As thousands of holiday-makers descended upon the sunny shore of Durban last week, eThekwini Municipality mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda has appealed to the public to adhere to all safety regulations to ensure an incident free festive season.
Cllr Kaunda’s appeal follows the drowning of three people at various city beaches. He said all three people were discovered outside of designated bathing times and at non-bathing beaches. “We appeal to the public and to our visitors on the beach and in other places to co-operate with the police, municipal staff and lifeguards to ensure their safety,” he said. The public is also urged to only swim in designated bathing beaches as these have lifeguards. “This ensures that emergency assistance is readily available should anyone get into any difficulty,” said the mayor.
In addition, swimming under the influence of alcohol is strictly prohibited. Another concern for the city is children getting separated from their parents while at the beach. Municipal spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said during the past weekend, 109 children got separated from their families but all of them were subsequently re-united.
Incidents, complaints or any matter that needs urgent attention can be reported on 031-361-0000.
