Two Durban beaches get Blue Flag status
Two of Durban’s beaches have again been awarded the coveted Blue Flag status, almost seven years after the eThekwini Metro’s former municipal manager pulled the city out of the world wide scheme.
The two beaches that have been awarded Blue Flag status are the uShaka Beach near the harbour and the Westbrook Beach on the city’s northern coast.
eThekwini Municipal spokeswoman Tozi Mthethwa said that five other city beaches had received the pilot status.
The Blue Flag was created in France in 1985 as a pilot scheme where French coastal municipalities were awarded the Blue Flag on the basis of criteria covering sewage treatment and bathing water quality.
The scheme is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education and in South Africa the programme is managed by the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa.
One of the requirements is that the water testing needs to be carried out by an independent laboratory.
Durban pulled out of the scheme when the then municipal manager Mike Sutcliffe said the same standards that applied in Europe could not be applied in South Africa.
His decision to pull the city from the scheme followed reports that four local beaches had failed to meet standards, especially with regards to sewage in the water. The tourism sector and environmentalists condemned the decision.
In 2013 eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo announced that city would be rejoining the scheme.
Nxumalo welcomed the announcement and urged holidaymakers not to litter on the city’s beaches.
“Our beaches are consistently well maintained which is why they are great tourist attraction sites,” said Nxumalo.
The Blue Flag status of South Africa’s beaches can be seen on www.blueflag.org.za