eThekwini celebrates successful festive season

Tourists and local law enforcement teams have been thanked for playing their part in ensuring Durban’s festive season was a safe one.

During a beachfront walkabout with mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Sipho Hlomuka this week, KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala said very few incidents were reported, and the province was happy that all beaches were full and all tourism attraction points were safe, with strong police visibility, reports Highway Mail.

More than 2.1 million people descended on Durban’s beaches to celebrate the start of the new year. Kaunda said the City was elated that everything had gone as planned over the festive season.

He said alcohol consumption at beaches and parks had been one of the main issues the City had clamped down on over the festive season, with a number of motorists arrested for drunken driving at strategic roadblocks on New Year’s Eve.

Alcohol was also confiscated from revellers on the beachfront.

Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said the cleaning teams accompanying Metro Police officers every night, picking up after those at the beach, ensured visitors returned to a clean beach in the morning.

EThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, commended the teams for ensuring an incident-free transition into the new year.

“Our teams deserve a pat on the back. Their work clearly demonstrates that they went all out. We are very grateful for the work they have done. We are going to keep this momentum into the rest of the year. We also commend our residents for helping, by throwing their dirt in designated bins. It is all of our responsibility to ensure that we manage our litter responsibly,” he said.

He cautioned beachgoers to be safe and swim in areas where lifeguards were on duty.

Meanwhile, during Police Minister Bheki Cele’s walkabout at the beachfront, more than 120 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested, with the majority said to be from Malawi.

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