eThekwini Municipality has wished the City of Cape Town a “speedy recovery” following a wave of beach closures in recent weeks.
In a post on eThekwini Municipality's Facebook page, committee chairperson of Governance and Human Capital, Nkosenhle Madlala, remarked that running a metro was a complex task.
“We wish our colleagues in Cape Town well as they battle sewer spillages in some of their beaches. Running a Metro is a complex task fraught with many challenges, even if you have been sparred (sic) from the devastating floods experienced in April last year. We wish them (a) speedy recovery,” Madlala said.
On Wednesday, the City of Cape Town announced the reopening of the Strand and Blaauwberg beaches after both were closed because of sewage-related issues.
“The Deep Blue section of Strand beach was closed due to an electrical fault at the pump station, but the issue has since been resolved. Small Bay was closed due to a damaged sewer pipe. The damaged pipe section was isolated inside the manhole. Sewer flow is being diverted by means of a mobile pump that is running 24 hours. Spillage on to the beach is contained. Repairs to the damaged section will be resolved depending on the tide timetable,” it said.
Meanwhile, the main bathing area at Fish Hoek Beach between the lifeguard station and Jager Walk remains closed until further notice.
“City Health will continue to take water samples for water quality testing until such time as the levels are within the minimum requirement for recreational activities as determined by the National Water Quality Guidelines,” the City of Cape Town said.
Durban beaches have been grappling with sewage issues since last year, with several beaches being opened, then closed and then opened and closed again before being opened for swimming once again over the festive season.
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