ONCE a year wheelchair users are granted access to the Durban Harbour for the best reason possible – a day of fun and fishing with friends.

The event, run by Ramcat Fishing, draws in enthusiasts from all over the country as they look forward to socialising while enjoying their favourite sport. This year, the fun day was hosted on Monday at the MSC Terminal, Durban Harbour. Gerard Smal of Ramcat Fishing said the aim of the annual event is to give wheelchair users an opportunity to fish safely with the comfort of being around people that understand them.

“People in wheelchairs are locked up in rooms at homes because it is difficult to transport them anywhere. Their biggest need is being out somewhere and socialising,” said Smal. “They always say please take me out somewhere safe, so we thought of this idea and everyone loves it.”

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He said the harbour is full of fish but nobody is allowed to fish there. The participants were granted permission for catch and release.
“It’s lovely to see these guys socialising, talking to each other and having fun. We don’t interfere and we just let them have fun, their families and helpers are there to assist,” said Smal.

The participants were served breakfast and lunch at the venue with KZN Scouts delivering hot and cold drinks throughout the day. The National Sea Rescue Institute and members of the SA Navy were on hand to ensure the safety of those in attendance.

“We have been doing this for 18 years and each year it gets popular, our limit is 200 people. The rule is that every angler must bring a helper. If we can put a smile on one guy’s face all day then we can say that the event was successful,” said Smal.

Among those who were in attendance was Errol Govender, who was attending the event for the second time. The former sportsman and double amputee said it was good to be out of the house. “I must thank the organisers for having this, it was a great day to be out with the public again and meeting new people. I attended this event for the first time last year and enjoyed myself. I wish there were more events in eThekwini tailored for people in wheelchairs because even going to a loo can be a struggle in certain places around the city,” said Govender.

The day culminated with one deserving participant, Anil Singh, being awarded a wheelchair and Jacob Lazarus winning the ultimate prize of a MSC cruise worth R20 000.

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