All 23 Durban beaches declared safe for swimming by eThekwini Municipality, yet water quality concerns persist
The eThekwini Municipality has said all 23 Durban beaches are safe for swimming.
Image: File
eThekwini Municipality has assured residents and visitors that all 23 bathing beaches in Durban are safe for swimming after water quality tests, marking the first full reopening since the 2022 floods.
Mayor Cyril Xaba announced the development during a media briefing on Thursday, saying safe Durban beaches reflects extensive work to restore coastal infrastructure.
“For the first time since the devastating floods of 2022, all 23 of our bathing beaches are open and safe for swimming.”
He described the achievement as significant ahead of the holiday season and linked it to the city’s broader recovery efforts.
“The reopening of every single bathing beach speaks to the tremendous effort that has gone into repairing and upgrading our sanitation infrastructure,” he said.
The mayor stated that the municipality intends to maintain consistent oversight on water quality throughout the festive period.
“We want to assure you that we will not take our foot off the pedal. Our teams will continue to closely monitor our infrastructure to ensure that we sustain this positive performance well beyond the festive period,” he said.
DA challenges beach safety
However, the Democratic Alliance in eThekwini issued a statement questioning the basis of the municipality’s assurance regarding the Durban beaches.
DA EXCO Member Cllr Yogis Govender said the party is “deeply concerned that the municipality is not being honest with residents and visitors about the state of Durban beaches.”
Govender said a recent Executive Committee report “failed to mention the high levels of dangerous bacteria found in the water” despite media reports that “almost fifteen beaches are polluted.”
She stated that independent testing conducted by the Durban University of Technology’s Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology found that “only a few beaches, including Umhlanga Lighthouse, North Beach, Golden Mile and uShaka, had safe E. coli levels.”
According to the DA, municipal samples from November 12 and November 26 also reflected “very high contamination across many beaches.”
Govender questioned how these beaches “could suddenly be declared safe, especially when the municipality only tests the water every two weeks.”
Govender said the DA “believes the municipality is misleading the public by ignoring evidence and hiding the real situation.”
The DA called for “urgent independent testing of all beaches, full public access to all municipal water quality data and clear, honest communication about the state of the coastline.”
Municipal infrastructure upgrades
During his briefing, Xaba also highlighted progress in restoring key infrastructure, including the reopening of the Ntuzuma Pump Station after a fire in 2023.
“Not only have we restored the station to its original state,” he said, “but we also invested R56 million in functional upgrades to improve reliability and performance.” Work included replacing 15 pump sets, all internal pipework and valves, and modernising telemetry, lighting and ventilation.
Xaba said the upgrades would provide “much-needed relief” to communities in the north, although some areas remain affected by “a lack of network infrastructure.” He also raised concern over theft and vandalism, saying it “undermines service delivery and delays progress.”
He addressed the ongoing wage-curve dispute involving municipal workers, thanking organised labour “for their commitment to resolving the matter amicably, without embarking on a strike that would have adversely affected service delivery.” Unresolved issues are scheduled for discussion in Council.
Xaba further confirmed that the DA has taken the municipality to court over the appointment of three Executive Directors.
He said the city “firmly believe[s] all due processes were followed” describing the legal action as “yet another attempt to destabilise the municipality and hinder its ability to build adequate capacity.”
He added that the municipality would “respect and fully cooperate with all court processes.”