Cape Town’s beaches come alive in all its glory with the passing of winter months. It is highlighted as one of the leading tourist destinations in the country, particularly for its sandy-white beaches.

Even though it’s not tourism season yet, what was found at the beginning of October 2020, is up to 3,000 kilometers of Africa’s second-longest coastline without a single coastguard in sight. It doesn’t only raise concern for swimmers who are starting to enter the water more and more as the weather gets warmer, but it also brings many other problems. These include illegal fishing, smugglers, poachers, fleets, along with crime syndicates who are free to come ashore and go with ease. Criminals that engage in these activities will never get caught, which is a big problem, one that could negatively impact South Africa if it persists.

We Need Coast Guards

Due to the lockdown, as a result of Covid-19, which has lasted what felt like forever in South Africa, business owners and opportunists are looking for ways out of financial crises. During the lockdown, it has opened doors particularly for gold, diamond, cigarette smuggling, and even crimes as big as human trafficking, organ harvesting, forced labor, and sexual exploitation.

Needless to say, we need coast guards and fast too. Unpoliced seas provide a welcoming corridor for all South American, Asian, and West African imports of drugs. It doesn’t stop there. It also opens opportunities for rhino horn, ivory, lobster, and abalone smuggling.

The question is, apart from the implications of lockdown, how did we reach this point?

Well, the main reason is that, because we don’t see it happening in front of us, we don’t seem to care about it. Half of the country’s population lives on the coasts of the country or close to it. Due to the country requiring so many other resources, the government and federal justice system look the other way when it comes to crimes on the coast or at sea. It raises many concerns, including the depletion of the country’s fish stocks. As a result of corruption with the mismanagement of the local fishing industry, more investigations are required within our borders than outside it seems. One sure thing is that we need coast guards, particularly on the ports of each beach.