Dear nudists you can strip naked at KZN beach at Easter until then keep your clothes on

20 January 2015 - 16:30 By Matthew Savides
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Nudists on a KwaZulu-Natal beach have been warned to keep their cozzies on - for now.

Trafalgar beach, next to Mpenjati Nature Reserve and in the heart of the province's South Coast holiday belt, has been earmarked for those with a penchant for getting their kit off in the sun.

Its designation as a nudist-beach-in-waiting has attracted hordes of tourists.

But until local laws make the beach officially kaal, the authorities have been diplomatically advising beachgoers to cover up.

The 500m stretch of sand between San Lameer to the north and Palm Beach to the south is about 150km from Durban and falls under the Hibiscus Coast municipality, which includes Margate, Port Shepstone and other resorts.

The municipality decided in October last year to make it legal for naturists to strip off on the beach, but bylaws confirming this still have to be promulgated. This will probably happen in time for the Easter holiday rush in early April.

"Although the beach has not officially opened, municipal law enforcement won't prosecute since the bylaws have been relaxed," said municipal spokesman Simon April. "[But] we discourage people from using it as we would like to have it properly and officially opened."

Musa Mntambo, a spokesman for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, which oversees the nature reserve, said its officials took action only when nudists strayed out of the clothes-optional zone and into the reserve.

In an incident last month, two naked beachgoers in the reserve were instructed to cover up. One complied, but the other, said Mntambo, was "very drunk" and resisted. There was "a confrontation", but the matter was resolved without charges being laid.

A group of religious and cultural leaders and conservative ratepayers who oppose the nudity plan have started a petition to have the municipality's decision rescinded.

Thandoxolo Ncane, a spokesman for the group, which calls itself "The Concerned Residents", said the petition had been signed by about 200 pastors and religious leaders on behalf of their congregations. "It's thousands of people who are concerned about this beach. It's not just about religion; it's about morals and ethics. We have to respect everyone."

Ncane said the municipality had not given residents the opportunity to air their views during the process of declaring the beach open to nudists. "This thing was not done properly."

But the decision has pleased the tourism market. April said a surge in visitors over the festive season could be attributed to publicity over Trafalgar beach.

South Coast Tourism CEO Justin Mackrory said hotels and B&Bs had occupancy rates "well into the mid-to-high 90% range" for the December holidays, and that letting agents had reported significant increases in business. He said the beach had generated a lot of interest in the region.

"It was certainly busier than the previous year," said Mackrory, who put tourist spending at more than R1-billion.

savidesm@sundaytimes.co.za

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