Large numbers of businesses in eThekwini on South Africa’s eastern seaboard – which includes the port city of Durban – rely heavily on tourism. It’s a popular holiday destination, only six hours by road from Johannesburg. Millions of people living inland head to the warm coastline over the country’s extended December/January school holiday break. But maybe not this year. As Anja du Plessis explains, many of the beaches along the Durban coastline aren’t safe to swim in. She explains what’s happened, and why.
What’s the state of the beaches on the eThekwini seafront?
The city’s beaches are facing an ongoing sewage crisis. Many have been closed along the Durban coastline.
From recorded water quality results, it is quite clear that most of the eThekwini municipality beaches are currently not safe for public and recreational activities.
Most beaches have critical levels of Escherichia coli. (E. coli). This is a bacteria found in the intestines of
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