Frequent beach closures addressed at City briefing

FREQUENT beach closures were at the top of the list of service-delivery issues discussed at Durban City Hall this week. The discussion took place at a joint media briefing with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, October 6. The discussion aimed to outline progress in rehabilitating infrastructure that was damaged during the April and May floods.

Speaking at the briefing, eThekwini Municipality mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda addressed several topics, including the state of local beaches, road rehabilitation, relocation of flood victims, and crime and grime and city cleaning.

Commenting on beach closures, Kaunda apologised for the ‘frustration and inconvenience’ that beach closures caused to the public and the business community.

“Beaches are a major tourist drawcard in Durban, and their closure is disappointing to locals and visitors alike. However, the safety of the public is paramount, which is why we are testing our water regularly to ascertain its quality,” he said.

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Kaunda announced that several central beaches are now open, including the Bay of Plenty, uShaka, North Beach, and Wedge Beach – adding that the City hopes to keep beaches open over the festive period.

“It is our fervent hope that these all-important repairs will ensure that our beaches are not contaminated so that they can remain open throughout the festive season. We are appealing to all visitors to continue to make Durban their home during the summer holidays,” said Kaunda.

Ongoing sewage leaks led to several beach closures this year when tests revealed unsafe E. coli levels off the coast. According to Kaunda, Johana and Ohlange Sewage pump stations are largely responsible for the contamination of seawater while the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works also adds to the problem.

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“We are happy to announce that work to repair this sanitation infrastructure is about to commence following the allocation of disaster relief funding from National Treasury to rehabilitate. While most welcome, this funding of R184m is inadequate, so we have reprioritised our budget to fast-track these much-needed repairs. The estimated cost of the repairs is R160m for pump stations and over R300m for Water Treatment Works,” said Kaunda.

Roads

During his address, Kaunda said a total of 2 371 road rehabilitation projects were recorded after the April and May floods.

“The number of completed projects is 561. More communities can now enjoy improved access to public amenities such as schools and hospitals,” he said.

Flood victims

According to Kaunda, there were 3 950 households displaced during the floods, of which 1 449 remain displaced.

“We are pleased that construction is underway on 1 185 sites that the City has made available to the Provincial Department of Human Settlements,” he said.

Kaunda added that the City has supplied 467 households with building materials to get back on their feet.