THE fatbergs that appeared on uMhlanga beach two weeks ago will negatively affect tourism if establishments in the area do not dispose of their fats and oils in a responsible manner.

This is the view of Umhlanga Tourism Organisation chairperson Jeannie Sarno, who said she and the other members were shocked by the sudden appearance of the balls which turned out to be fatbergs mixed with oils and fats presumably from eateries.

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“We were all shocked of the news of these mysterious balls that were found on the beach. The municipality did the right thing to close the beaches until the balls were identified. The health and safety of our swimmers, be it residential or visitors, remain our number one concern. Fortunately the closure was short as a lot of pressure was put on the laboratory to disclose what the balls comprised of,” she said.

The closure of the beach came at the beginning of January with just over a week of school holidays to spare. The December season, according to Sarno, was eventful with Umhlanga Tourism, Umhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct and the eThekwini Municipality working tirelessly to prevent the beach from closing.

“The closure was still a shock though but by now we are familiar with sudden, unexpected closing of beaches and we are able to promote other areas of our region. We have many lovely attractions to see and it was wonderful that the beaches didn’t stay closed for long,” she added.

“We are all very keen to find out exactly who the culprits are in regards to the fat balls. We have known that there are a few irresponsible restaurants that discard their fats illegally and this has been quite evident with the storm drains flooding. Now we have further evidence to show that it’s not only affecting us. To actually be responsible for the beaches closing is like them (eateries) shooting themselves and their neighbours in the foot,” said Sarno.

She added that the tourism body is trying to establish exactly who the culprits are and to then hold them accountable for their disregard to the law and their colleagues.

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“There are so many ways that they are supposed to discard of their fats in the correct manner and they choose not to. It’s shameful, especially that we have suffered so much over the past few years with tourism and we didn’t need to have an issue like this to be the cause of our beach closure. For the eateries that respect themselves and the value of tourism in our area by discarding their oils correctly and follow the necessary guidelines in regards to their business licence, we say thank you,” added Sarno.

Ward 35 councillor Bradley Singh said the Ethekwini Department of Waste and Sanitation should act swiftly to investigate all food establishments to ensure they are fully compliant with their fat traps.

“Additionally, they should utilise dye to trace any breaches and hold the responsible parties accountable. It is crucial that we prevent such incidents from occurring again. Furthermore, the department should take every measure to stop raw sewage from overflowing into the ocean. If the city is genuinely concerned about protecting our communities and oceans, including tourism, it must guarantee that Umhlanga Main Beach and Bronze Beach achieve full Blue Flag Status,” he added.

A press statement by the municipality issued on January 8, read: “… the solid particles are fats, likely originating from food establishments … the source of the solid ball matter is being profiled to confirm its origin.”

However, spokesperson for the City, Gugu Sisilana, said no further investigation will be conducted to establish which eateries the fatbergs originated from.

“The press statement issued on January 8, 2025 says the fats are likely originating from food establishments, so that is the source. There is nothing more to add,” she said.

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