Kouga Municipality to challenge closure of beaches in court
The Kouga Municipality has joined the Western Cape in challenging the decision by President Cyril Ramaphosa to close its beaches during the festive season.
The municipality’s mayor Horatio Hendricks says they will be approaching the Eastern Cape High Court on Monday.
"Our premier in the Eastern Cape took a unilateral decision to ask the minister to close all beaches and, as Kouga Municipality, we were not a party to that decision. We are a coastal town, and we are dependent on tourism. We would have loved a more nuanced approach like in KwaZulu-Natal, where beaches are closed down on public holidays and scrapping large gatherings.
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"Many people have now canceled their holidays to Kouga which means a big loss for business in the area. I just listened to someone who owns a hotel and was absolutely in tears because all her customers have canceled. What the president and the minister don't realise is that their decision was irrational and unreasonable," he adds.
