, restaurants and movie theaters, help maintain lively streets.
4.     Foster tourism: A city with a vibrant night life is much more attractive for visitors. A city that offers 24-hour transportation, as well as restaurants and shops that open late, is much more attractive to those who come to visit.
5.     Sense of belonging:  If managed well, night-time cities can generate a greater sense of belonging. For these reasons, I believe that it is a good idea to promote night-time cities.

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