BEACH sand sculptors say the municipality should compensate them, instead of making them pay a permit fee of R44 per month and R528 for a year.
The artists said they fail to understand the logic behind the permit fee because unlike other informal traders whom the municipalities has built shelters for, they on the other hand do not receive any help from the municipalities. Mthokozisi Mnguni who has been building sand sculptures at the beach for over eight years said the permit fee makes life difficult for them, as they are already struggling to make ends meet.
“The fee is too much for an artist like myself, who relies on donations from beach patrons to survive. A good day is normally during the festive season and school holidays, were one can make up to R70 a day but during this time of the year, the beach is quiet and a day can go by without me making a cent. The municipality should be helping us to improve our work and not charge us for trying to make a living. We also play a role in attracting tourists, which in turn contributes to the economy of the City. Why make us pay a permit, even though everything we use for these artworks we source ourselves, nothing is from the municipality, including the water we use,” asked Mnguni.
Before Mnguni can start building, he has to collect the sand, and starting at the base to ensure the consistency is just the right mix of sand and sea water. Each section has to be compacted for stability and left for a bit to solidify a little. The red sand on his sculptures is collected at a location, he says its a secret. The sculptures are continuously sprayed with water so that they do not crumble. They are repaired and restored daily.
According to the city’s informal trading by law, the council recognises the key role that informal trading plays in poverty alleviation, income generation and entrepreneurial development and, in particular, the positive impact that informal trading has on historically disadvantaged individuals and communities. The city says the sand sculptors are charged as per the Informal Trade Tariffs passed by eThekwini Municipality and guided by the Informal Trade Policy.
“Since 2010 sand sculptors fall under Coastal Areas Informal Trading Management and since then sand sculptors have been paying for permits, which are R44 per month and R528 for a year,” said the municipality.
The other challenge facing Mnguni and other artists like him, is the weather as strong winds and heavy rains can totally destroy his work. “Sometimes people, especially tourists who do not understand English, take photos of themselves, posing next to my work and leave no money. If a job would come my way, I would still continue with my sculptures but only on weekends or holidays because I have come to love my work despite its challenges,” Mnguni said.
Mnguni said he dreams of travelling the world to showcase his talent.
