‘eThekwini’s beaches are at the heart of KZN’s tourism attractions and the current state of affairs must be corrected. Our province’s tourism industry can no longer suffer as a result.’ Picture: eThekwini Municipality
Recent assurances of E. coli-free beaches by December - by eThekwini Mayor, Cyril Xaba at the launch of Durban Tourism summer season - will hopefully bring a much-needed tourism boost in our province.
Since 2022, eThekwini beaches have been grossly contaminated with E. coli, with beaches being closed as a result. Last year, the Umgeni River lagoon also saw hundreds of dead fish, paddlers becoming ill after using the river, and the closure of popular beaches during the festive season.
At the time, eThekwini Municipality were issued contravention notices by national government yet, regrettably, E. coli levels continue to rise. This as sewer pump stations along the Umgeni River – from Riverside Road and further upstream - continue to pump raw sewerage into the river.
Recent Democratic Alliance (DA) oversight inspections of the Umdloti River, near Mount Moreland, have further revealed thick, pungent black water running into a lagoon. This appalling situation is echoed a dozen times across lagoons and rivers spanning the Durban area, with more than a dozen Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) contravention notices serving as evidence of a dysfunctional sewer system.
eThekwini’s beaches are at the heart of KZN’s tourism attractions and the current state of affairs must be corrected. Our province’s tourism industry can no longer suffer as a result.
SHONTEL DE BOER, MPL | DA KZN alternate spokesperson on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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