Outrage over beach closures
Readers point out the difficulty of ensuring that no one takes a walk by the sea during the festive season
In his address to the nation last week, president Cyril Ramaphosa said that all beaches will be closed to the public over the festive season, accompanied with restrictions on the sale of alcohol.
These were necessary to combat the spike in Covid-19 infections in the area.
However, this has been met with outrage from nearly all sides.
The Democratic Alliance has called the decision “draconian ” saying that it will “decimate the province ’ s fragile tourism industry that is already on the brink of collapse”.
“Businesses who were hoping that the December holiday break would bring a much-needed cash injection after the disastrous first round of lockdown measures are in despair. Cancellations have already begun streaming in, as visitors take their business elsewhere,” said DA shadow MEC for economic development, environmental affairs and tourism Jane Cowley.
DA EC provincial chairperson Andrew Whitfield said the party supported efforts by the Kouga municipality to seek urgent relief from the EC High Court regarding the closure.
“The DA in the Eastern Cape is of the firm belief that the national government ’ s blanket closure of all Eastern Cape beaches has been imposed unjustly, and that it has already had a devastating impact on the province’s fragile tourism sector,” said Whitfield.
Afriforum has also hit out at the government over the decision and has jointly filed with Great Brak River Business Forum (GBRBF) in the North Gauteng High Court.
As reported by the Daily Dispatch ('Afriforum goes to court over beach ban', December 17), the NGO argued that the closure of beaches restricted basic human rights.
“It is unconstitutional and discriminatory to close certain beaches given the enormous economic impact that it will have on especially coastal towns, that have been suffering the whole year due to the lockdown regulations,” said AfriForum’s head of campaigns Monique Taute.
“The December holiday is an opportunity to recover their economies to an extent and the closing of the beaches will lead to immense, irreparable damage for the businesspeople of these towns.
“To visit the beach is a form of recreation that takes place outdoors and people are exposed to the sun that contributes to a healthier immune system. The alternative is that people will turn to places like shopping centres and restaurants that hold a much higher risk of spreading the virus.”
The GO! & Express asked its readers on Facebook what they thought about the closure of beaches and the response was overwhelmingly negative.
Many pointed to the difficulty of ensuring that no one used beaches during the festive season, while others argued that certain activities – such as exercising – should still be allowed since they allow for greater social distancing.
For its part, BCM has said that it welcomes the decision and had already taken the step to close all public facilities, halls and swimming pools.
“The National Command Council’s decision is now forcing us to close all the beaches in the East London coastal area.
“We have since put barricades on all the entry roads,” the municipality said in a statement.