Beachgoers at Salt Rock, north of Durban, have complained about a commercial fisherman operating from their “busy swimming area” after he was displaced from his usual spot to make way for the construction of the R2bn Club Med resort. Kaas Versteijnen, who can no longer launch his boat Judah 2 from Tinley Manor, where the luxury resort will open in July, said he is trying to keep his livelihood afloat — but some locals are calling for his permit to use Salt Rock beach to be revoked. The permit was issued by the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE) after Club Med developers closed public access to Tinley Manor beach when construction began.
Versteijnen and the public could previously access the beach through privately owned land, but construction safety regulations no longer permit it. Wayne Duncan is one of many who have written to the authorities to complain the boat is launched. “Launching commercial boats in bathing areas is not safe.
There are many surfers [and] holidaymakers in the water and on the beach. There are no safety protocols in place … Bathers and surfers do not know what to do when a boat launches,” he said Versteijnen’s son, Inus, who is the boat’s skipper, said: “We were stressed for five months not knowing what was coming, with our launch site being taken away, having no income, watching the debt getting bigger and taking all the blows.
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This business supports 11 families, which involves the feeding of 56 people in total. We cannot afford to have more months of no fishing, and we ask the public to listen to the lifeguards and to my dad while he is navigating to get the boat safely on the beach and keep all the beachgoers safe. This is temporary until we can figure out what is going to happen with Tinley Manor “We cannot afford to have more months of no fishing, and we ask the public to listen to the lifeguards and to my dad while he is navigating to get the boat safely on the beach and keep all the beachgoers safe.
This is temporary until we can figure out what is going to happen with Tinley Manor.” The developer said the Tinley Manor site closed on February 20 after formal notification from the municipality. “Club Med South Africa, Collins Residential and Tinley Leisure have no involvement whatsoever in the operations, permissions or decision-making related to the launching of boats at Salt Rock beach. These are matters managed solely by the KwaDukuza municipality and its authorised environmental and coastal management officials,” it said.
“The beach itself remains open to the public, and access via routes outside the development area continues to be available. The closure relates strictly to movement across the construction site, where safe controlled passage can no longer be guaranteed.” KwaDukuza municipality spokesperson Sifiso Zulu said an exemption granted to Versteijnen by then minister of forestry, fisheries and environmentDion Georgewas signed on July 30 2025 and expires on July 31 2027. “In the opinion of the municipality, Salt Rock lifesaver beach is big enough to accommodate the exemption holder’s vessel, which cannot be accommodated by other listed public launch sites,” he said.
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