Those of a certain age might remember Zibi, he of the zap it in Zibi can fame.
Where did that friendly, litter-guzzling ostrich go?
I’d suggest this flightless bird with the imposing beak be stationed at every beach on the coast, especially during the holiday season.
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His role could be two-fold.
For starters, he could act as a tourist attraction, with rides for those brave (and small) enough, a la what happens in Oudtshoorn.
As a kid I remember my sister having a go. I opted to stay put on the dusty sand.
Secondly, Zibi could be released to zap litter – or the litterer – should someone carelessly lob any non-biodegradable item onto our beaches.
Plastic pollution is already an issue worldwide.
It’s awful that our marine life has to suffer for our own convenience.
Look, I still prefer drinking from a plastic straw – I won’t deny that – but at least I’m responsible and my plastic goes into a recycling bin.
Tourism is the lifeblood of any coastal town in the world.
It’s especially the case for smaller towns like Scottburgh.
For this reason we simply cannot allow the beaches to be polluted with junk.
Social media is an incredibly powerful force these days.
That’s not going to change, in fact it’s likely to become even more influential.
This can be used for bad, and also for good.
But no potential tourist in a far-off province wants to see a beautiful beach cluttered with litter of all sorts.
This is litter that could easily be picked up by the beach-goers and/or fishermen themselves.
It should not necessarily have to fall to the municipality. But they still have a role to play, for sure.
Let’s keep it clean and give our visitors something to enjoy, something we can be proud of.
And if you’re a visiting litterer, just one thought: would you leave whatever you are tossing away in your lounge at home?
HAVE YOUR SAY
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