SA beaches swamped with people

It seems South Africans are itching to enjoy the lovely weather whenever there’s a spot of sunshine. A video of a packed Umdloti beach in KwaZulu-Natal did the rounds on social media, showing beach goers quickly fleeing the scene as authorities arrive.

eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Masiyela told News24 that the public should understand the rules and regulations are not an attempt by authorities to frustrate the public.

‘Government will not win alone, but it requires that people themselves play a meaningful role in assisting government and the City in flattening the curve of the spread,’ Masiyela said. ‘We are just appealing to the public to be responsible. If we continue with this behaviour, we are not going to turn the tide of the coronavirus.’

It is unclear whether any arrests were made. A local Facebook page, What’s on Durban, shared the video, saying: ‘We need to remember that the beaches are still closed – today the cops paid a local beach on the North Coast a little visit. There are mixed reports about arrests vs a “friendly warning and reminder”?

‘We need to hang tight for the next few weeks as the pandemic starts to peak in KZN and not get too complacent – if you are venturing out remember your hand sanitizers, masks and social distancing.’

Take a look:

In Cape Town, pictures of busy beaches were also posted by the page What’s on Cape Town. ‘Oh my gosh – it’s a beautiful day but we are still in the peak of an extremely serious pandemic??!! We need to fight and beat this together. Can’t get complacent,’ the page wrote.

Image credit: Facebook/Screenshot