South Africa's beaches get a clean-up

SA beach clean-up campaign in action

This year's Vodacom beach clean-up campaign which ends tomorrow, has been described as a great success.

Organizers say that the beach cleaners were well-received on all beaches this holiday season, with many beach goers and holiday-makers eager to lend a helping hand to protect the country's natural resources.

The last count was a massive 26 thousand bags of beach litter which were collected between the 15th of December and the 1st of January. The campaign involved more than 19 popular beaches in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern and the Western Cape.

Nearly 200 previously unemployed people from all corners of the country were employed to do the job. At Blue Lagoon beach in Durban beach cleaners braved very windy conditions.

At most beaches the cleaners received good support from regular beach users and beach athletes. Environmentalists says people don't always realize what an effect litter can have on the environment and on life.