Residents fund Salt Rock beach ‘keep it clean and safe’ initiative

With an influx of visitors expected for Easter Weekend, the Salt Rock Neighbourhood Watch (SRNW) is appealing for donations to help keep beaches safe and clean.

“There had recently been an upsurge in drinking, noise and littering on our beaches, which neither the KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) nor the police had the capacity to deal with.

“We decided private security monitoring of the area would be a functional solution,” said SRNW chairperson, Nathalie Struwe.

She said given the presence of the Ballito UIP, people who wanted to drink alcohol or make noise on beaches chose to head further north towards Salt Rock where there was less oversight.

After engaging multiple companies to develop an action plan, IPSS Electronic Security were chosen at the beginning of March.

“IPSS officers now monitor Salt Rock’s main beach, Granny’s Pool, the municipal building parking area and Garden Road, where people had started gathering and drinking in their cars,” she said.

Officers are on duty from 7am to 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays, the main days for public revelry on the beaches.

“They are there in a preventative capacity and do not have the authority to search bags or arrest members of the public, but rather to warn those who are contravening by-laws,” said Struwe.

“If there is a case where someone is warned and continues to break a by-law, then the matter will be escalated to both KDM and Saps who will respond,” she said.

In the month since the pilot project began, no incidents have been reported and beaches have remained pristine in time for tourists this coming weekend.

“Ultimately, people need to remember that part of our property value is determined by access to world class beaches and we hope to keep it that way.”

Although the pilot project ends in May, Struwe said that it could be an ongoing solution if the necessary funds were raised.

If you would like to support the project, contact Struwe at 081 509 6885 or info@srnw.co.za.

Banking details can be found on the SRNW Facebook page.