Durban - While joggers and walkers have resumed their morning exercise routines along the Durban promenade, surfers are waiting to hear when they will be allowed back in the water.
For a second day now, surfers have taken to social media asking that they be allowed to surf once more.
Members of the close-knit surfing community in uMdloti, just north of Durban, said they also have businesses that are suffering as a result of the lockdown restrictions.
The surfing community in uMdloti are hoping that they will soon be allowed to surf.
Video: Facebook
Brent Badenhorst, said he and his wife can only work on level 1 and surfing was a stress reliever.
"It is an escape from this very scary reality. The fact that surfers were arrested for a quiet protest just shows how messed up with all is. I've seen videos of cops standing by as people loot," Badenhorst said.
Surfer, Francois Groenewald, said there was no reason for surfers not to surf during lockdown.
"As far as people commenting on the safety side of it and saying if you get into trouble rescue crew will need to be sent out to get you, as a surfer your surfboard floats and surfers look out for one another. The other thing is that if they do open up surfing they need to specify that it is for people who already know how to surf not for those who are learning to surf because the surfers learning to surf are the ones who would need rescue teams to save them or someone pushing them onto the waves which would then not be a good thing in terms of social distancing," he said.
Taking to social media, many expressed their disdain at not being allowed to surf. Meanwhile in Cape Town, two surfers were arrested for allegedly breaking disaster management regulations during a demonstration at Muizenberg beach yesterday.
They were among about 30 surfers at Muizenberg and 70 at Bloubergstrand who silently protested against beaches remaining closed during lockdown level 4.
Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country would downgrade to level 4 lockdown restrictions. According to Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, resident were given permission to jog, run or walk every morning between 6am and 9am, within a 5km radius from their homes from May 1.
On Saturday morning, eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said that the Durban beach promenade would be open to residents to exercise between 6am and 9am. The promenade was then sanitised and open to the public from Sunday.
There is no word yet on whether the city would allow surfing.