Naked rumpus upsets family

2005-01-03 11:33

Jo Prins

Johannesburg - A family from Westonaria on the West Rand was shocked when they were expelled from a resort in Limpopo over the weekend after they complained about nudity in one of the swimming pools.

Marie Ricci, 39, said on Sunday that she, her husband, Graham, 43, and their 17-year-old son were very tired after the three-hour trip home from Aventura's Forever Resort in Bela-Bela in the early hours of the morning - and that with a caravan.

"We arrived at the resort's caravan park on December 20 and enjoyed our time there very much. New Year's came and went without any drama."

Ricci said she and her husband went to the resort's spa bath shortly after 17:00 on Saturday.

Lifted out of water

"Just next to it (the spa bath) there is an indoor pool where a group of about 20 men were playing with a ball.

"Some of the men took off their swimming trunks and lifted each other out of the water. They then shouted at other people to have a look."

Ricci said she merely went to one of the resort's employees to ask whether they could not perhaps do something about this.

"They (the men) were asked to put their trunks back on. They probably realised that it was me who had complained, because they kept staring at me afterwards. I ignored this."

The group confronted Ricci's husband when he walked past the pool shortly after. "An elderly gentleman came to stand between my husband and the men and they shoved him!?"

When the resort's security personnel arrived on the scene, the argument flared up again.

A woman apparently told Ricci that she was racist.

"After things nearly came to blows between my son and some of the men, police escorted us out of the resort. The group of men were also asked to leave."

In a statement, Danny Kekana, resort manager, said that the resort had a responsibility towards its guests.

"We requested the police to intervene and the two groups of people were asked to leave the resort. We also ask that they direct complaints to us in writing so that the matter can be investigated further," Kekana said.

- Beeld