eThekwini reopens uMhlanga beach after ‘poo balls’ saga

Two of uMhlanga’s beaches which were closed  after the discovery of balls that purportedly contained  faeces have been reopened, the eThekwini Municipality said on late on Wednesday night.

The city closed Umhlanga Main Beach and Bronze Beach as a precautionary measure on Wednesday while the municipality’s water and sanitation unit and the scientific services conducted laboratory tests on the balls.

The unidentified ball-shaped solid matter was mixed with beach sand.

eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the uMhlanga Main Beach and Bronze Beach will open on Thursday.

Lab test findings

Sisilana said beach water samples and the ball-shaped solid matter were collected for laboratory analysis

“Laboratory results released by scientists from the Scientific Services of samples taken from the solid balls, which were shown in a circulating video on social media, have found that the solid particles are fats, likely originating from food establishments.

“While findings indicate very low faecal contamination in water samples taken on 7 January 2025 at both the uMhlanga Main Beach and Bronze Beach, the source of the solid ball matter is being profiled to confirm its origin,” Sisilana said.  

ALSO READ: eThekwini slams claims of ‘balls of faeces’ on uMhlanga beach

Cleanup

Sisilana said beach clean-up operations will commence to remove the ball-shaped solid matter now that investigations have been carried out.

“The municipality cautions against the spreading of unverified information and urges the public and media to refrain from speculative reporting. The city remains committed to transparency regarding beach water quality and will continue to provide updates.

“The public is also urged to note that 21 beaches are open and safe for swimming in the city. The two beaches that are closed due to ongoing maintenance at the Wastewater Treatment Works are Anstey’s Beach and Country Club Beach,” Sisilana said.

Meanwhile, eThekwini has not applied for the Blue Flag status accreditation in several years.

A beach’s Blue Flag status relates to the quality of the water. It is based on the E.coli concentration at points along the shore.

Additional reporting by Oratile Mashilo

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