Will the Western Cape also be told to close its beaches over Christmas?

We hope you’re well prepared for the ‘family meeting’ tonight – because it’s not going to be an easy one to get through. President Ramaphosa is likely to introduce a number of tighter lockdown laws across South Africa – and our beaches are set to be targeted in this round of Christmas restrictions. However, the Western Cape is hoping for light relief.

Beach closures for Christmas – who will be affected?

On Monday evening, Cyril is set to read us the riot act. Cases are soaring, people are acting irresponsibly, and we are heading into a very busy festive season. It’s a dangerous cocktail, and the government believes that beach gatherings are amongst the lethal elements. But what positions have been taken by provincial leaders?

• The Eastern Cape has taken the first step and asked for permission to close all beaches to the public on Sunday.
• KZN is highly likely to follow suit, after discussions about closing popular spots for beachgoers were held last week.
• The Western Cape remains a grey area, however. No official position has been shared by the provincial government.

Will the Western Cape be told to close its beaches?

We do know, however, that Premier Alan Winde is incredibly keen to avoid implementing strict lockdown measures. He was buoyed by data which suggests the Garden Route – one of the worst hot-spots in South Africa – had seen cases plateau towards the end of last week. But can the province hold firm in the face of a pandemic resurgence?

What we are likely to see – based on discussions held before the weekend – is the implementation of stricter lockdown rules in the worst-affected regions of the Western Cape. This could see only a handful of beaches closed in ‘hot-spot areas’.

It’s also possible that Cyril Ramaphosa, during his address to the nation on Monday evening, could impose a ‘blanket ban’.

Ramaphosa may tell Western Cape to ‘fall in line’

Should new national restrictions be imposed, the Western Cape would be powerless to prevent beach closures over Christmas. The local government is essentially at the mercy of the president, who could decide to target more regional restrictions – or revert to the ‘blunt instrument‘ of sweeping changes at a country-wide level.

We understand that authorities in the Western Cape are putting up more resistance than those in other provinces – and Winde has spent the best part of a month lobbying against ‘business-killing’ regulations. But with South Africa entering its second wave of COVID-19 infections, there’s no guarantee the south-west will be allowed to keep its beaches open.

One thing the provincial and national governments do seem to agree on is that mass gatherings need to be controlled. We are expecting measures to be introduced tonight, which limit the amount of people who can assemble in one place. Even if the Western Cape can keep its beaches open, tighter controls will be expected at many popular destinations.