Could Gordon’s Bay Harbour be on a pathway to decline owing to mismanagement, as has been the case with Cape Town’s Hout Bay Harbour?
Some harbour users have expressed the view that if nothing is done now to address existing challenges, that could well be the case at some point.
This is the current situation with Hout Bay Harbour, once regarded as the top tourist destination in Cape Town. Infrastructure saw a significant decline, with buildings run-down due to vandalism, and the Department of Forestry and Fisheries (DFFE) was blamed for doing very little to address the problem.
According to a harbour user in Gordon’s Bay who asked not to be named, several allegations have been doing the rounds regarding happenings on the marina, which was donated to the DFFE as a gesture of goodwill from the Gordon’s Bay Yacht Club.
“Vagrants are allowed to live in the public toilets, on abandoned boats in the care of DFFE, the slipway machine building and in the derelict Harbour Lights restaurant building,” he said. “Drug dealing from the Harbour Lights building is a huge problem. It is an open secret that it is very difficult to arrange to have a boat hauled out on the slip without a bribe. These are just some of the worrying concerns.”
Incidentally, the Harbour Master was suspended amid allegations relating to the theft of diesel.
DFFE spokesperson Albi Modise confirmed to DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette that allegations were being investigated, but to date no criminal case has been opened.
“The department is busy with investigations related to the allegations raised and will be able to respond only when such investigations are completed,” he said, adding that an Acting Harbour Master had been appointed until further notice.
“The department is in the process of addressing security and maintenance issues in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure,” Modise said.
According to the harbour user there is a general view that the series of break-ins around the facility are a direct result of the mismanagement of the harbour by DFFE, including insufficient security, only some public cameras working, and zero use of the extremely expensive boom gate and parking system that was installed just over a year ago.
“Vagrant car guards living at the harbour offer their services instead,” said the user.
“The harbour’s silting-up is also an urgent issue threatening not only the yacht club – perhaps the biggest economic contributor to the harbour – but also the livelihood of the local fishing community.”
Modise responded that the challenge of silting in the harbour is being addressed as part of the maintenance interventions mentioned, and that all other issues raised by this newspaper are currently under investigation.
According to Clive Leibrandt, a commercial fisherman who regularly makes use of the harbour, a harbour committee was recently elected, and representatives of all harbour users meet monthly with relevant departments to address issues.
“There are definitely some challenges at the harbour, and particularly the issue of vagrancy,” he said. “I personally haven’t had a vessel broken into but there are some complaints. We’ve been focusing on reporting our issues to the committee where they are being addressed. The new [Acting] Harbour Master also seems to be acting to address our concerns so matters are in process.”
Gordon’s Bay Yacht Club (GBYC) commodore, Jana Loubser, said the Harbour Lights restaurant has been non-operational for more than three years now, and there are concerns that the building will be looted and plundered like the empty Sea Harvest building in Hout Bay.
“Crime is another challenge with boat owners on the mooring suffering huge losses from break-ins on their boats,” she said, “with close to 10 outboards been stolen off the boats since the beginning of the year. Commercial fishermen are also complaining about an increase of break-inns on the boats.”
Loubser added that dredging the harbour mouth has affected commercial fishermen, with damage to commercial fishing boats at close to R100 000 this year alone due to damage incurred when stuck in the harbour mouth.
“The yacht club has also suffered, as it’s difficult for visiting yachts to enter the harbour. Many members have left the yacht club to join other clubs as their sailing opportunities are limited by the closing of the harbour mouth. Several yachts from other clubs that normally participate have withdrawn from the Gaul regatta (GBYC’s signature event) due to limited access to the harbour due to the dredging.”
She said the harbour users committee has been trying to drive change in the harbour since last year. Meanwhile, GBYC agreed to vacate part of its moorings to create more space for commercial fishermen. The yacht club donated the existing infrastructure to the department so commercial fisherman would not have any delay in using the mooring space.
Said Loubser: “The new Harbour Master standing in for the suspended Harbour Master is very efficient. Many processes and procedures have been instituted since the appointment three weeks ago.
“Members of the Department of Public Works and DFFE came to address the issues with the harbour users committee, and it was a very successful meeting. The harbour users committee proposed to privatise the dredging, with the help of DFFE and Public Works, and is currently working on a proposal. At the meeting all the issues have been raised and action plans proposed.”
