Port St Johns (PSJ) Municipality is again under fire from its lifeguards, who accuse the coastal council of not caring about bathers as it has been promising since 2010 to employ them permanently.
The number of lifeguards at the town’s nine beaches had decreased from 46 to 17 over the years, they said, in the wake of the latest ocean deaths – two SANDF soldiers, who drowned at the world-famous – and notorious – Second Beach last weekend.
Wild Coast lifeguards assessor Patrick Qwalana this week said tourism would take a beating if bathers continued drowning with no one to protect them at the beaches.
“People are hired to look after tourists’ cars and pick up papers in town – but what about the people who make sure they are safe when they are in the water?
He said there were no lifeguards at work over the Easter weekend.
“We are also in danger of shark attacks,” he said. “It is not easy to save someone from drowning here.”
Former lifeguard supervisor Siphosoxolo Njiva laid into the municipality, saying it did not value people’s lives, and it had exploited the lifeguards for too long.
Njiva’s brother drowned at Second Beach last month.
He said they had decided to work over the festive season due to the scores of people who visited the town.
“Port St Johns is our town and we love it. Second Beach is a very dangerous beach and people are dying while they is making the same old promises,” he said.
Former lifeguard and Chaguba Communal Property Association chairman Yekani Maninjwa also accused the municipality of not caring.
Maninjwa said in his 25 years as a lifeguard “too many” people had drowned.
Had there been lifeguards at the beach at the weekend, the two soldiers might have been saved, he said. PSJ mayor Phikolomzi Langa said their staff organogram made provision for only five lifeguards and they were busy finalising the advertisement. for the posts.
SANDF spokesman Brigadier-General Xolani Mabanda could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The National Sea Rescue Institute did not know whether the two soldiers had been found. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za
Outcry after Port St Johns drownings
The number of lifeguards at the town’s nine beaches had decreased from 46 to 17 over the years, they said, in the wake of the latest ocean deaths – two SANDF soldiers, who drowned at the world-famous – and notorious – Second Beach last weekend.
Wild Coast lifeguards assessor Patrick Qwalana this week said tourism would take a beating if bathers continued drowning with no one to protect them at the beaches.
“People are hired to look after tourists’ cars and pick up papers in town – but what about the people who make sure they are safe when they are in the water?
He said there were no lifeguards at work over the Easter weekend.
“We are also in danger of shark attacks,” he said. “It is not easy to save someone from drowning here.”
Former lifeguard supervisor Siphosoxolo Njiva laid into the municipality, saying it did not value people’s lives, and it had exploited the lifeguards for too long.
Njiva’s brother drowned at Second Beach last month.
He said they had decided to work over the festive season due to the scores of people who visited the town.
“Port St Johns is our town and we love it. Second Beach is a very dangerous beach and people are dying while they is making the same old promises,” he said.
Former lifeguard and Chaguba Communal Property Association chairman Yekani Maninjwa also accused the municipality of not caring.
Maninjwa said in his 25 years as a lifeguard “too many” people had drowned.
Had there been lifeguards at the beach at the weekend, the two soldiers might have been saved, he said. PSJ mayor Phikolomzi Langa said their staff organogram made provision for only five lifeguards and they were busy finalising the advertisement. for the posts.
SANDF spokesman Brigadier-General Xolani Mabanda could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The National Sea Rescue Institute did not know whether the two soldiers had been found. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za
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