Nolwazi Jakavula, 35, was in a festive mood with her family as they slowly made their way to Port St Johns’ popular Second Beach, music blasting while they sat in holiday traffic.
The family thought nothing of the congestion until they noticed vehicles ahead of them being turned away. It was only when they reached the traffic officers that they realised access to the beach came at a cost.
“I have frequented the beach over the years and was never asked to pay. I was shocked when I learnt I had to pay R250 to access the beach. This is an unnecessary and unfair financial burden,” Jakavula said.
In response to growing complaints, the OR Tambo district municipality clarified the fee is a vehicle access permit for Port St Johns’ Second Beach and was introduced as a safety measure, not a tax on residents or visitors.
According to the municipality, the permit costs R250 per vehicle, is valid for the entire day and is not charged per person.
Payments are made exclusively at the municipal town hall to authorised municipal finance officials, with all revenue accruing to the municipality. No other individuals are permitted to collect money.
To strengthen safety, the municipality activated a joint operations committee and deployed lifeguards, traffic officers, security personnel, street patrollers and police members
— OR Tambo district municipality
“To strengthen safety, the municipality activated a joint operations committee and deployed lifeguards, traffic officers, security personnel, street patrollers and police members,” the municipality said.
It said festive season operations have led to the confiscation of prohibited weapons and illegal substances, highlighting the need for structured access control.
Second Beach has only 93 designated parking bays. Visitors who are unable or unwilling to pay are directed to a secured alternative parking area at the sports ground, where transport access and security are provided.
The municipality said hawkers are allowed to operate only in demarcated areas and must hold valid permits.
For the New Year period, additional personnel and expanded public works programme workers have been deployed to strengthen beach operations and maintain cleanliness.
“After the reopening of beaches after Covid-19, visitor numbers increased sharply, placing pressure on limited beach space, access roads and emergency routes,” the municipality said.
It said a serious safety incident in 2023 exposed the dangers of uncontrolled congestion, including delays that prevented emergency services from reaching the beach in time. In response, the municipality implemented a controlled access system to:
- manage traffic flow;
- prevent overcrowding; and
- ensure uninterrupted access for emergency services.
The municipality reaffirmed Port St Johns’ beaches remain public and accessible, stressing the vehicle permit is a temporary safety and crowd management measure introduced with the well-being of beachgoers, residents and emergency responders in mind.
TimesLIVE
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