THE municipality has warned bathers visiting Durban’s beachfront not to swim in areas where there are no lifeguards on duty.
This comes after three drownings at the weekend as lifeguards left their posts on the beachfront, following a dispute with the municipality over overtime pay.
Durban beachfront resident, Mike Bloxham, expressed his shock after hearing about the drownings. He said on Saturday a 15-year-old boy had drowned at around 1pm at Wedge Beach and his body disappeared into the sea.
At 2.30pm another swimmer drowned and again the body had disappeared. On Sunday afternoon another man drowned at the Country Club beach, with the body also being washed out to sea.
According to Colonel Jay Naicker from SAPS, around 5am on Tuesday, 24 February, a body of a man believed to be in his thirties washed up next to the pier at uShaka Beach. An inquest docket has been opened for investigation by Point SAPS.
“How many others are there? In such a mass of people swimming in the sea, you don’t know what can happen, and no one sees anything. It’s terrifying,” said Bloxham.
According to reports, overtime for lifeguards has been stopped to prevent budget overruns which has affected beaches and public pools throughout the municipality along the coast.
Reports from the drowning victims’ families indicate that had there been more lifeguards on duty they could possibly have been helped.
Bloxham lashed out at Durban Tourism which, he said, advertised the beaches as being safe, but the drownings proved this not to be the case.
“The beaches are in a state. The security guards on the whole coast have been pulled and toilets locked as there is no money to pay toilet attendants overtime.
“On Wednesday the sanitation unit company removed their units as they were not getting paid. The beach manager, who was recently hired, is from Tugela, and hasn’t got experience in this regard, there are lives at stake,” he said.
Head of communications from eThekwini municipality, Tozi Mthethwa, said: “The City is aware of the matter regarding a body that was found washed up on one of our beaches. However, we are unable to comment further at this stage until the circumstances pertaining to the incident have been investigated.”
She said all lifeguards employed by the City underwent internal competency tests before they started work.
“Our lifeguards have passed basic lifeguard training with the internationally recognised SA Lifesaving where they are taught basic skills such as first aid,” she said.
In response to Berea Mail’s questions regarding the absence of lifeguards on the beach, Mthethwa said all labour related matters pertaining to working hours, overtime and remuneration were addressed internally with municipal employees as and when they arose and the municipality could not disclose such information.
