Durban is South Africa’s premier tourist destination with the most beautiful beaches but its facilities are not being maintained. Clinton Moodley, Siboniso Mngadi and Zimasa Matiwane went on a blitz survey and found broken showers, filthy toilets and plen
DURBAN may well be the warmest place to be but the poor state of the facilities along the Golden Mile before the school holidays start won’t leave a good impression on visitors.
A Sunday Tribune investigation has found that, on the 16 beaches along the promenade, many restrooms facilities were filthy and not being maintained and beach showers and taps were broken.
The July school holidays are a critical time for KwaZulu-Natal as thousands of upcountry visitors leave the cold behind for the coast’s temperate climate.
During last year’s winter holiday season (June to August) the province welcomed 1.8 million visitors and earned R2.9 billion in tourism revenue.
Our investigation found the most common problem for beachfront visitors was that there was no toilet paper.
Where toilet paper was available, people were not told where to find it, even when an attendant was present.
Attendants said toilet paper was stolen if it was left out and the dispensers damaged - which was why they dispensed it by hand - or kept it hidden.
Inside the restrooms taps were broken and most hand dryers were not working. There was rarely soap, bins were not always provided, some restrooms stank and many were not clean.
Two toilets on two separate beaches were filled with faeces.
With the influx of visitors also comes the need for beach showers, but almost half of the outside showers were not working.
The beaches were tidy, although visitors complained about broken glass in the sand. Beachgoers told the Sunday Tribune that Durban may claim to be a world class destination, but the beach facilities painted an entirely different picture.
Tino Soldairy, on holiday from Greece, who used the facilities at Wedge Beach, described his experience as “unpleasant”.
“The toilets were not clean, there was no soap to wash my hands and no toilet paper available. The smell was awful and I would definitely not use the facility again. I would rather use the toilets in my hotel room,” he said.
Sheldon van Staaden, from Cato Ridge, said he couldn’t find an outside shower that worked. He also said he had to