The tourism industry has urged law enforcement to ensure that beaches around KwaZulu-Natal are free of all forms of contamination, as the festive season approaches.
This also follows reports on social media of a possible sewage spill with surfers spotting patches of a mystery green sludge off Durban beaches at the weekend.
Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) spokesperson Brett Tungay says early detection of pollution or a spill can avert a possible long-term beach closure.
Tungay says, “We need to have a good season for the tourism industry in eThekwini. Tourism country wide has been badly hit by the pandemic, so we were hoping especially for eThekwini, a good Christmas season, so we are urging the municipality. They basically have 4 weeks left until the season starts. We need to have an action plan before the arrival of the main tourist influx in December.”
MEC for Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs explains the extent of the spillage in Umgeni, Durban following the July riots and unrest:
