THE eThekwini Municipality has issued a stern warning of possible legal action to the creators of a “fake website” which the City says falsely claims all Durban beaches have been “red-flagged” and are unsafe to visit.

The post, published on the Cape Town-based site called www.redflagbeach.com under the headline “Avoid these South African beaches,” flags beaches from the north to the south of Durban, including Amanzimtoti, Brighton Beach, North Beach, and Umhlanga. The long list includes beaches on the north and south coasts of KwaZulu-Natal, such as Ballito and Zinkwazi.

Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the City “categorically refutes the false and misleading claims” made on the website, which she described as “a malicious attempt to damage Durban’s image”.

“The claims on this website are unfounded and not supported by any credible data such as official water quality test results or SAPS crime statistics,” Sisilana said. Beaches can also be red-flagged based on the “dangerous crime levels near the beach”, according to the website’s criteria.

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“This kind of misinformation poses a serious reputational risk to the City and undermines our ongoing efforts to protect and maintain Durban’s beaches,” said Sisilana.

She confirmed that the municipality has issued a formal notice to the Cape Town-based company hosting the website, instructing them to disable the domain, which was registered earlier this month. According to the municipality, the hosting company has been given four days to act on the notice.

“We have made it clear to the service provider that failure to comply will result in legal action against both the website owner and the host,” Sisilana warned. “The dissemination of this misinformation influences citizens and visitors to avoid beaches that are, in fact, safe and open according to verified municipal data.”

The City emphasised that official updates on beach status are always published on its verified platforms, including www.durban.gov.za, where bi-weekly water quality test results determine whether beaches meet safety standards for public use.

“If tests indicate elevated bacteria levels, we act immediately with precautionary closures to safeguard public health,” Sisilana explained. “All updates are shared transparently on our official website and social media channels.”

She added that the Municipality continues to work closely with uMngeni-uThukela Water and the Water Services Directorate to manage infrastructure and respond swiftly to pollution incidents.

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