Durban - The coast is clear. No longer do cyclists, walkers, runners, skateboarders, Segway riders and others meet a mesh fence across the promenade between Blue Lagoon and uShaka Marine World. It’s one, long, seamless way of wavy brickwork stretching nearly 6.25km.
Although the fence in Sunkist came down last week, construction is still in progress at Blue Lagoon, making the traffic circle at the famous landmark the turnaround point.
There’s still more to come of age on the newly opened stretch. Pipes protruding from the ground in batches of three are rudimentary showers and irrigation water sprinkling behind walls of shade cloth will eventually become little green lungs.
Way on the other side of the promenade, at the Addington Beach parking lot, communities of cyclists, surfers, stand-up paddlers, joggers, dog walkers and surf skiers call in at Mark Levatt’s mobile coffee bar for refreshments.
The beachfront has given the former manufacturer a new lease on life since his New Germany exhaust factory went under when his sole customer let him down.
Needing something to earn him cash, he started his coffee outlet 18 months ago and has never looked back.
“In the factory the only people I saw were my staff and the only outsiders were reps.” Now he mixes with friendly customers, many of whom he knows by name.
“I have never been happier in business,” he says. “Once I am down here I forget that I had to get up at 3.45am to get here from Hillcrest.”
From near the coffee kiosk, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo joins me for a bike ride up the beachfront he is so proud of.
“With the beachfront as it is, people in Durban should all be healthy.”
He is on his blue mountain bike. The one he used in this year’s Tour Durban.
“I started riding two months before the COP17 (the 17th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) summit,” he tells me as we approach Wedge Beach.
“Now I ride at least once a week,” says Nxumalo.
My colleague, Sihle Mthembu, suddenly appears in front of us, darting around on a Segway on which he has travelled from Moses Mabhida Stadium. His weight on the two-wheel battery-charged machine is actually what has made it move.
“This is fun. I’ve made it to doing 25km/h,” he shouts to us, standing upright.
Segways are capable of reaching 36km/h. They cost R200 an hour to hire.
The mayor says the promenade makes Durban feel like Rio de Janeiro, his favourite city he has discovered on his travels. “Everybody is busy there on the beach, playing soccer.”
As Moses Mabhida Stadium looms, he turns to talking about his own love of “the beautiful game”.
“I played in many positions… I was one shoe that fitted all.”
He’s a Kaizer Chiefs fan, but a loyal Sharks supporter when it comes to rugby. He says he hopes the Sharks will one day make Moses Mabhida Stadium their home.
“We’re talking to them,” he says.
Cycling helmets can make it difficult to recognise people, but a crowd of people getting out of a car near Suncoast are quick to pick up that the cyclist passing them is the mayor. They cheer and wave.
Nxumalo hopes to take part in the next Pietermaritzburg to Durban Amashovashova cycle race. “Probably from Hillcrest,” to fit in with his busy schedule.
He is also encouraging council employees to cycle and talks of distributing 300 bicycles among them.
Beyond Sunkist Beach, there are fewer people on the most recently opened section of the promenade. The beaches are empty of people, but those who are there look interesting, like two women with their ankles in the surf flying a power kite. - Independent on Saturday