Bheki Mtolo champions Durban as the premier festive holiday spot in South Africa

Former ANC secretary in KwaZulu-Natal, Bheki Mtolo, has praised Durban as the best tourist destination in the country during festive seasons. 

This was while the police were out fighting crime and ensuring the safety of tourists from various parts of the country and foreigners who had come to enjoy the December holidays in the city.

Mtolo, a member of the provincial task team (PTT) appointed to replace the provincial executive committee, took to social media to tell South Africans to face the reality that the city can provide entertainment for holidaymakers. 

“Let us be honest, let us face reality, that if you and your family or your friends want a wonderful holiday, during the festive season or winter holiday, Durban rocks. 

“I am not from eThekwini or a resident of eThekwini, but eThekwini is the place to enjoy yourself,” said Mtolo in a video posted on TikTok.

He described the city’s warm beaches as “standing out”. 

“I think we must give Durban a Bell’s because it is the best and it is God-given, that even under immense attack, eThekwini is the most loved city in South Africa for the festive season and for holidays.”

He called on the city to be allowed to shine.

GoWithGuide rated Durban in May as the third most visited city in the country, after Cape Town and Johannesburg. 

However, Mtolo was convinced that eThekwini is the best city to provide entertainment during the holiday seasons.

“Over the past three years, I realised that eThekwini is the best choice for South Africans. Let us give eThekwini the trophy. It remains number one, and it remains the gold.”

The municipality had on December 18 posted a short statement on its website, saying that on December 16, which was the Reconciliation Day, the city was crime-free as an estimated 201,000 visitors enjoyed the beachfront, including more than 75,000 swimmers, “making this one of the busiest days in history”. 

The city had opened 22 beaches, which have been declared safe for swimming and recreational activities.

The eThekwini Mayor, Cyril Xaba, had said at the beginning of the holiday season that the city was expecting over 1.3 million visitors.

“Speaking during his walkabout along the beachfront, Mayor Xaba said he was satisfied with the high visibility of police patrolling entertainment areas across the city, with some officers deployed on horseback and bicycles,” read a statement on the city’s website.

During his walkabout at the beachfront with Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to engage with beachgoers, Premier Thami Ntuli expressed satisfaction with the work of the police. 

“We have even been briefed that the crime stats show some significant decrease, which is a good sign that the law enforcers are actually doing well to ensure the safety of our people in KwaZulu-Natal.

“We are worried about drugs and alcohol, which seem to be the major contributors to the number of crimes that we see. 

“We are also worried when it comes to sexual assault, as the stats are not good and there is no other way we can end this except that society resonates with our message that we all need to stand together and end gender-based violence in the province,” said Ntuli.

Ntuli said tourism had been wonderful in terms of contributing to the city’s economy. 

Mkhwanazi said the eThekwini Municipality was the main hub of police activities. 

“The final phase of our operation is going to run until the end of January, specifically for the festive season,” said Mkhwanazi. 

He said during the season, police were also hard at work dealing with pure criminality, including suspects who were killed during a shootout with police in Newlands, north of Durban. 

KwaZulu-Natal Transport Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma said that from December 1 to date, there were fewer recorded road accidents compared to the same period in 2024. 

He said in the 2025 festive season, there were 187 crashes and 207 fatalities compared to 2024’s 203 crashes and 237 fatalities. 

He said out of 131,005 cars stopped on the province's busy highways, 28,145 drivers were charged for a number of traffic regulations violations. 

“The operation focused on massive arrests for drunk driving. In this regard, from 15th August until this period, we arrested more than 2,900 motorists,” said Duma.

He said the province’s Road Traffic Inspectorate, together with the South African Police Service, the Home Affairs Immigration Unit, and the South African National Defence Force, planned to monitor the movement of 12.4 million province’s people, 1.4 million visitors from other provinces, and 34,000 international tourists. 

“We recorded more than 1,000 vehicles per hour through our tollgate before Christmas, an indication of an influx of tourists.

“Please note that final figures will be released after the end of the festive season period by the Minister of Transport, Barbra Creecy,” said Duma.

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