POLL | What will you be doing for the festive season holidays?

December is well under way and many South Africans are finalising their plans for a festive season break.

Durban’s beaches, a popular destination for holidaymakers looking to rest and relax after a long year, have been found to be unsafe for swimming. 

Three weeks after the Sunday Times conducted an independent water test at popular beaches in the area, another round was conducted when several beaches were reopened last week.

Three of the five beaches tested — Umhlanga, Country Club and Battery Beach — showed critical levels of colony forming units (cfu), the microbial cells (bacteria, fungi or viruses), in a sample.

The city has maintained most of its beaches are “safe for swimming after improved water quality results” and resolved to constantly test the water.

Some hotels and accommodation providers said bookings for December had been slow and cited concerns about the water quality at beaches.

The economy has also wreaked havoc with December holiday plans. The Sunday Times found many cash-strapped South Africans will stay home this year.

The costs of petrol and airfares have skyrocketed over the past year, leaving many unable to afford a pilgrimage to the coast. This has left hotel occupancy rates nowhere close to 2019 levels.

“For many people, a holiday is nice to have, but it is a luxury. When your income is tight, you generally cut out luxuries first.

“The household sector took quite a big financial knock in 2020 so income was lost countrywide. It takes a few years to fully revive your finances. More recent economic pressures coming from high inflation and high and rising interest rates have led to the considerable cost of paying household debt, further eating into disposable income,” said FNB property sector strategist John Loos.

For others, Dezemba has hit and they will be living at the club. It is full-time party mode from the Day of Reconciliation on December 16.

“In South Africa there is December and Dezemba. December is the time we pretend to work between the 1st and the 15th and Dezemba is when we shut down the country and focus on destroying ourselves in a very fun and entertaining way. That is any day from December 15,” said Twitter user Phiwe Mgwelana.

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