Durban – While beaches around the country are closed as per lockdown 3 regulations, those living in the Northern Cape will still be able to catch a tan at their favourite beach.
According to Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the Northern Cape is the only province where beaches will remain open to the public.
Dlamini Zuma gave a detailed media briefing on Tuesday where she and ministers from the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) briefed the media on the new regulations following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on Monday night.
The regulation regarding beaches states: “Beaches that are open to the public in non-hotspots (i.e. Northern Cape) shall only be open between 06H00 and 19H00: and be monitored for compliance with all health protocols and social distancing measures.”
For those unfamiliar with the province, the Northern Cape has four beaches:
- Hondeklipbaai, about 530km from Cape Town, is situated in the Namakwa district and lies about 95km south-west of Springbok.
- Kleinzee, in the Namakwa region, is part of the Diamond Coast and situated close to the Namibian border. It is just over 600km from Cape Town.
- Alexander Bay beach is somewhat unusual. Alexander Bay itself isn’t perched on the coastline. Rather, it is on the banks of the Orange River, which opens into the Atlantic Ocean a few kilometres away from the town.
- The beaches of Port Nolloth (including the Blue Flag Beach of MacDougall’s Bay) are only about an hour’s drive away from Alexander Bay, while Cape Town is about 7 hours drive.
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