North Coast beach safety back in the firing line

A mere week after the close of high season, chaotic scenes broke out at North Coast beaches once again.

Effective by-law enforcement at beaches was hailed a success during the festive season, with councillors noting a marked improvement compared to previous years.

Now residents are asking whether this can be maintained indefinitely without the additional resources and manpower brought in for the holidays?

During high season, popular beaches enjoyed frequent visible policing on foot and by car, but after January 10 additional manpower had to return to Stanger.

Ward 22 councillor Privi Makhan also said claims of stabbings at Salt Rock’s main beach were unfounded.

“Both weekends in January saw increased crowds at KwaDukuza beaches owing to the eThekwini and Tugela Mouth beaches being closed,” said Makhan.

“While it is recognised that law enforcement officials play a significant role in responding to situations, the approach by KDM community safety and Saps needs to be maintained out of season as well to eradicate the social ills that are compounded by the various by-law infringements.”

At Thompson’s Bay on Sunday a firearm was discharged during what was later described as a ‘family feud’, but was exaggerated on social media.

The argument saw family members assault each other with bricks, and eventually a firearm was drawn and fired.

“KwaDukuza protection services arrived at the beach within minutes and broke up the fight,” said Marshall Security’s James Murray.

He said they confiscated the firearm. Nobody was shot and paramedics treated the injured. Further treatment at a hospital was refused.

Captain Vinny Pillay of Umhlali Saps said that no case of an assault, nor a case of discharging a firearm in public had been opened.

The incident raised questions among locals about what was being done to enforce by-laws and instill a sense of safety at beaches.

Speaking on alcohol being brought onto beaches, Murray said they turned away beachgoers who chanced their luck, but it was possible some incidents may have slipped through the cracks owing to not all access points to Thompson’s Bay being covered.

Marshall Security was tasked with ensuring by-law compliance at Thompson’s Bay, reporting problems to the municipal crime prevention unit.

Ballito ward councillor Tammy Colley said despite a few isolated incidents, they had noted a marked improvement at beaches.

“The festive season safety operation plan may have ended, but authorities are continuously monitoring the situation.”

Colley said an increase in public drinking at beaches had been noted and they would make suggestions for the upcoming budget to have increased resources put toward to improving manpower for municipal protection services.

The Courier asked residents for their view.

“We drove down to Tinley Manor beach on Sunday at 5am to watch the sunrise. The parking was filled with broken bottles and there were so many people in the Tidal Pool, with music and dancing in the car park being far too loud,” said Ingrid Marx.

Ballito resident Ralph Jansen said he witnessed a couple having sex on the beach, while Ballito resident Samantha Basson said she no longer enjoyed going to the beach thanks to the number of intoxicated people.

Ballito resident Hayley Brown said her friends from Russia told her that they felt so unsafe last week walking from their apartment near La Montagne to the Spar that they Ubered home!

KwaDukuza Residents Forum’s Riaan Verster said this was due to a failure to enforce by-laws.

“If it continues it will lead to disinvestment. Next stop, what Margate has become,” said Verster.

Speaking to the Courier, KwaDukuza municipal spokesperson Sipho Mkhize said the community safety unit “had in principal promised to respond on an urgent basis to complaints” but that it no longer had the manpower it did over the festive season.

This is owing to joint festive season safety operations having lapsed.

“The municipality will rely on its lifeguards to report any nuisance related issues at beaches and will also follow up on these,” he said.

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