Cape Town – The Democratic Alliance (DA) in eThekwini has invited mayor Mxolisi Kaunda to be the first citizen to take a swim at the sewage polluted Umhlanga main beach after he gave the thumbs up for the beaches to open on December 1.
This follows Kaunda’s recent assessment visit to the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works, the Ohlange sewage pump station in Blackburn Village and Umhlanga beach.
He said he was satisfied with the progress contractors are making to repair the sanitation infrastructure.
“We are now finalising with the environmental development department to ensure we get a go-ahead to continue freely opening the beaches. The city will continue working fast to ensure that come December 1 all our beaches will be opened,” said Kaunda.
DA eThekwini has called for Kaunda to be the first citizen of the city to join them on December 2 for a dip in the Indian Ocean.
“You swim, we’ll swim Mr. Mayor! The DA in eThekwini calls on the eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda to take a dip at the uMhlanga main beach following his announcement that all beaches will be open on 1 December 2022! Are our beaches really ready?” read the party’s post on Facebook.
The DA in eThekwini councillor Nicole Bollman said the call was made by the party’s public representatives from across all spheres of government, reported TimesLIVE, according to msn.
Bollman said the party was concerned about Kaunda’s statement that the opening of Umhlanga beaches was imminent owing to satisfactory water-quality readings and the long-awaited functionality of the Ohlange sewage pump station.
“Oversight visits to various ‘hotspots’ along the Ohlange River proved once again that there was a consistent flow of raw sewage flowing into the river as has been the case since post the April flood, completely bypassing the newly commissioned pump station a mere 250m up the river, due to alleged blockages in the system, resulting in zero flow into the pump station.
“Our concern is that failure to consider the resolution and repair of the sewer reticulation system in its entirety from source to the wastewater treatment plant in Phoenix will result in an ecological and health catastrophe to the unassuming bather coming to our shores for the festive season placing both them and professional lifeguards at risk,” the report quoted Bollman as saying.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
