Durban's beaches will not close in December, says eThekwini mayor

Durban's beaches will remain open during December.

That's the word from eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, who confirmed on Friday that while the beaches, usually packed with thousands of holiday makers, will not be closed, events will be banned.

Kaunda said as part of a multidisciplinary campaign, Operation Vala, which aims to protect holiday makers and resident from crime and the Covid-19 pandemic, measures will be implemented.

These include the deployment of hundreds of metro officers, lifeguards, cleaning staff and child minders.

No consumption of alcohol will be allowed on the beaches. 

He said a decision had also been taken against events being held at any of the city's beaches, except for low-profile activations to keep people entertained.  

"It is that time of the year when holiday makers descend on our province and Durban. The 2020 holiday season comes with unique challenges as we continue to battle Covid-19.

"This global pandemic has compelled us to come up with creative ways to balance the task of saving lives and protecting livelihoods. The current surge in Covid-19 infections calls for more vigilance and enforcement of compliance with all the safety protocols."

Kaunda said during the Easter lockdown period, the city lost 165,000 visitors which resulted in the loss of R600m in contributions to the GDP. The hospitality and leisure industry alone lost R4.7bn in potential revenue. 

"We look forward to seeing more visitors to our shores during this festive season which we are celebrating under the new normal.

"We call upon members of the community and visitors to cooperate with our law enforcement officers and lifeguards on the beaches so we can save lives.

"Working together, we will ensure we have an incident-free festive season," Kaunda said. 

He said while they encouraged visitors to travel to KwaZulu-Natal, they were mindful the country was entering the second wave of Covid-19 infections.

"We urge our visitors and residents to adhere to all Covid-19 safety protocols and avoid super-spreader events."

Kaunda said the following measures have been put in place to "ensure people who come to our city have a safe and memorable stay":

• free park and ride shuttle service at the Drive Inn to prevent congestion near the beaches;
• closure of certain routes leading to beaches;
• close monitoring of congestion at beaches by metro police officers and CCTV cameras;
• constant deep-cleaning and sanitisation of ablution facilities;
• deployment of 250 lifeguards;
• procurement of seven receiving tents for separated children;
• deployment of 32 child minders;
• procurement of 200,000 arm bands;
• deployment of 130 cleaning staff;
• recruitment of 69 beach guides; and
• no consumption of alcohol will be allowed on and along the beaches.

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