A year’s worth of planning for a national lifesaving competition for about 2,000 nippers has been washed out, leaving hundreds of people furious and out of pocket.
Participants and their families flew into Durban for the 2024 DHL Lifesaving South African Nipper Championships scheduled to take place at Addington Beach from last Sunday to Wednesday, only to be told on Sunday morning that the event had been cancelled.
Competitors were told safety concerns over gale force winds, water quality and large swells meant the organisers, Lifesaving South Africa, had to cancel the ocean activities for children aged 8-14.
Angry parents who had forked out thousands accused Lifesaving South Africa of negligence in selecting Durban as the host venue in light of high E. coli levels, which forced beach closures, as well as a lack of contingency planning.
One Cape Town mother, who asked not to be named, said her daughter was “devastated” about not being able to participate.
“My daughter and the other kids were looking forward to it. Yes, the weather was indeed terrible and there were big trees and debris pushed by the storm to the sea. From our understanding, we were told that there was a problem with E. coli. The cancellation is like money going down the drain.
“The kids have been training the whole year for the competition and it's very disappointing. They didn't have any contingency plan and they decided to save money and not even consider taking the games to Ballito (north of Durban). It's very sad and frustrating.”
She said the trip cost her about R15,000, as she spent about R8,000 on flights, about R4,000 on accommodation plus a participation fee of R650, food and other expenses.
My daughter and the other kids were looking forward to it.
— Mother who asked not to be named.
Her daughter’s club has about 50 nippers, who went home without taking part in the championships.
Lifesaving South Africa general manager Helen Herbert said the decision to cancel the event was made in conjunction with the local organising committee, the safety committee and the eThekwini municipality, which had been monitoring the water quality of the beaches.
“Storm swells running off the tail end of the tropical storms moving from the Mozambique channel, fuelled by strong onshore winds gusting to over 40kmh, raised the wave action to sizes beyond the capabilities of children aged 8 to 14.
“It became apparent in the days leading to the Nipper championships that this would be far too hazardous, and the event could not be concluded. The heavy rains from the catchment area did bring lots of debris, posing safety risks and rendering the ocean events unsafe. We do believe that the city infrastructure, including the sewer system, is not what it should be, which contributed to effluent flowing onto the beach.”
Herbert said the cancellation was in line with the safety and sport rulings, and it was communicated at 6am on March 23, before the sewage spill was an issue.
Herbert said the beaches were closed on March 26 due to the Sharks Board not being able to inspect the shark nets due to heavy seas.
She said in the coming weeks, they would meet with stakeholders and conduct investigations, including private testing of the water.
Herbert didn't respond to queries as to why the competition was hosted in Durban among numerous challenges, or about a lack of an alternative beach option.
Another parent, who also asked not to be named, said Durban beaches were close to the Umgeni River mouth — which pushes debris into the ocean during heavy rains — and organisers should have had an alternative beach.
“Disappointment is the biggest thing for the kids who train all season for national champs, which is the culmination of the lifesaving competition calendar. It was heartbreaking for the U14 nippers, for whom this would have been the last nipper champs before they moved into juniors.
“There is lots of anger from parents about why it happened as there were concerns about Durban infrastructure and water quality for a long time in the lead-up to the champs. Lots of questions need to be answered, plus whether there will be refunds of entry fees,” said the parent.
A Cape Town club member said they were disappointed with the committee for failing to have a contingency plan.
He said there were infrastructure issues with Durban, which was why the championships had been hosted in Gqeberha for the past five years.
“Parents are fuming, and the kids are disappointed. It’s a huge setback to the sport. Parents spend so much money to get the equipment for the kids, and we as clubs also pay so much every year from our pockets, yet we don't get anything and we wonder where this money is going. The games should have gone back to PE or at least to the KZN south coast or north,” said another parent.
City spokesperson Gugu Sisilana also attributed the cancellation to the weather, citing unusually heavy rainfall, strong winds and high seas throughout the past weekend.
Sisilana said sewer infrastructure had been upgraded in the city and continuous repairs were undertaken if there was damage caused by adverse weather conditions.
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