Groundwork done by the DA in eThekwini has indicated that the accident that took place at Durban’s beachfront may potentially be attributed to the ANC government’s incompetence rather than a freak wave.
Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda hastily opened the beaches, declaring Durban ready for visitors – a declaration that has resulted in at least three deaths and 17 hospitalisations.
The reality is that Durban was never prepared for the influx of visitors, which has resulted in not only overcrowded beaches but also an inability to provide a safe and secure environment for beachgoers.
While the rescue mission was underway, lifeguards from neighbouring beaches were called in, forcing them to abandon their posts in order to help people in need.
These lifeguards only had one 4×4 capable for covering 9 kilometres of beach.
To make matters worse, the city only hired 32 seasonal lifeguards out of a total demand of 160.
Only 11 of these were assigned to Durban’s principal beaches for weekend duty, leaving professional lifeguards and club volunteers to fill the void, putting their own lives in danger by working continuous 12-hour shifts to handle at least 20 000 people on a single beach.
If the municipality had addressed the shortfall of lifeguards and given them proper resources, this tragedy may have been avoided or managed better.
The DA has highlighted the city’s shortcomings over the years; we have sounded the alarm on issues that could have been avoided.
We will not stop fighting; we will not cease in our pursuit of saving this municipality and giving people what they deserve: a functional and competent government that will not tolerate corruption and the squandering of taxpayers’ money.