Post-flood clean-up: Beach cleaning crews hard at work
The beaches along Amanzimtoti and surrounding areas have looked worse for wear lately post-floods and desperately required focused cleaning.
POST-FLOODING debris that has washed onto the beaches on the South Coast have turned the coastline into an eyesore. Beach cleaning crews directed the focus to Amanzimtoti Main Beach on March 6, coinciding with the reopening of the beach for bathing, and Parks Department staff was also deployed to assist the tedious and strenuous task.
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Ward 97 councillor, André Beetge, said, “Contaminants are separated from driftwood that is in turn reprioritised towards dune rejuvenation, however, people are welcome to help themselves to any nice pieces of driftwood as a remembrance of the disaster. Efforts will continue both south towards the Amanzimtoti river mouth and north towards Pipeline and beyond. Dakota and beaches closer to the golf course will be attended in due time.
“This stands as an open invitation to members of the community, organisations, groupings or lobby groups to assist the municipality in restoring beaches to normal condition. Any such individuals or groupings are requested to liaise through the beach management offices at Amanzimtoti main beach so as to ensure co-ordination and planning for removal and disposure.”
On March 11, the Municipal Beach Cleansing Department was hard at work along Amanzimtoti Lagoon towards Chain Rocks.
Beetge thanked the community and those who have given their time and energy, and emphasised that this affects everyone in the area and is everybody’s problem, regardless of whether the debris was created here.
“We understand that there are people coming this weekend that still want to clean, but they seem to be directing their energy towards areas that are already clean. At this stage, we have got challenges at the golf course beach and ask that anybody who wants to participate or organise clean-up efforts to focus their energy there,” said Beetge.
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