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By Marvin Charles, Sisonke Mlamla 
2h ago
Cape Town – The government’s move to enforce stricter closure measures, including the closure of some beaches in Covid-19 “hotspots,” has prompted prosecution politicians to complain, with legal action to stop what they described as an unconstitutional overreach.
On the first day of the new measures, the Garden Route beaches from Keurboomstrand to Witsand were deserted as bathers adhered to the new restrictions.
Garden Route District Township Mayor Memory Booysen (DA) said: “We are not satisfied with these regulations and we are challenging them with the Presidency. What we want is a bit of indulgence because why should we be treated differently than KwaZulu-Natal? We want at least people to spend time on the beach. This will have a devastating impact on the businesses surrounding the beaches and the lodging industry ”.
Booysen said the decision was “irrational.”
“They (the government) did not take into consideration the impact this will have and it does not make scientific sense. The public is very upset and they don’t know who to blame, ”he said.
In areas with the highest infection rate, beaches and public parks will be closed during the holiday season from December 16 to January 16, 2021, which applies to the entire Eastern Cape, as well as the Garden District. Route in the West Cape. In KwaZulu-Natal, beaches and public parks will be closed on what are traditionally the busiest days of the season. These days are December 16, 25, 26 and 31 and January 1, 2 and 3, 2021.
AfriForum together with The Great Brak River Business Forum and a guesthouse owner have filed an urgent court application in North Gauteng High Court in an attempt to get the Garden Route beaches to reopen during the holiday season. They want the court to rule that the regulation is invalid and unconstitutional.
AfrForum campaign manager Monique Taute said: “It is unconstitutional and discriminatory to close certain beaches given the enormous economic impact it will have on especially coastal towns, which have been suffering all year from the closure regulations. The December holiday is an opportunity to recover their economies to a certain extent and the closure of the beaches will bring immense and irreparable damage to the entrepreneurs of these towns ”.
According to AfriForum, limiting access to beaches, which are public property, amounts to restricting a basic human right.
In court documents, Great Brak River Business Forum President Wilhelm de Wet, guesthouse owner Louis Cook, and AfriForum argued that the decision to close the Garden Route beaches between December 16 and January 3 it was draconian and inconsiderate, and it was against the interest of thousands of people. of people employed in various sectors of the area. They argue in court documents that the decision will have a dire impact on the Garden Route region, saying that it is the seventh most popular tourist destination in South Africa and that businesses in the area rely on the holiday season to provide a financial blessing that is required to sustain their business.
Prime Minister Alan Winde also called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to reconsider closing the beaches along the Garden Route, “The decision to close the Garden Route beaches for the entire holiday season will deal a devastating blow to the economy of that district, which relies heavily on tourism. For survival. This will result in huge job losses and I am very concerned, ”Winde said.
DA leader John Steenhuisen has written to Ramaphosa and the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, asking them to justify on what basis the decision to close the beaches in the Garden Route district was made.
Steenhuisen said, “Such regulation will also be the final nail in the coffin of the Garden Route coastal economies, which are approaching total collapse. From the beginning it was very clear that the Western Cape did not want beach closures, nor did the province need them. The national government has blatantly ignored these requests. “
President’s spokesman Tyrone Seale told Cape Argus: “The Presidency is aware of the request and we will provide introductions to Mr. Steenhuisen.”
Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki Cele visited Cape Town’s beaches yesterday to ensure that bathers adhered to Covid-19 regulations.
Cele visited nine beaches: Strand, Macassar, Monwabisi, Mnandi, Strandfontein, Muizenberg, Camps Bay, Clifton, and Big Bay. Cele’s one-day visit to various beaches included inspection of operational deployments, as well as evaluation of compliance with closure regulations.
Cape Argus
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