Disaster: Cape Town’s recreational inland water bodies have suffered months of closure this year. Picture: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach
The first inland water body to be closed this year was Zandvlei in Muizenberg on May 25. It was partly opened again on October 11 but closed 11 days later because of high bacterial counts caused by sewage. Brian Weber, commodore of the Milnerton Aquatic Club at Rietvlei, says up to 300 professional windsurfers and enthusiasts come to train on the vlei in summer, with some staying as long as three months. However, Weber says, pollution levels have led to many regular European visitors cancelling their plans in September and October.
But the club has not been able to re-employ the four employees who had to be laid off due to the lack of members using the club’s restaurant during the vlei’s closure, he says. Lack of work also resulted in the loss of the club’s bosun at the end of October, which meant neither its accredited sailing academy, nor the adaptive sailing programme for sailors with disabilities, could operate.
Simon Duffet, owner of The Brand Stable, says he had "zero sales" of windsurfing equipment between June and November, resulting in a 50% drop in gross turnover. Duffet says he’s had a few board sales since the vlei reopened, but only to locals. "There are no foreigners coming in. It’s hard to say what business is going to be like."
She says there are about 450 rowers across the clubs, bringing in about R1m in annual fees. Their development programmes are unable to operate, and the Zeekoe Vlei Yacht Club is also struggling to stay afloat.