By Charmaine Ndlela
eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba says Durban is fully prepared for the Easter holidays, with beaches open, safety plans in place, and tourism activities lined up as the city readies for a major influx of visitors.
Speaking during a media briefing on Sunday, Xaba said the municipality had implemented a comprehensive plan to ensure a safe and memorable holiday period.
“As a city, we are ready to receive thousands of local and international visitors who will be descending on our shores,” Xaba said.
“We want to assure our visitors that we have put in place a comprehensive plan to guarantee their safety on the roads, beaches, and at other places of entertainment.”
The city said it is expecting a similar trend to the 2025 festive season over the Easter weekend, with projections indicating that more than 1.2 million visitors could descend on Durban, injecting a direct spend of about R2.65 billion into the local economy.
Average accommodation occupancy is expected to be 62%, while the creation of employment opportunities is estimated at 16,000.
“It is important to indicate that the Easter holidays come at a particularly exciting time for our city, as we have recently been ranked among the world’s top destinations by Time Out Worldwide,” Xaba said.
“In its recently released list of The Best Places to Travel in 2026, Durban secured an impressive 14th position out of 100 global cities.”
He said the ranking reflected the work being done with the private sector to maintain and expand tourism infrastructure in the city.
“This achievement tells a compelling story about the work we are doing, in collaboration with the private sector, to maintain and expand tourism infrastructure in the city,” he said.
“Our main goal is to ensure that when visitors come to Durban, they stay longer and spend their money here.”
Xaba said visitors could look forward to a vibrant line-up of events and activities during Easter, while families would also have access to holiday programmes for children at uShaka Marine Theme Park, Mitchell Park Zoo and the Durban Botanic Gardens.
“These programmes are designed to keep young minds active, entertained, and engaged during the school holidays,” he said.
More than 1,000 officers will be on duty across the municipality throughout the holiday period, patrolling streets, beaches and places of entertainment around the clock, he said.
“As a city, we have pulled out all the stops to ensure high police visibility,” Xaba said.
He said road safety enforcement would also be stepped up.
“We have increased patrols on freeways to address jaywalking by pedestrians. Over 20 multidisciplinary roadblocks will be conducted during this period, focusing on all forms of crime, including drinking and driving.”
Xaba said all 23 bathing beaches were open and safe for swimming.
“This is a testament to the investment we continue to make in repairing and upgrading sanitation infrastructure.”
The municipality will deploy 200 lifeguards daily from 6am to 6pm.
“We urge beachgoers to cooperate with lifeguards by swimming in designated areas and avoiding swimming under the influence of alcohol,” he said.
Xaba said water quality monitoring would also be intensified during the holiday period.
“Under normal circumstances, testing is conducted every two weeks. However, during the holiday period, we increase the frequency to once a week to leave nothing to chance,” he said.
He also sought to reassure residents and visitors about water supply over the Easter period, saying the planned Southern Aqueduct shutdown would not disrupt holiday plans.
“As a city, we want to assure our visitors and residents of a stable and reliable water supply during this period,” Xaba said.
“The planned shutdown of the Southern Aqueduct, which will take place from tomorrow until Tuesday morning for pipeline upgrades, will not adversely affect our Easter holiday plans.”
He said inflows to the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works had returned to normal levels following repairs to the control valve on the Nagle Dam aqueduct system.
“Currently, inflows at the treatment works stand at 625 megalitres per day, with outflows at 580 megalitres per day. This means that most areas supplied by Durban Heights have fully recovered,” he said.
“We therefore assure residents and visitors of uninterrupted water supply during this period and beyond.”
On housing for flood victims, Xaba said 113 houses in Cornubia would be completed by the end of April, allowing relocations to begin.
“I am pleased to share with you that, by the end of April, we will begin relocating families, as 113 houses in Cornubia will have been completed,” he said.
“These houses form part of the first phase of 1,200 units scheduled for completion by the end of this year.”
He added that progress was also being made at Montclair Lodge, where 500 units are being refurbished, with more than 300 rooms expected to be completed by May.
“I am confident that by the end of June, we will have made significant strides in this regard,” he said.
Xaba said the city’s proposed R74.6 billion budget for the 2026/2027 financial year was aimed at improving services and supporting economic growth.
“The proposed budget of R74.6 billion is focused on accelerating service delivery and growing the city’s economy through extensive investment in bulk electricity, water, and sanitation infrastructure,” he said.
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