eThekwini slams claims of ‘balls of faeces’ on uMhlanga beach

Two of uMhlanga’s beaches have been closed to the public after the discovery of balls that some are claiming contain faeces.

In a video circulating on social media, a man shows what is believed to be balls of faeces on the sand.

WATCH: ‘Balls of faeces’ found on the beach

According to eThekwini municipality’s spokesperson Gugu Sisilana, the city is aware of the video but stressed that it has not yet been confirmed that the balls contain faeces.

“At this stage, we cannot confirm if the balls are human waste, until confirmation by the laboratory investigation. The city wishes to warn the public against spreading unverified information,” she added.

As a precautionary measure, the city closed Umhlanga Main Beach and Bronze Beach while the municipality’s water and sanitation unit and the scientific services identified the contents of the balls.

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‘Unverified information’

This follows an article by the Northglen News which stated that beaches have been closed due to ‘the balls’, referring to them as human waste balls.

According to the publication, residents have described a foul smell emanating from the balls.

eThekwini, however, said it has not yet been verified that the balls contain faeces.

“We wish to caution media against reporting on unverified information and justifying the reporting by stating that previously beaches in Durban were closed due to high E.coli readings,” it said.

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eThekwini’s Blue Flag status

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

Speaking to The Citizen in December, Morgan Griffiths from Wildlife and Environment Society South Africa (Wessa) said that the city has been unable to meet water quality standards since the 2021 floods damaged drainage systems.

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.

This is measured by the colony forming units (CFU) present per 100 millilitre water sample. Under 150 CFU is considered good, while anything over 500 is deemed poor, leading to the beach’s closure.

The space between is considered acceptable as it is below the amount that poses a threat to the swimmer’s health.

eThekwini claimed 21 of its beaches were declared safe for swimming in December 2024.

Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale.

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