Cape Town's world-famous Clifton Fourth Beach is set to be the scene of several protests and sit-ins over the coming days following the furore which erupted after beachgoers from mainly poor areas of the city were instructed to leave the beach earlier in the week.
The actions by private security company PPA sparked outrage, with many people drawing parallels between that and apartheid-era legislation and action which saw black people prohibited from frequenting beaches set aside for whites.
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town has denied any involvement in the incident.
On Thursday, the City of Cape issued a statement denying any involvement in the incident and accused the PPA of overstepping its mandate by forcing the closure of the beach.
The City reiterated that public amenities are available to all members of the public and that it will continue to work hard to ensure safe and good quality beaches for all the people of the city and visitors, as evidenced by the 10 Blue Flag beaches around the coastline.
The City's executive director for safety and security Richard Bosman said: "We note the statement issued by the company in question, PPA, indicating that they were operating on the authority of the City of Cape Town. The statement is inaccurate.
He says the City acted swiftly to address the conduct of PPA staff once they became aware of it.
Any person who feels that they have been threatened or intimated by PPA staff on the day in question, or at any other time, can lay a charge with the South African Police Service.
Alternatively, complaints about the conduct of the company can be directed to the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority."
- African News Agency (ANA)
