Saldanha Bay Municipality defends beachfront access pass

Saldanha Beach restrictions in spotlight. Picture: Cape Argus

Saldanha Beach restrictions in spotlight. Picture: Cape Argus

Published Dec 20, 2016

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Cape Town - While the Saldanha Bay Municipality has denied “apartheid-style” controlled access to its pristine Beach Road beachfront, it will not revoke the much-criticised access passes handed to residents who live in the affluent part of town.

The DA-run municipality said it would continue to cordon off the road during the festive season when parking bays at the beach are full.

The municipality has defended the measures which have deemed as “totally unacceptable” by ANC West Coast Region spokesperson Sammy Claasen. He said the access passes were reminiscent of the restrictive law enforcement tactics of apartheid South Africa.

A resident, William Mugal, who has been living in Saldanha since the 1980’s, claimed it was the first time he had seen restrictions of this kind while another local, Maxwell Moss, said he was probably the “only black person that stays there” to receive a beach access card.

Claasen said the strict measures were “certainly not in the public interest” and called the road closures “unnecessary”.

Municipality spokesperson Ethne Julius, however, said: “We will still cordon off the road, simply because we can’t allow hundreds of cars in because when the parking bays are full, you’d find situations where other motorists are parked in or that people would park on residents’ driveways.

“Residents will still have their access passes with them to access the road when it’s closed,” she said.

“Saldanha and Paternoster were identified as high priority beach areas with regard to the increase in visitors over the festive period. For the last three years, similar measures were put in place in Saldanha and Paternoster on public holidays”.

The municipality denied the ANC’s allegations that the measures were racist.

“They (the municipality) now find themselves in an embarrassing situation because they never consulted the broader community because what they conveniently forgot is that there are coloured people who also live on the beachfront,” Claasen said.

Resident Suritha du Plessis – who took to Facebook – defended the municipality.

“The Saldanha Bay Municipality acted on a request from the ward committee and residents of Ward 5 to enforce stricter control in Beach Road it is to control vehicles, alcohol, etc, (and) for everybody’s safety, comfort and protection.”

Cape Argus

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