Richards Bay Hall drunken mayhem
Beachgoers were forced to either navigate their way around litter and broken glass, or forego their day at the beach
THIS weekend was one of intense frustration for visitors to Richards Bay’s Bay Hall area as drunken rowdy groups ruined family time for those with children, and others’ quiet day at the beach.
The Meerensee CPF (Community Policing Forum) was called out to four such incidents on Saturday and one on Sunday, but noted the lack of visible policing from both SAPS and traffic officers.
‘We received several complaints this weekend from bathers who had to leave because people were having sex in public and becoming aggressive,’ said CPF patroller Corrie Pretorius.
‘The area that was cleaned by the community a few weeks back is now riddled with broken glass, and a lack of SAPS visibility and traffic officers is a major cause of concern.’
Apart from the unsightly mess of discarded alcohol bottles on the beach, in the sea and in the surrounding natural area, broken glass posed a major health and safety risk, especially for children running around barefoot.
PHOTOS: Corrie Pretorius
The fact that intoxicated revelers have little or no concern for others’ safety is also evident when they get into their cars and drive, posing a huge safety risk on the roads.
And that is not all. Engine revving, tyre squealing and the smell of burning rubber filled the air for residents living in close proximity to Alkantstrand Beach as the same revelers were allegedly spinning and doing doughnuts in the beach car park.
Richards Bay SAPS Spokesperson Captain Debbie Ferreira confirmed that no drunken driving arrests were made over the weekend, nor any such complaints reported.
She requested all members of the public, as well as chairmen of the local CPFs, to report all such incidents to the SAPS for follow-up.
City of uMhlathuze Communications Manager Mdu Ncalane was made aware of the issue but did not issue a statement regarding the perceived lack of traffic officers available to monitor the drink-driving issue.
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