Dolphin Beach regains Blue Flag status

Cindy Liebenberg
DOLPHIN BEACH in Jeffreys Bay will have its Blue Flag status reinstated come November 1.
Morgan Griffiths, Blue Flag programme Eastern Cape coordinator, says the Kouga Municipality deserves a pat on the back for being proactive and doing what it takes to retrieve the flag after losing it on Christmas day last year.This happened because of continual sewage spills onto the surrounding beaches.
“The judges are satisfied the two additional pumps the municipality is said to have installed at the pump stations and the effort put into cleaning up deserves commending,” says Griffiths.

He says the beach will be monitored regularly and at random times to ensure their very high standards are maintained.
However, not everyone is convinced the sewage spillages are something of the past.
Two weeks ago Our Times reported a criminal charge was laid against certain officials because they failed to attend to a massive sewage spill that lasted four weeks.

It is believed all this sewage eventually ends up on the swimming beach.
Co-chairman of Jeffreys Bay Tourism, Andy Thysman, also has his doubts. He says on Wednesday morning there was still sewage running onto the beach at Kitchen Windows surf break.
“This morning it is far less, but it has been spilling over for a few days again.”
Thysman says although it is great for tourism if the beach has Blue Flag status, the true test of the sewerage system will only be when the influx of visitors arrives.
“At the moment the system is not taxed and there is very little pressure on it, but let’s hope it will cope in December,” he says.
Delivering the keynote address at the national launch of the 2011-2012 Blue Flag Beach Season, held at Kenton-on-Sea on Tuesday, the deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudhafasie, said: “The success of the Blue Flag programme in South Africa over the past 11 years can be attributed to the commitment of participating municipalities to provide beach-goers and holiday-makers with world class beaches offering a well-managed natural environment; safe, clean and well-managed facilities; and environmental education initiatives, whilst creating employment and tourism opportunities.”