CAPE TOWN – The Beach Hut Trust (BHT) has retrenched three operational staff positions as Muizenberg’s iconic beachfront refurbishment project enters its active phase, while the City of Cape Town moves to reassure the public about the future of the historic beach huts.
It confirmed that operational adjustments became necessary due to significantly reduced day-to-day activities during the rebuild period.
“The process has been handled formally and in line with the required procedures,” said BHT spokesperson Angela Gorman, who declined to discuss individual circumstances publicly, but emphasised the trust’s commitment to managing the transition responsibly.
City guarantees heritage preservation
Amid social media misinformation about the huts’ future, Deputy Mayor and Mayco member for Spatial Planning and environment Eddie Andrews provided categorical assurance that all eight existing beach huts will be replaced with identical new structures.
“We are absolutely committed to preserving the current look and feel of Muizenberg,” he said.
“As our residents do, the City loves these huts and acknowledges their significant heritage value. The new huts will match the historic design, colours and patterns exactly, maintaining the character that makes them iconic landmarks next to the Waves for Change and Shark Spotters buildings.
Three members of the trust will be retrenched while the huts undergo renovations.
People’s Post spoke with member Tony Manneveld, who shared his journey while managing the huts.
“We weren’t really informed of the retrenchments,” he pointed out.
“We just had a meeting with some ex-trustee earlier this month who said we’d run out of money and we could be paid only for one or two months, but we weren’t actually informed. We didn’t get any notices. It’s totally weird, suddenly money is gone, but we know there is money that we have assets.”
Manneveld said his three-year journey looking after the huts started on 11 December 2023.
“When the Mayor at the time gave the huts over the trust needed a manager, which was part of its contract. I started with nothing, no help for about a year. No materials, I had to do everything myself, but over time I’ve learnt the most important part I built up wasn’t the huts, but friendship and the people we met on the beach.”
In the midst of the retrenchments he said he was worried about his staff and also hoped to find work himself.
“We would appreciate it if anyone knows any job opportunities in the southern suburbs,” he said.
Technical necessity behind replacement
The huts require complete replacement rather than relocation due to technical constraints.
The upgraded promenade will be positioned approximately 2 m further inland to address climate change impacts, including rising sea levels and storm surges, while ensuring the new seawall doesn’t reduce beach width.
“Simply moving the existing huts is not feasible as they need to be dismantled, stored and reconstructed,” the City explained, “and they are likely to be damaged during this process. This replacement proposal was accepted during public consultation. The new huts will be strategically relocated to the central plaza, where they will serve dual purposes as heritage features and wind shelter for the central shower area.”
Community engagement continues
The two-year refurbishment project involves major public amenity upgrades and seawall replacement, implemented in phases.
The first phase commenced last week on Surfer’s Corner’s western side near the railway line.
A community-liaison meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 25 February, from 17:30 to 19:00 at The Lookout, Promenade Road, Zandvlei.
“I encourage local residents and business owners to attend,” Andrews said. “This is the ideal opportunity to stay updated and where concerns can be raised and addressed.”
Future planning
The Beach Hut Trust’s focus will shift to planning and preparing for the new structures’ future use while maintaining their core mission of preserving the huts for community and visitor enjoyment. Residents can access project updates through information boards at the beachfront, QR codes, or by emailing muizenberg@chand.co.za.
For more information email Tony Manneveld at tonymaneveld@gmail.com.
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