With the festive season well in its peak, the eThekwini Municipality is continuing to ensure that holidaymakers enjoy their stay in the city peacefully.
The Municipality’s Chairman of the Festive Season Management Committee, Mr Christo Swart said the City hopes to maintain the number of visitors that come to the City’s beaches during the Festive Season.
“Last year we recorded approximately 3 million visitors at our beaches throughout the Festive Season period,” he said.
Over the past weekend more than 125 000 people were recorded to be at various beaches around the City.
Taking the numbers into account and for all to enjoy their stay in Durban, it is important to reiterate that No Alcohol is to be brought onto or consumed on the beaches and where found will be confiscated immediately.
Braaing is only allowed from Sunkist to Blue Lagoon beaches and is strictly prohibited at other areas of the beach.
Beachgoers are warned to swim within designated bathing areas, marked with red and yellow flagged beacons, whilst the lifeguards are on duty.
Swimming hours are from 06h00 to 18h30. The public may not to swim at night nor should they swim at beaches that are not manned by lifeguards.
Visitors must also ensure their belongings are secure even though SAPS, Metro Police Law Enforcement Officers and Security Guards are on duty, and will assist should it be required.
Mr Swart commended parents who acted speedily and ensured that no children had to spend the night at the overnight facility over the past weekend.
“Currently there are no separated children at the overnight facility waiting to be reunited with their parents or guardians,” he said. The Municipality’s Separated Children’s Programme implemented a few years ago continues to be a success. The programme includes the provision of gazebo facilities on the beachfront, clearly marked SEPERATED CHILDREN where children that are separated from their parents or guardians are looked after and later re-united with their families.
Children are given wrist bands, to which guardians’ contact details are written, they are issued to assist in re-uniting separated children with their parents or guardians.
Beach Buddies and Child Minders issued about 21 900 wrist bands during the past weekend to children who came to various beaches around the City.
An overnight facility is also set up where children are cared for by child minders if they have not been reunited with their families during the day.
Wrist bands are readily available and can be obtained from Beach Buddies on arrival at the beach. The Beach Buddies can be easily identified by the white T-shirt and orange bibs they are wearing.
Parents are urged to ensure that children are always within sight. In an instance where a child is separated, the first place parents should go to, to look for their children is at the gazebos clearly marked “SEPARATED CHILDREN”.
Child minders are at the beach from 08h00 to 17h00 and at the overnight facility should Children not be collected by 17h00, for the duration of the Festive Season.
When picking up their Children, Parents must produce their Identity Documents, as proof that they are the child’s legal guardian.
The Municipality strongly condemns the behaviour of some of the parents/guardians who neglect their children leaving them stranded at the beach. Irresponsible parents may be criminally charged under the Children’s Act should negligence be suspected.
Separated Children Enquiries can be done at 031 3224394.
Related articles
