DEAR Editor,-
The fact that the writer grew up on the South Coast and now has a holiday home in Shelly Beach is irrelevant, except that it provides him with a relative historical record of the area. Recent years have seen unfortunate incidents on and near St Mike’s beach. Alcohol consumption (along with poor policing) has been the root cause of these, often in full view of authorities. Beachgoers are generally responsible citizens who respect the enjoyment and relaxation of others but some, particularly young ‘adults’, become rowdy, disruptive and often litter the beach with the containers of their beverages.
The grassed areas and the car parks are transformed into fields of broken glass, sharp chicken bones, plastic and paper waste. Even the honest efforts of teams of cleaners are inadequate to return the areas to what they were before the hooligans trashed the place. The shopping centre car parks suffer the same fate. A party is no excuse for this and, if event companies are incapable of hosting respectable events and controlling their patrons, then they should be blacklisted by the authorities from involvement in any future events. My daughter was unfortunate to get a piece of glass in her foot which spoiled the rest of her holiday.
Some beachgoers even find it quite okay to strip completely naked and shower in front of hundreds of other visitors – young children included.
I urge the local businesses to place pressure on the municipal authorities to ensure the law is applied properly. Do not allow alcohol consumption in public areas and fine those who litter. That is the way it should be. Some may consider this overkill but, if these trends are not placed in check, soon the public beaches will become places to avoid. Money spent on salaries for cleaners could be spent building infrastructure in areas that desperately need it.
A recent newspaper article highlighted how Cape Town was fighting back to ensure tourism continues in the city. Each holiday venue competes with others along the coast and failure to apply commonly accepted rules would be a sad reason to lose holiday revenues to other areas.
LEON DE BRUIN
