POOR old Margate is under the spotlight again with locals concerned about crumbling beachfront facilities.
“We don’t want bad publicity for the town, but we do need to urge authorities to do something about this before our next holiday season,” said one businessman.
Recent rains and flooding swamped the Margate walkway area and much of it has had to be taped off.
The beachfront was revamped about two years ago, but now locals are claiming that it was a ‘shoddy job’ and a ‘waste of money’.
The plastic, wood lookalike strips for railings were a particular splinter of contention.
“This type of material is high maintenance and it doesn’t last long even though it looks good at first,” said a concerned resident.
These strips are now starting to come away.
The walkway is loose, some parts are missing and the tidal pool staircase is in ruins.
Ugly fencing was used to replace a large missing chunk and is an eyesore.
Large, unmarked holes remain on the walkway and pose a hazard.
“This is very disturbing because it is just a matter of time before someone suffers a serious injury. This damage has taken place within a period of two years. What’s going to happen over the next five to 10 years?”
Uvongo fishing pier has still not been repaired, long after it was damaged by storms.
Ray Nkonyeni municipality spokesman Simon April said the project was part of the Margate Urban Renewal plan which was externally funded, but implemented by the municipality. “The municipality will be looking at possibilities of securing funding, either internally or externally, for repairing the damaged/vandalised area. The same goes for the Uvongo fishing pier,” he said.
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