Cape Town - Kalk Bay restaurant Brass Bell may have again been accused of blocking access to public recreational spaces, but the police have confirmed that this isn’t true for an incident that occurred this week.
Locals took to the Kalk Bay Community page on Facebook to raise concerns about being unable to access the tidal pool, which is a public facility.
Vincent Fredericks complained of how “people of Kalk Bay have nowhere to go swim today as the police have closed the gate to public pool at the Brass Bell”.
Discriminatory comments quickly surfaced and reference was made to an incident at Clifton Beach on December 23, when private security firm Professional Protection Alternatives told people to leave the beach. The Kalk Bay incident occurred on Wednesday.
The city is investigating the Clifton incident and a parliamentary hearing into it is also planned. It had created an outcry in a country where apartheid had previously denied people of colour access to public beaches.
Cape Argus queries to the restaurant for clarity were directed to the owner, who is yet to reply. A staff member said “law enforcement gave instruction to close the public gate”.
This meant access to the tidal pool would have to be via the restaurant, making it seem as though the business had taken control of access to the public facility.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said they had closed the gate and told people to access the pool by walking through the tunnel from the Kalk Bay main road.
“That gate was closed to control the illegal consuming of alcohol on the beach. There was still access to Brass Bell via the main road and through the tunnel,” said Van Wyk.
“It was just visible policing and no crime or incident was reported on the beach.”
Facebook user Kate Wardle questioned on the Kalk Bay Community page why the restaurant was allowed to sell alcohol to people who could access the pool while locals were being searched for alcohol and denied access via the gate.
“The hypocrisy of selling alcohol in structures built on government land, while the land right next to it is policed, is too much for me at least check everyone next year. Not just at the gate,” said Wardle.
Teresa Joffin, meanwhile, alluded to Clifton Beach protests last month, which included sacrificing a sheep to apparently cleanse the beach of racism.
“Don’t be surprised when there is a slaughtering,” said Joffin.
Unfortunately, discriminatory comments also made their way into the online chat.
Nicholas Minnie said the gate was closed “because our friends from Lavender Hill, etc come flood the place and make a noise and steel (sic) patrons bags”.
Locals have, over the years, complained that Brass Bell has prohibited and limited access to the tidal pool, which it has repeatedly denied.