eThekwini municipality closes all beaches in KZN north until further notice

The eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has closed all beaches in the north, with the Umgababa beach being the only beach opened in the southern region until further notice

The move comes after severe thunderstorms, accompanied by strong winds, left a trail of destruction in various parts of the province.

Beaches closed

eThekwini said the closure of these beaches is due to damage caused by heavy rains which affected beach water quality in the affected regions.

“The heavy rain resulted in logs and other debris being washed into rivers and the sea. This has rendered beaches unsafe for swimming.   All central beaches remain open and are safe for swimming and other water related activities.

“All water activities are prohibited in the beaches located in the regions mentioned above. However, residents can still enjoy other activities along the beach that do not require coming into contact with sea water.  The Municipality apologises for any inconvenience caused, it said.

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Flood fatalities

Meanwhile, the number of people who lost their lives in the KZN floods caused by torrential rains across the province has risen to 52.

The provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) on Sunday said the most significant damages were reported in the eThekwini Metro, KwaDukuza and Ndwedwe local municipalities.

“At this stage, five fatalities have been confirmed under eThekwini Metro, while two people have been reported missing. Two people died in the Folweni area after a retaining wall collapsed on their structure. Another person was confirmed dead in Umlazi’s K Section due to structural collapse. 

“In another incident in Tongaat, two family members died when their shack collapsed on them during the heavy rains. Two more people went missing after floods washed away their informal structure in Tongaat,” Cogta said.

Damages

The KZN Cogta said the heavy rains have also caused damage to water and electricity infrastructure, leaving some communities in eThekwini and Stanger without water and electricity.

“Our disaster response teams, working with all affected municipalities and our social partners, are still on the ground providing relief.

“Municipalities have also dispatched water tankers to areas affected as families are engaged in mop-up operations. With regards to infrastructure, in eThekwini Metro, some roads and bridges have been affected by the heavy rain, resulting in some roads being completely closed, limiting access to communities, social, and economic facilities.”

The KZN Cogta said preliminary reports indicate that eThekwini has so far recorded over 250 households, with over 1 000 people affected at this stage.

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