Identikidz bands are the accessory to keep kids safe at beaches this festive season

The Identikidz programme is coordinated by the City of Cape Town’s Community, Arts and Culture Development Department.

It is one of the most popular festive season safety interventions – last season 133 730 children were tagged over five priority weekends, with 302 children reunited with their loved ones, thanks to the programme.

While it remains the responsibility of parents and caretakers to ensure that their children are supervised at all times, the City understands that there is a risk of separation on a crowded beach.

The Identikidz bands, available on arrival at participating beaches, have a unique serial number matched to a registration sheet containing the contact details of a child’s caregiver. The programme further connects with organisations to assist with interventions in the event of neglected or lost children.

To ensure the safety of children while visiting the beach, CACD officials will:

• With the permission of parents or caretakers, register children and issue them with an identification tag/wristband
• Assist with the reunification of a lost or displaced child
• Work closely with the provincial Department of Social Development, the City’s enforcement agencies and the South African Police Service to ensure the safety and reunification of a lost or displaced child with their family

Bands are available at these beaches:

• Big Bay
• Sea Point and surrounding area
• Silwerstroom
• Camps Bay
• Lagoon Beach
• Melkbosstrand
• Milnerton Beach
• Maiden’s Cove (26 December & 1 January only)
• Gordon’s Bay
• Strand
• Monwabisi
• Harmony Park
• Mnandi
• Muizenberg
• Fish Hoek
• Strandfontein

The Identikidz programme will be implemented on the following dates, between 09:00 and 18:30:

• December: 14, 15, 16, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31
• January: 1, 4, 5, 11, 12

The  CACD Department will deploy 83 officials and close to 200 EPWP staff who will work closely with the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre.

’We are grateful to once again have the Identikidz programme available on the City’s beaches to ensure the safety of children. As parents, we should always remember that we have a responsibility to care for our children and not leave them unsupervised. Please also remember that beach safety rules apply and that beachgoers should only swim in demarcated areas where lifeguards are present. Let us all adhere to the rules and work together to ensure a safe and enjoyable festive season,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.

Residents can report an emergency by phoning the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 from a cell phone and 107 from a landline.