ActionSA Outraged by eThekwini’s Disregard for Beachgoers’ Health
Alan Beesley
ActionSA eThekwini Caucus Leader
ActionSA notes with deep concern and outrage the eThekwini Municipality’s disregard for the health of the beachgoers.
The latest readings from Talbot, an independent laboratory taken on the 3rd November 2022 show that Country Club beach had a E-coli level of 1267 CFU/100ml. With the critical E-coli level being 500 CFU/100ml this beach should have been closed to beachgoers, yet it remains open.
There is no doubt that these discharges have led to the high E-coli levels in the ocean, and the tide movement from the South to the North means that beaches further South of the Country Club do not currently have critical E-coli levels.
It is also important to note that high E-coli levels in the Umgeni River, Umdloti, Palmiet, and Msunduzi Rivers are discharging sewerage into the sea and until the sewage situation is fixed, swimming and water activities at any of eThekwini’s beaches should be considered hazardous.
On 19 October 2022, ActionSA issued the Municipality with a letter of demand petitioning that the matter be urgently addressed.
As the festive season nears, it is unfortunate that businesses that operate within the City will be severely affected by our beaches remaining closed during the festive season.
We will continue to monitor this situation and call on the eThekwini Munipality to prioritise our beachgoers and by extension eThekwini tourists.
ActionSA Outraged by eThekwini’s Disregard for Beachgoers’ Health
ActionSA notes with deep concern and outrage the eThekwini Municipality’s disregard for the health of the beachgoers.
The latest readings from Talbot, an independent laboratory taken on the 3rd November 2022 show that Country Club beach had a E-coli level of 1267 CFU/100ml. With the critical E-coli level being 500 CFU/100ml this beach should have been closed to beachgoers, yet it remains open.
There is no doubt that these discharges have led to the high E-coli levels in the ocean, and the tide movement from the South to the North means that beaches further South of the Country Club do not currently have critical E-coli levels.
It is also important to note that high E-coli levels in the Umgeni River, Umdloti, Palmiet, and Msunduzi Rivers are discharging sewerage into the sea and until the sewage situation is fixed, swimming and water activities at any of eThekwini’s beaches should be considered hazardous.
On 19 October 2022, ActionSA issued the Municipality with a letter of demand petitioning that the matter be urgently addressed.
As the festive season nears, it is unfortunate that businesses that operate within the City will be severely affected by our beaches remaining closed during the festive season.
We will continue to monitor this situation and call on the eThekwini Munipality to prioritise our beachgoers and by extension eThekwini tourists.