Durban — Political party ActionSA claims the eThekwini Municipality is committing tourism suicide with the closure of beaches due to sewage spills.
The claim was made after the municipality decided to close some beaches with immediate effect due to high levels of E. coli in the water. This decision is a consequence of recent water-testing results which confirmed high levels of E. coli.
All water activities such as swimming, surfing, fishing, bathing and canoeing taking place at city beaches are therefore prohibited. Beachgoers are urged to heed this warning as disregarding it could result in outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Residents can still enjoy other activities along the beach that do not require them to come into contact with seawater.
ActionSA eThekwini caucus member Alan Beasley is just one of many political parties speaking out against failing infrastructure in the city and requesting the urgent response to the sewage crisis that continues to trouble the city.
“This crisis is made evident by the unending beach closures due to high levels of sewage bacteria (E. coli) in the water. A total of 13 beaches along the coast of eThekwini were closed on Monday.
“Sightings of dead fish along the uMngeni River coupled with the browning of the water were proof enough to result in the closures. Battery Beach, a beach on the so-called “golden mile”, recently had an E. coli reading of 9208 count/100ml, which is 18 times above the acceptable level threshold,” Beasley said.
He added that the municipality must realise that not only does the sewage crisis have a major harmful impact on residents living in the municipality and its environment, but it is also causing a major decline in tourist activity.
“eThekwini needs tourists now more than ever. The industry alone contributes hundreds of millions towards the GDP of eThekwini. A total of R150 million worth of revenue is produced within the festive season alone. All of which heavily depends on the accessibility of the municipality’s beaches,” Beasley said.
The economy of eThekwini is in a precarious position as it recovers from the aftermath of Covid-19, the July unrest and the April floods. Beasley said the city, its businesses and residents can ill afford the economic and social damage that would arise from the impact of a tourism sector decline.
“Whilst ActionSA recognises that the floods had an impact on the sewer system, there is no doubt that problems existed before the floods and failure to adequately address the issue has resulted in the situation in which the municipality currently finds itself. This has been caused by an ANC-led municipality which has allowed corruption to flourish while officials of the city ignore the plight of the residents of the city with no consequence management to better the quality of services provided to the residents,” Beasley said.
ActionSA is hoping the sewage crisis is resolved before the commencement of the festive season, ensuring no further damage to the tourist sector.
Daily News