More than two months after the Port St Johns council resolved to employ five permanent lifeguards at its notorious Second Beach, the municipality is yet to advertise the posts.
Since the March council resolution at least five people have drowned at the beach, with the latest victim disappearing at sea on May 1. A fisherman is also feared to have drowned last Wednesday.
The two latest suspected drownings come after Port St Johns resident Samkelo Nokhamatye drowned over the Easter Weekend while two SA National Defence Force soldiers – Staff Sergeant Mncedisi Rudolf Mandyu and Private Themba Nelson Sithole, disappeared at the beach last month.
Nokhamatye’s body was found but there has been no trace of the other four men and the army recently officially declared Mandyu and Sithole missing at sea after searching for them for more than a week.
Port St Johns police spokesman Captain Mduduzi Godlwana confirmed the two latest incidents.
“Both men drowned – one last week on Wednesday and the other on Sunday. Their bodies have not been found yet. No case has been opened because they have not been found,” he said.
The small municipality has in the past come under fire from some of its former contracted lifeguards who accused it of not caring for bathers as it had been promising to permanently employ them since 2010.
Yesterday, PSJ mayor Phikolomzi Langa said it was equally frustrating for them as politicians when their decisions were not being implemented.
“There’s a drowning crisis because people like swimming at Second Beach with lifeguards or no lifeguards. As council we resolved to fill those critical posts and now it is more of an administrative issue.”
Langa said in the 2016-17 financial year starting in July, the town was hoping to increase its budget for lifeguards from R500000 to about R800000. The new budget would also see more lifeguards being employed, he said.
Municipal manager Ngamela Pakade said the advert for the five posts might be delayed at human resources or supply chain management because adverts “cost money”.
“I can assure you that I will check on the process and the advert will be out first thing next week on Monday or Tuesday because it cannot stall while there is a council resolution,” he said. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za