A bumper holiday season is no less than what Durban’s acting mayor expects for the city. [Picture: Durban Tourism]
Durban will reopen two beaches, which were affected by e-coli, in time for a “bumper” holiday season. So says Nkosenhle Madlala, the city’s acting mayor.
“We’ve been in a state of recovery over the years,” he told Newzroom Afrika on Thursday. “We are ready to go back to where Durban was, as a tourist mecca in South Africa. We are ready.”
In recent years, surging crime, waves of e-coli and crumbling infrastructure have deterred visitors from the once-thriving coastal city. Now, the acting mayor says visitors can look forward to enjoying its attractions once again.
Of the city’s 23 beaches, two have been closed due to unacceptably high levels of e-coli. Those are Anstey’s Beach and Reunion Beach. However, Madlala is confident they will reopen in time.
“We can assure our visitors that by the coming weekend, those two will be opened as well. We are going to have our full 23 beaches that are going to be open,” he said, adding that the city’s public pools were also open.
He assured visitors and residents alike that the eThekwini Municipality will constantly monitor the situation: “We are doing water testing on a weekly basis now to ensure that the quality of the water is above reproach and our bathers can be safe throughout the festive season”.
