Beaches in the Eastern Cape, Garden Route and KwaZulu-Natal will remain closed over key dates during the peak holiday period, after a court ruling.

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday ruled against the motion to have the government's Covid-19 regulation regarding beaches declared unconstitutional, said AfriForum, which had argued that the rule infringed on basic human rights.

This regulation stipulates that all beaches in the Eastern Cape, as well as on the Garden Route, will be closed from December 16 to January 3. It also stipulates that all beaches in KwaZulu-Natal will be closed on December 16, 25, 26 and 31, and from January 1-3.

The court found that the government’s decision to close beaches was valid, said Daniël Eloff, AfriForum’s legal representative.

The ruling comes after the DA on Tuesday lost its court challenge against the Garden Route beach ban.

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