- After months of restoration, the iconic Muizenberg Beach huts are officially open to the public in time for a bumper festive season.
- On Tuesday 12 December, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and City officials visited the site to mark the completion of the R5,9 million project which began on Monday 18 September.
- The final project phase entailed the refurbishment of 26 double huts and 10 single huts on the Muizenberg Beach east side. The huts will now be rented out to beachgoers for R150 a day.
After months of restoration, the iconic Muizenberg Beach huts are officially open to the public in time for a bumper festive season.
On Tuesday 12 December, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and City officials visited the site to mark the completion of the R5,9 million project which began on Monday 18 September.
The final project phase entailed the refurbishment of 26 double huts and 10 single huts on the Muizenberg Beach east side. The huts will now be rented out to beachgoers for R150 a day.
“Seeing (how much) these iconic Cape Town symbols, known almost as famously as our mountain and photographed millions of times over the decades, had fallen into disrepair, it really spoke to my heart,” said Hill-Lewis.
“It was wonderful to see the completed restoration of the Muizenberg huts just in time for what will be a record festive tourism season,” he added.
Hill-Lewis further thanked Friends of the Muizenberg Huts for their partnership to preserve one of Cape Town’s tourism icons.
“As an important symbol of building the city of hope in Cape Town, we could not allow something so important to our city, so iconic and integral to all of our childhoods . . . I know every one of us spent our childhoods at this very beach . . . to fall apart.”
Angela Gorman, from Friends of the Muizenberg Huts (a community organisation), said it had been a long three-year journey of ups and downs.
“It has been a very long journey and I am so excited. Pick n Pay was our first supporter who came on board, then we had setbacks and it had been up and down, to finally having the City buy into today.”
She explained that quality materials were used for the restoration of the huts,
“I’ve watched the build from start to finish, seen the builders and watched what they have done. The quality is amazing and we as a community have to protect it.
“They used Nutec, which is composite fibre. It is mildew proof, flame retardant and will withstand weather much better.”
Plagued by vandalism throughout the years, Gorman pointed out that the preservation of the huts is every person’s responsibility.
“We are going to put signs up, so if people see anything untoward happening to the beach huts they must report it immediately.
“These are our huts now. The City has given it to us as a community to take care of and we need to do that very well.”
She invited families and friends to take advantage of the opportunity to rent a beach hut for the day.
“Families can rent a hut for a day.
“So if a new mom wants to come to the beach with the kids, she can come sit inside the hut . . . feed the baby and keep sandwiches or anything else cool.
“They will have the hut for the day, granny can come and won’t have too far to walk to the water.”
Meanwhile, the full restoration of all the huts at Muizenberg Beach is yet to be completed as eight huts near Surfers Corner are still in disrepair. Gorman explained: “Those beach huts still need to be replaced and we need to raise funds to replace them because it hasn’t come out of this budget.
“Community, please pull together and let’s preserve our huts.”
Ward 64 Councillor Aimee Kuhl described the huts as a symbol of diversity.
“The iconic bathing boxes are a beacon of hope and stand proudly as colourful symbols of true South African diversity. Muizenberg Beach is enjoyed by locals and international visitors all year round.
“A huge thank you to save our Beach Huts for their stellar active citizenship in making sure this landmark is maintained for many generations to come.”
