PICS & VIDEO: Sea exposes old Durban North shooting range

Durban — Heavy sea swells aided by strong winds led to the erosion of a sea dune in Durban North where the walls of an old shooting range - believed to be that of the Umgeni Estuary rifle range - were discovered.

Thick concrete walls leading to the beach and a railing with a turning wheel were recently uncovered by wave action near the Beachwood Mangrove Swamps area in Durban.

On a walkabout on Saturday, conservationist Lee D’Eathe saw it and brought it to the attention of the Daily News.

Mechanisms to hold targets were unearthed when a dune was eroded by the sea in Durban North. The mechanisms were from an old target practice range. Picture ZAINUL DAWOOD

After making some enquiries he had heard that South African Army soldiers, now re-named South African Defence Force (SANDF), had conducted shooting practice at the spot.

The wheel-and-metal structure, known as a pulley, was left completely exposed along with two concrete walls.

The concrete walls of what was an old shooting range were unearthed when a dune was eroded by the sea in Durban North. Picture ZAINUL DAWOOD

Ezemvelo Wildlife Protected Area Management Plan: Public Participation Report June 2013 stated that the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve covers an area of 76 hectares. The reserve was proclaimed in 1977 and the Mangrove Swamps were proclaimed as a National Monument in 1977. The report confirmed that Beachwood was used as a military base and had a shooting range.

Blogger Mark Esslemont wrote that the army had shooting parades at Umgeni Estuary rifle range.

“We shot bren guns, sten guns, R1s and .303s. In rifle butts, we manipulated targets, then listened to rounds hitting targets.”

Bevin Calvert wrote on Facebook that he used to walk to Beachwood Mangroves and play in the swamp.

“I would collect the brass bullets in the sand banks behind the target trenches and look for doppies on the 100 and 200-metre banks from where the SANDF soldiers fired from - after the red warning flags were taken down of course.”

The Blue Lagoon and the Beachwood Mangrove area sea sand movement is still settling after the April floods. The South African Weather Services reported that windy conditions prevailed over the western parts of the Western and Northern Cape with the wind along the Kwazulu-Natal coast having light south-westerly, otherwise moderate to fresh north-easterly, but strong south of Durban. Videos of high sea swells along the Durban coastline were shared on social media on Friday.

Daily News