Thuli may be roped into nude beach row

THE public protector may be dragged into a KwaZulu-Natal community’s bid to strip the country’s first official nudist beach of its status.

The Concerned Citizens Group, which claims to represent thousands of residents in towns along the province’s South Coast, has resolved to lodge a complaint against the Hibiscus Coast Municipality.

But the South African National Naturist Association has laughed off the complaint, saying Thuli Madonsela has more pressing issues to deal with.

Last week, police, accompanied by members of the Concerned Citizens Group, arrived at Trafalgar Beach to arrest the naturists, who had come from all over South Africa for the unofficial opening of the naked beach.

Despite the threat of arrest and the presence of angry residents, the naturists hit the beach — and the waves — in the buff.

Municipal officials persuaded the police not to arrest the nudists.

The Rev Mike Effanga, who leads the concerned citizens, said its committee had “overwhelmingly” decided at a meeting this week that it would “seek the assistance of Madonsela”.

“We will be asking for the process to be examined as we believe it is flawed. We are confident the public protector will be able to access documents like minutes to meetings between the naturists and the municipality, which we were not part of,” he said.

Effanga describes himself on the internet as general overseer of Worldwide Gospel Ministries in California.

The objectors believe nudity will promote prostitution, sexual crimes and immorality.

Said Effanga: “Nothing prevents our youth from going to the beach and watching these naked people. We don’t have a problem with the naturists taking off their clothes, it’s the location where they choose to do this that is problematic.”

The 250m stretch of sand, which is part of the Mpenjati Nature Reserve, was officially declared a nudist beach by the municipality in November.

But the official opening has been delayed because of the residents’ concerns.

The chairman of the naturist association, Serge Pavlovic, said: “In our view, the municipality followed the process to a‘T’. I am surprised the municipality is giving attention to this complaint.

“[The objectors] have woken up in the 11th hour. I think they have been surprised by the decision of the council.”

Municipality spokesman Simon April said no formal notification of the group’s intention to approach the public protector had been received, and it was not known on what grounds the complaint would be made.

“We are confident our processes were legitimate.

“The problem here is that they don’t understand that they came after the decision was taken, saying they request the municipality to rescind the decision.”

April said the council had resolved to relax the relevant bylaws for Trafalgar Beach.

They don’t understand they came after the decision was taken