Action SA wants answers from the City of Cape Town about the quality and amount of raw sewerage pumped into the ocean.
The party’s big guns used a helicopter to show journalists in Cape Town some of the hotspots where millions of litres of untreated sewage are being dumped.
Action SA alleges that the City of Cape Town regularly exceeds the quality and amount of untreated sewerage that is pumped into the ocean through various points on the Atlantic seaboard – and that the volume of sewerage has now reached up to 30 million litres per day.
ActionSA’s Michael Beaumont says, “Through a PAIA application we have found that the city exceeded max volumes of sewerage permitted through marine outfalls in 104 days over a 6-month period in 2023. During this time city regularly failed to meet permitted disposal quality levels and stipulated permit requirements that failures in quality or quantity management be reported have not been adhered to – with city response confirming no record exists.”
The City of Cape Town says it has a 97% compliance record, based on advice from an independent external auditor.
The City of Cape Town mayoral committee member, Zahied Badroodien says, “We have also initiated 7 major studies that have already been undertaken by different marine science experts – all confirming that the city’s outfalls are meeting the design objectives in reducing risk to human and environmental health. But we do know that we can do more… and its for this reason that the City has already started consulting and have already undertaken and completed a study identifying alternative options which include land-based treatment at these various outfalls.”
Action SA is in a multi-party pact with other opposition parties, like the DA. This, they say is not de-campaigning against one of their partners.
Beaumont says, “No party is being de-campaigned against, rather ActionSA doing its own campaigning, will always choose what is right.”
ActionSA has warned that should this situation persist, the sought-after tourist destination could follow the route of the Durban beaches that have become nearly empty.
