WATCH: Don't do your hut nut! Muizenberg icons are safe

Muizenberg’s colourful beach huts are not being razed‚ the City of Cape Town said on Wednesday.

Instead they are being renovated‚ and only a handful of derelict structures are likely to be removed‚ said mayoral committee member Brett Herron.

Responding to Facebook posts claiming the huts faced demolition‚ Herron said: “The colourful‚ frequently photographed beach huts at Surfer’s Corner in Muizenberg are an iconic part of the Cape Town landscape and are definitely not being removed.”

However‚ some of the huts near the river mouth were underused and in a state of disrepair. “They are dilapidated and the doors were removed due to the anti-social behaviour that was happening in the area‚” said Herron.

“The line of huts at this end of the beach poses a public security risk as criminals have been observed using them as a way of ambushing beach users in muggings.”

Herron said the city was still in discussion about the structures and had not made a final decision.

Lollo Wollheim‚ a beachgoer who surfs in Muizenberg‚ said: “They’re here. They belong here. This is what Muizenberg is all about‚ the fun‚ the people‚ the boxes and the waves.”

Muizenberg ward councillor Aimee Kuhl‚ who said about eight dilapidated huts faced removal‚ said the other structures were safe.

“I think we need to maintain them‚ they are a huge asset. But we certainly can’t go back to renting them out to private individuals. They have to have a community benefit‚” she said.