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Democratic Alliance leader, John Steenhuisen, said the party was disappointed by the ex tempora judgment in the Western Cape High Court regarding its bid to overrule the closure of beaches on the Garden Route.
He said they were “still deeply concerned” that the blanket closure of the Garden Route’s beaches over the festive season would have far-reaching and devastating consequences for local economies dependent on seasonal tourism.
“While we respect the judgment, we understand that this ruling remains a devastating blow to the thousands of small businesses along the Garden Route which are now at serious risk of collapse,” Steenhuisen said.
He said this problem would not go away once South Africa emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, and one could not ignore the risk to livelihoods which many lockdown restrictions present.
Meanwhile, Steenhuisen welcomed the amended hours of beach operation in the rest of the Western Cape which were changed from 9 am to 6 pm to 6 am to 7 pm.
