The KwaZulu-Natal Gaming and Betting Board under the MEC for Finance in KwaZulu-Natal, Belinda Scott, has kick-started well its first set of public hearings in Westville, Durban and Protea Hotel Imperial in Pietermaritzburg respectively.
The primary mandate of the Board is to regulate gambling in the province. The objective of these hearings is to ensure that the interest and the views of the public are taken into account.
We want to clarify that the KZN Gaming and Betting Board has received applications from its licence holders in its ordinary course of business and is now complying with its statutory requirements to publish such applications received for public comments and or objections. The Board is duty bound to consider such objections received prior to making its final decision.
It was encouraging to see the robust public engagement and participation both in Durban and Pietermaritzburg hearings and that is indeed the purpose of these public hearings.
Members of the public are encouraged to continue participating in the upcoming public hearings so that the board can get their views and take them into account when considering these applications before the decision is made. The hearings will continue to be held at venues that are closer to the communities that are affected.
Attached is a schedule (dates and venues) for the upcoming public hearings, but tomorrow, 10 September 2014, it is at Crown Hotel, 90 Murchison Street, in Ladysmith and members of the media are invited.
Enquiries:
Musa Cebisa
Cell: 071 6878 777
Ntokozo Maphisa
Cell: 082 773 0937
