The Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor James Nxumalo, issued the following festive season update.
The Festive Season commenced slowly mainly because of two factors: inclement weather at the beginning of the festive season, which lasted for about two weeks and the passing of our former State President, Dr Nelson R Mandela resulted in some travellers altering their plans.
However, there was a dramatic increase of visitors to our beaches, specifically from 16 December 13 where Durban literally became the warmest place to be. A full statistical information will however be provided at the end of the holidays. The expected influx to our beaches commenced on the 16 December 2013 with approximately 155000 people at our beaches. This was the first day of improved weather conditions.
The good weather continued and the weekend of 20 December 13 to 22 December 13 and we saw approximately 236000 people at our beaches.
For Christmas and Boxing Day we had approximately 402260 people at our beaches.
On New Year’s Eve 31 December 13 there were 93000 people at our beaches during the day and approximately 39300 on the evening of 31 December 13, and a whopping 460780 on New Year’s Day 01 January 2014 which included approximately 35000 people at the New Year’s Picnic at Umgababa beach.
As Mayor of eThekwini, I would like to thank all our residents and visitors for ensuring a peaceful festive season and I am sure that they have enjoyed their stay with us. Of course, the festive season is not over, I urge all holidaymakers to come and experience Durban.
We had 28 rescues on 31 December 2013 and 32 on 01 January 2014 with 5 mass rescues (rescuing of more than one person) executed on the day. A person was reported missing north of Pipeline Beach Area, in Amanzimtoti, a non-bathing area, and the body has not yet been recovered. I would like to highlight that we are committed to ensuring a safe and secure bathing area with adequate lifeguards on duty, hence my appeal to bathers not to swim in non-demarcated bathing areas with no staff on duty
Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty (8 350) armbands were issued as part of our Separated Children Programme during the past two days. I appeal to all beachgoers with minor children to keep their children with them at all times. It is an offence to leave a minor unattended in terms of the Child Protection Act. In cases of contravention of this act, the SAPS will prosecute offenders. The Police will take action against parents of 7 children that were left at our overnight facility.
During the past two days 351 children were accommodated at our Separated Children Facilities on the beachfront of which 207 children were taken to the Overnight Facility, 197 children were back with their parents later in the evening and as previously indicated 10 remained overnight.
