eThekwini Municipality has stepped up efforts to curb pollution along Durban’s coastline as the city gears up for the festive season. Officials briefed the media on Thursday, outlining key administrative steps aimed at ensuring beaches remain safe and fully operational for holiday crowds.
The city reaffirmed earlier this week that all 23 of Durban’s beaches are open and safe for swimming. But Acting City Manager Sipho Cele warned that pollution particularly from unlawful discharge into waterways continues to pose challenges.
“There are people who, at times, connect and discharge into our catchments and streams. There is going to be improved and increased enforcement in that regard,” Cele said. He added that sanitation and catchment management teams will roll out community education campaigns to reduce harmful practices contributing to poor coastal water quality.
Cele emphasised that the city’s long-term objective is to regain Blue Flag status for Durban’s beaches. eThekwini withdrew from the international programme after the devastating April 2022 floods.
Mayor Cyril Xaba said beach monitoring will now be intensified. “We do test biweekly, but at EXCO we resolved that because we're now in the festive season, we'll test our waters weekly. Our results are also corroborated by an independent organisation,” he noted.
The municipality says stricter enforcement, stepped-up testing, and public awareness initiatives form part of a broader effort to restore Durban’s coastline to global standards and to give holidaymakers peace of mind as the summer season begins.