By Nangamso Mabindla
9 November 2005

THE festive season is here - and that means good weather and long, lazy days will drive East Londoners and tourists to the city's beaches to enjoy themselves.

However, crowds can also have a negative effect on the city's beaches, especially the Eastern Beach on the Esplanade. More than 200 000 people are expected at that beach between Christmas and New Year's Day, putting pressure on facilities.

Buffalo City amenities manager Willie Maritz says the beaches are often left in a bad state.

"Because of the large numbers of people visiting our beaches, they litter, leaving the beaches dirty."

The most popular beaches over the festive season are Eastern Beach, Bonza Bay, Orient Beach and Gonubie. Because of the funfair that brightens up the Esplanade, Eastern Beach is always the busiest.

Gonubie, on the other hand, has just received the coveted international Blue Flag status and the City will do well to ensure it is kept in a good condition.

The popular Eastern Beach

"We especially need to take care of Gonubie during this time because if we lose some of the qualities needed for a Blue Flag beach we'll lose our status," Maritz adds.

For a beach to qualify for Blue Flag status it has to have good water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and other services.

Maritz says the City will put measures in place to ensure that the beaches are kept in good - and safe - condition during the festive season. "We will increase the number of life guards at our beaches and ensure that law enforcement staff is visible for the safety of the people at the beach."

Buffalo City's new state-of-the-art beach cleaner will also be used to ensure the beaches are clean when the season ends.

"Our beach cleaner does a tremendous job and it will definitely be used to ensure that our beaches are back to their cleanest best after the beach goers have left," Maritz says.