CAPE TOWN - Thousands of residents and holidaymakers flocked to Cape Town's beaches this Boxing Day, December 26, 2024, to soak up the sun and enjoy festive celebrations. Among these cheerful revelers was the City of Cape Town's innovative Identikidz program, aimed at enhancing safety for children during the holiday rush.
The Identikidz initiative yielded remarkable results, tagging 25,770 children over the holiday period. Alarmingly, 169 lost children were reunited with their families thanks to this proactive measure. Mayco Member for Community Services and Health Patricia van der Ross emphasized the importance of this program, highlighting, "The number of children tagged is an indication of how packed the beaches were. It is easy for young children to lose sight of where their family is located and get lost in the crowds. A number of the lost children in the past two days were not tagged."
Parents and caregivers were encouraged to utilize the service, which involves tagging children with identification wristbands containing family contact information. This measure provides additional reassurance during the busy holiday season when families gather at popular spots like Monwabisi, Strandfontein, and Strand beaches.
Some of the most crowded beaches recorded staggering attendance. Monwabisi Beach alone saw 3,005 visitors, with Strandfontein closely following with 3,264. Other notable beaches included Camps Bay and Muizenberg, each taking part in the Identikidz initiative for heightened child safety.
"Help us to keep your little ones safe. With more holidays and good weather coming up, I want to encourage parents and caregivers who visit the beach with small children to find the Identikidz registration desks and get their little ones tagged," van der Ross urged, emphasizing the program's effectiveness and assurance of confidentiality.
The warm weather and holiday spirit seemed to capture the essence of Cape Town's culture, with many families sharing personal stories. One beachgoer, Jenni Arendse from Mitchells Plain, shared, "It's family time, and we all spent time enjoying Christmas day, and we agreed we should all come to the beach today. We hired a taxi; it's me, my mother, siblings, cousins, and our children."
Beach safety remained a key focus beyond just the Identikidz initiative. Authorities established police presence at entrance points to monitor visitors and deter any illicit activities such as alcohol consumption, which is prohibited on South African beaches. Alderman JP Smith engaged the public by reminding them of the importance of abiding by laws meant to protect well-being, saying, "Alcohol may not be brought onto any beach – it’s the same law across the country. We are doing our best to protect everyone this time of year, but we need your help!"
Van der Ross reiterated the necessity of vigilance near water, noting, "Young children inevitably wander off or become confused by crowds, and Identikidz provides an extra layer of protection for our most vulnerable bathers. I encourage adults to keep an eye on the children in their care, especially when they are in or near the water. We should all take beach safety seriously."
This holiday season, Cape Town has seen the melding of joyful tradition and community responsibility as the Identikidz program continues to flourish, helping families enjoy fun-filled days at the beach without the underlying worry of losing sight of their little ones. With safety measures firmly established, residents and visitors alike made lasting memories under the sun together, promoting partnerships for child safety as the beach season progresses.
