Blue flag blues

The City of uMhlathuze will be opposing the decision by the SA Blue Flag Organisation to remove its status. This after Alkantstrand in Richards Bay reportedly did not meet stringent criteria as per Blue Flag stipulation during an evaluation on 15 January. The Bay beach received the internationally renowned Blue Flag status of excellence late last year. Manager: Environmental and Recreational Services in the City of uMhlathuze, Ernst van Biljon, described the move as being unfair as certain requirements were not clearly spelt out when the beach initially received its status. ‘Over the festive season we had large volumes of visitors to our beaches and certain things needed to be repaired. ‘We cannot fix damage to property within an hour. We should have been given time to conduct repairs. ‘One must also take into consideration that we are faced with restricted resources,’ said Van Biljon. In addition, he said lifeguards were questioned over the non-existence of a separate designated area for surfers and bathers. ‘We have a restricted beach bathing area, as other sections of the beach are too dangerous. ‘We can’t control currents for surfers and this should have been spelt out right from the beginning. ‘When the Blue Flag officials originally visited us, we qualified. ‘Two months down the line, we don’t qualify. ‘They should have identified these factors at that time,’ said Van Biljon. Following problems with beach erosion last year, hundreds of sand bags were placed at Alkantstrand and with excessive wind, many became visible in the sand. ‘With wind and wave activity, these factors are out of our control. ‘It was not pointed out to us prior to the granting of the status. Status cannot be granted and new rules introduced afterwards.’ There were reportedly no problems with water quality, as water samples were taken and assessed every 14 days to ensure safety of bathers. ‘We are going through the report thoroughly and we will be putting our concerns forward in writing,,’ said Van Biljon.