Run-down beach toilets draw the anger of anglers

Anglers are outraged that the dilapidated toilets along the beaches off Baden Powell Drive, which they regularly frequent, have been unusable for years, while the City has invested millions in the refurbishment of the Muizenberg beach huts.

Anglers are outraged that the dilapidated toilets along the beaches off Baden Powell Drive, which they regularly frequent, have been unusable for years, while the City has invested millions in the refurbishment of the Muizenberg beach huts.

Published Feb 11, 2022

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CAPE TOWN - Local anglers have expressed frustration over the dilapidated toilets along the beaches off Baden Powell Drive, which have been unusable for years.

This while the City has set aside R3 million on a project to restore and maintain Cape Town’s iconic Muizenberg huts.

The issue over the beach toilets has been ongoing for years.

In 2014, anglers protested against the lack of safety, council neglect and run-down facilities along the stretch of beaches, when then mayor Patricia De Lille visited the precinct to promote a beach safety campaign.

In 2019 the City committed to upgrading the coastal infrastructure at Fisherman’s Lane at Strandfontein on the False Bay coastline. The project was scheduled to be completed by November 2021, but it has not yet started.

Andre Arendse, an angler and resident of Bayview, said fixing and maintaining the ablution facilities was not only the City’s responsibility, but also about treating the residents of Cape Town with dignity.

“Where must my wife, mother and children go to use the bathroom?

“The beach is five minutes away from me. Why must I drive far to enjoy the beach and clean facilities?

“The thing is that all the other places along the Atlantic seaboard, along the Peninsula, West Coast have beach facilities, parking areas, toilets and security guards 24/7. Why is that not being done here? The only toilet available is at the Strandfontein pools with a single toilet.

“I feel terrible as a resident of this City that this is how we are treated.

“It is the City’s responsibility, it is their infrastructure, they must maintain it. If they must have security then so be it.”

Angler and activist Keith Blake added that while the Muizenberg huts were a tourist attraction, residents from the Cape Flats also deserved to be prioritised by the City.

“It is very unfair, going to the toilet is a necessity. Where I fish at Broken Roads, there are no dirt bins but Muizenberg has them. They also have the latest tractors and machines to clean up that beach.

“Everyone is a tourist whether you local or international. Everybody needs to be taken care off,” he said.

The City did not respond to questions about the toilet situation and any necessary remedial action.

“The City has received the enquiry and will respond in due course,” the City said on Thursday.

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