Merely months after the refurbishment of Muizenberg Beach huts and there are already signs of vandalism.
Beachgoers noticed with disappointment the scribbling at the side of one of the huts last week.
In a social media post, one resident questioned why the newly built huts were vandalised.
“Waited a while for the huts to be completed at Muizenberg, and finally today I get the chance to visit and see the finished product.
“Unfortunately, some silly kids beat me to it and left their mark.
“I am going to share this post far and wide over Cape town in the hope that these children’s parents see the reason why we can’t have anything decent in this City.”
Commenting on the post, another resident wrote that it was also disappointing to see the (type of) activities in around the huts.
“I was also there today and was disappointed at some of the ‘activity’ in and around the bathing boxes.
“The boxes won’t last long unless there is somebody policing them daily. Sad situation.”
Another post read: “You’ll never stop destructive people, you can only try to slow them down.”
Angela Gorman, founder of the Beach Hut Trust, told the People’s Post that they are in the process of appointing a maintenance team to rectify any graffiti found on the new huts.
“It is an issue with one of the huts that has been refurbished and we are in the process of appointing a team as a maintenance team to paint over and rectify it.”
She added that graffiti on the walls is not the only issue as some people leave the huts filthy with the most recent discovery being feaces.
“We tried recently to do a fund-raising video in one of the new huts but when we opened it we found poo in the hut.
“It’s like we take 20 steps forward and then its 20 steps back.”
Earlier this year, the City of Cape Town allocated R3m towards the repair and refurbishment of the Muizenberg beach huts which included the lifeguard hut.
However, the refurbishment of the rest of the huts will be through fundraising efforts.
“They (the city) completely renovated the life savers’ hut and the lighting and we are doing the rest.”
Currently the “buy a plank and save a hut” campaign is continuing as the Beach Hut Trust aims to raise enough funds to restore all the beach huts to their former glory.
“We have 21 huts and need around R100 000 per hut. This is a tourist attraction and tourists come here specially to see the huts,” said Gorman.
On Sunday 20 November, Watershed will be holding a fundraising concert that will go towards restoring a hut.
The concert will take place on the lawn at Tryn At Steenberg between 17:00 and 19:00 and everyone is invited.
