Job losses loom for Muizenberg beach huts staff as financial constraints hit community

In a significant blow to the community, the Friends of the Muizenberg Huts revealed on Monday that all staff members will face retrenchment at the end of the month due to financial constraints.

Tony Maneveld, a representative of the organisation, shared a message of gratitude to the community, stating, "We have all been retrenched as there are no funds to pay us going forward. We would appreciate any job opportunities for full or part-time work in the Southern Suburbs," the message read.

Thinking back on great memories of meeting new people from all over the world and maintaining the cabins, Maneveld said it has been a bitter pill to swallow to accept the sudden retrenchment by the Trust. As the beach huts manager, he said it has not been easy keeping the huts afloat with no funding.

"I have come up with great ideas over three seasons but nothing has materialised because there is no money."

The city plans on relocating the beach huts to a nearby venue in March.

Maneveld was informed about the retrenchment over an informal conversation with a former trustee over pizza, who informed him that there is enough money for around two months of salaries. He said he wishes that things were different because not maintaining the huts will be detrimental to the state of the site, and break-ins and vandalism will not be addressed.

Lae Rhoda was employed as the assistant manager at the huts. She said she is equally concerned about what will happen to the facility over the next few months without cleaning, maintenance, and safeguarding.

"People will be able to take pictures but the huts will no longer be maintained without staff. People will break them down and get access to take or destroy everything," she said.

The popular heritage site is at the heart of Muizenberg and has drawn tourists for years. These iconic, Victorian-style "bathing boxes" are famous for their vibrant primary colours, bright reds, yellows, and blues, that stand in stark contrast against the white sands and the False Bay coastline.

Staff feel that their care and dedication to the upkeep of the huts has long gone unnoticed and unappreciated. Rhoda said she feels "disgusted" because of the way the retrenchment process was handled.

"It's so hard finding employment," she said.

The City of Cape Town in response to the issue of retrenchments said that they have "no control or involvement in the operations, including employees, appointments, salaries, etc of the non-profit organisation." 

Eddie Andrews, the City's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment said that the City intends to keep the same number of beach huts at the Muizenberg beachfront and manage "and maintain these through partnerships with NPOs such as Save the Beach Huts". 

"The Save the Beach Huts was informed about the plans and imminent relocation of the huts. According to the Memorandum of Agreement between the City and Save Our Beach Huts NPO, the NPO will maintain and manage the appropriate use of huts in the future." 

Andrews added that the option of leaving old huts in place was not acceptable, given safety and security risks."  

Maneveld said that they are currently going through a CCMA case with the Trust following the informal retrenchment with no notice period and notice pay. 

Attempts to get a response from The Beach Hut Trust were not successful. This story will be updated when the Trust responds.

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