More than 300 residents of all ages took to Strand Beach on Friday (16 January) in protest of the alleged ongoing sewage spills contaminating the local coastline.
The “Enough is Enough!” march saw the large group of protesters make their way down Beach Road – from Hibernian Towers to the Strand Lifesaving Club – demanding transparency over measures being taken by the municipality, saying action is urgent.
While the mayor and deputy mayor were notably absent, Ward 84 councillor Carl Punt was in attendance to formally accept the residents’ petition on behalf of the City of Cape Town.
In the lead-up to the protest, the City moved to reassure the public by highlighting its R430-million investment in local infrastructure. Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation, blamed recent overflows on a “perfect storm” of pipe collapses and pump-station failures.
Key projects noted by the City include the R146-million Trappies Bulk Sewer rehabilitation and the R279-million Gordon’s Bay Pump Station upgrade. Deputy mayor Eddie Andrews stood by the City’s data, claiming a 96% water-quality compliance rate and asserting beaches remained safe for swimming.
However, the mood at the protest remained sceptical. Jamii Hamlin of Bays of Sewage – Helderberg (BOS-H) said that the peaceful protest was an opportunity for the collective community to join hands.
“As the conveyors of the BOS-H ‘Stop the sewage petition’ and peaceful protest, we’re very pleased with the community turnout and the petition has nearly doubled since Friday’s march with more than 5 000 signatures received, and it continues to grow,” Hamlin pointed out.
“It must be highlighted that despite the investment in infrustructure upgrades there remains the ‘user experience’, suffering the inconvenience and disruptions of overdue maintenance and sewage overflows which have environmental impact as well as health risks, which the City isn’t acknowledging or addressing adequately.
“Our message to mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and [municipal officials] of a city voted number-one in the world, is to reset the benchmark for environmental custodianship.”
Hamlin noted the community hopes the City would receive the petition as a “goodwill action” for a cleaner, safer coastline.
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