ActionSA Calls for All Durban Beaches to Be Closed After Municipality Failed to Prevent Drownings

• ActionSA wants all the beaches in Durban to be closed during the metro's busiest holiday season
• The call comes after three people died in a freak wave at North Beach on Saturday, 17 December
• The minority party accused the eThekwini municipality of failing to prevent the drownings from happening

DURBAN - ActionSA in KwaZulu-Natal has called for all the beaches in Durban to be closed after three people drowned at Durban's North Beach on Saturday, 17 December.

The minority opposition parties provincial chairperson Zwakele Mncwango blamed the eThekwini municipality for failing to prevent the incident from happening again by putting measures in place.

Mncwango claimed that a leaked report revealed that the municipality irregularly appointed Lifesaving South Africa to train lifeguards.

According to the provincial chairperson, the non-profit was not accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa), Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), or the department of labour.

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The report found that as a result of Lifesaving SA's lack of accreditation, all the lifeguard certificates issued by the NPO should be considered invalid.

Mncwango added the report made it clear that the eThekwini municipality was deeply inadequate and the city's beaches should be closed until the findings in the leaked report are adequately investigated.

In response to ActionSA's request, eThekwini municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela told TimesLIVE that the metro did not have time to entertain the minority party's call.

The triple drowning incident happened when a freak wave took beachgoers by surprise on Saturday afternoon. 35 lifeguards were involved in the mass rescue effort.

According to New24, 17 people were seriously injured but were transported to a nearby hospital to receive medical treatment.

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South Africans react to ActionSA calls

Citizens clowned ActionSA for calling for Durban beaches to be closed.

Below are some reactions:

Neil Von Hagen commented:

"The "freak wave" needs to ensure that it attends the investigation. Without its evidence, everything would be speculation."

Mandy De Beyer stated:

"Firstly it wasn't a freak wave it was a rip current. Very dangerous if you panic and can't swim that well. There is nothing to investigate. Here you would go better with education."

Wilson Minesi Chongo claimed:

"This ActionSA is always looking for action even where its not necessary."

Rods Mogane added:

Oh poor ActionSA, what a poor political strategy

Qiniso Mabaso asked:

Where were the lifeguards?

Father who drowned while trying to rescue son at Beach hailed a hero, holidaymakers reminded of water safety

In a similar story, Briefly News reported that A 38-year-old father died a hero while trying to rescue his 11-year-old son who was caught in a rip current at a south coast beach on Wednesday, 14 December.

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Police have opened an inquest docket following the drowning. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) team, police and ambulance services responded to the incident.

NSRI station commander at Port Edward Gert du Plessis told TimesLIVE that five good Samaritans rescued the 11-year-old and his father. They initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts on the father but were unsuccessful.

Source: Briefly News