Bookings for the Easter holidays have not been seriously affected by storm damage along KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) coastline, the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa) said on Thursday.
Fedhasa’s East Coast chairperson, Alan Vels, said: ”There has been no impact in Durban. In fact there seems to be a curiosity factor more than anything else.”
He said that there had been a few cancellations outside Durban and at a few bed and breakfasts in the worst affected resort of Ballito, north of Durban.
KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline was pounded by heavy surf on March 19, causing infrastructure damage estimated by Premier S’bu Ndebele at about R500-million.
The Daily News reported on Thursday that Ballito was ”still covered in a foul-smelling blanket of toxic sludge and raw sewage”.
The report said that the disaster-management officials of the KwaDukuza municipality ”have strict instructions to bar the public from Ballito’s beaches”, which are considered a major health hazard.
Three sewerage pump stations near Ballito were destroyed and another six were damaged.
Numerous beaches along the province’s coastline remain closed.
Vels said that while holidaymakers might find that the beach nearest them was closed, there were many more beaches.
Along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, several establishments reported that there had been numerous enquiries, but very few cancellations. — Sapa