eThekwini Municipality has issued a formal notice to the creators of a website spreading false claims about beach safety along KwaZulu-Natal's coastline, demanding that they take it down immediately.
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THE eThekwini Municipality has splashed cold water on a wave of misinformation after a website falsely claimed that all Durban beaches were “red-flagged” and unsafe to visit.
The claims, published on www.redflagbeach.com under the dramatic headline “Avoid these South African beaches,” are completely untrue and unsupported by any credible evidence such as official water-quality tests or crime statistics, reads a statement from the municipality.
The municipality has since issued a formal takedown notice to the Cape Town-based hosting company behind the site, demanding the immediate suspension of the domain. The website, hosted at IP address 104.21.16.4, contains misleading and damaging content that paints a false picture of the city’s coastline.
Far from harmless, the hoax poses a reputational risk to Durban, threatening tourism and undermining ongoing efforts to maintain world-class beach standards.
In its communication, the city emphasized the negative implications of publishing such misinformation, noting that it damages Durban’s image, discourages tourism, and misleads residents and visitors.
A section of the notice reads:
“Please advise your customer of the misinformation abuse logged. As a responsible service provider governed by relevant ISPA codes and regulations against hosting unlawful or false content, we expect this matter to be addressed within four days. The dissemination of this misinformation influences citizens and visitors to avoid beaches that are, in fact, safe and open as per official Municipal communication and verified water quality results.”
The city further stated that failure to comply will result in legal action against both the website owner and the hosting service provider.
Beach water quality tests are conducted bi-weekly, and the results determine whether beaches meet the required safety standards for public use.
If test results indicate elevated bacteria levels, the city stated that it implements precautionary closures immediately to protect public health.
"All updates are shared transparently on the city’s official website and social media platforms.
The municipality continues to work closely with uMngeni-uThukela Water and the Water Services Directorate to manage and improve water and sewerage infrastructure and to respond promptly to any pollution incidents," read the statement.
Official updates on beach status' can be found at www.durban.gov.za.