By: Natasha Archary
eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has reopened 3 of Durban’s beaches despite raw sewage spilling into the rivers and ocean.
This as a result of the April floods in the province which caused severe damage to the water and sanitation systems, resulting in raw sewage infecting the ocean.
While the mayor claims the standard of the water has improved significantly, Kaunda has been called out for misleading the public, with ActionSA and the DA refuting his claims.
Both parties say there’s no way the beaches are safe to be reopened to the public, as they’ve inspected the work done and sewage is still spilling into the rivers, which all lead to the ocean.
Kaunda refused to take on the DA’s challenge to swim in one of the reopened beaches in Umhlanga, which had human fecal matter floating on the water a few days ago.
The DA and ActionSA say the mayor is reopening the beaches because he doesn’t want the city to lose out on tourists flocking to Durban over the festive season.
Chances of people getting sick from swimming in the beaches are still high according to both parties who say that e-Coli poisoning is a serious risk.
Despite Kaunda claiming the beaches are safe, pristine and ready for tourists to enjoy, one Durban resident says the mayor is lying and shared a video showing heaps of trash, dirty diapers, and human faeces along stretches of the beach.
“Let me show you what’s on the beach this morning, just s**t, and rubbish and dirty diapers for as far as the eye can see. Liars. They’re a bunch of liars. Do our beaches look ready for tourists?”
The gentleman who shared the video was cycling on the beach on Thursday, 01 December, the day after eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda reopened 3 beaches.
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