After a resident from Paradise Beach reported a large hole in a parking area alongside the sea in Botha Road to the Kouga Municipality four months ago, the hole has continued to grow, placing motorists and pedestrians at risk.
A resident in the area, who would prefer to remain anonymous, said that there was originally a concrete ramp in the parking area in Botha Street allowing people to launch their boats into the sea. However, this ramp was damaged by high seas and then closed with sand.
To ensure that there was an outlet for rainwater, she said a pipe was placed along the parking area where the ramp was previously located, to allow the rainwater to travel into the sea.
After some time, she said that the pipe was washed away and there is currently no outlet for the rain.
“Since there is no outlet for the rain, we have seen pieces of the parking area eroding and being washed away,” she said.
She further indicated that when she visited the parking area earlier this year, she noticed that there was danger tape placed around a small hole in the parking area where the pipe had been, before it was washed away.
She said that the hole continued to enlarge, and resulted in what she refers to as a large “donga”.
Finally, on Thursday, March 9, the frustrated resident reported the donga to the municipality’s WhatsApp number, and attached a picture of the state of the parking area.
In the report she wrote “Botha Street, Paradise Beach, donga is getting bigger. Please do something about it as soon as possible (asap).”
Four months after sending multiple messages to the municipality, she said the donga has not been repaired.
“I have received reference numbers for my reports, but there has been no change and the only feedback that I have received is that my report has been sent to the relevant departments,” she said.
She said that she fears that soon the entire parking area will wash away, including the public toilets which are also located in the parking area.
She further said that she believes that some departments within the municipality do not care about the state of Paradise Beach.
She said that Johan Muller Boulevard has received the most attention, with regular maintenance being done on the road, while the rest of Paradise Beach has been left in a dire state.
She added that the repairs stop at Ann Avenue, which is a T-junction attached to Johan Muller Boulevard, and at Protea Boulevard which starts where Johan Muller Boulevard ends.
“What concerns me the most is that very few things get done properly in Paradise Beach, and the repair of the donga is one of them,” she said.
She further said that there is a lot more that needs to be done in the Paradise Beach area; however, the residents in the area would greatly appreciate it if the municipality could repair the donga in Botha Street.
According to Kouga executive mayor, Hattingh Bornman, the parking area in Botha Street acts as a stormwater channel when it rains and flows to a specific corner, or portion of the parking area.
He said that there was initially a stormwater outlet, which drained the stormwater off the parking surface and onto the beach; however, over time there was no place for the stormwater to drain to and in turn this eventually led to “overtopping” the area and eroding the structure holding it together.
“Due to the distance the parking area is from the shoreline an Environmental Impact Assessment is required to work on that area and rehabilitate it as soon as it is practicably possible,” said Bornman.
“The large hole is as much of a concern to the municipality as it is to the residents.”
