Metro must take messy visitors to task

HORRIFIED by the state of Blue Lagoon after the weekend, cyclist Kirsten Evans has challenged eThekwini Municipality to do something about it.

Evans posted a photograph she took of the area on Monday morning, describing it as 'an utter mess', on the municipality's Facebook page.

She said the promenade from and including Blue Lagoon up to the Bike and Bean coffee shop had been an absolute mess, especially on the weekends for about a month.

“Being a cyclist and paddler and using this area on a daily basis for my recreation, I have been so sad and disheartened that people are being allowed to do this. I watched pelicans the other day feeding among beer cans and chicken bones. On the weekend Durban hosted a massive sporting event amid this filth, it was so disappointing to see,” she said.

She said it was not the municipality's fault, but that the police needed to control the situation.

“I can see municipal workers are trying hard to clean up the area but you need an army – it's not something they should have to put up with on a Monday morning! Let's try prevention rather than cure by involving the police. Unfortunately they are not doing much about it, they were even seen partying with the litterbugs on the weekend. What can we do about his? We will work with the municipality to create awareness and a better environment for us all,” said Evans.

Her Facebook posting drew other responses, with one person saying that besides the mess, it was illegal to drink in public. He asked where the metro police were as cameras were in place to monitor the beach and the police had no excuse.

This issue was featured in Berea Mail last month, after resident, Vaughn Willians saw the shocking amount of litter left lying around outside the Bike and Bean after the weekend.

“Every Sunday people drink alcohol and litter illegally in this area. We have been given this beachfront but why do people make it so filthy! It seems Metro Police are not enforcing the by-laws,” he said.

Ward councillor Martin Meyer said he had written to Metro Police to ask for enforcement to be stepped up. “On Thursday I am also meeting with the Parks Department Sector 10 management and this issue is most definitely on the agenda. But I again also have to point out that people should be taking responsibility for their own behaviour too. Visitors to our city should respect our open spaces, and leave it in the condition they have found it. It is all about mutual respect. We welcome visitors and tourists to our city, and are grateful that they choose Durban as a tourist destination, but people should also respect us and our city,” said Meyer.

Sen Supt Eddie von Bargen, division commander at the Durban Metropolitan Police Service Beach Central Region, said Blue Lagoon was one of Metro's problematic areas.

“We allocate staff and security guards to this area daily. The security guards are here 24 hours. Normally this is quite sufficient to deal with the visitors and locals that patronize the area. This last weekend we had more minibuses here than ever, a large number of them carrying school kids from outlying areas, there was liquor consumed, and they became very difficult to control. We are putting plans in place to deal with this problem and I know SAPS will also be assisting,” he said.