In response to the mounting pressure ahead of the peaceful protest at Strand Beach on Friday 16 January, the City of Cape Town has highlighted a massive R430 million investment currently underway to strengthen the Helderberg’s sewer infrastructure.
According to Councillor Zahid Badroodien, mayco member for water and sanitation, the overflows are the result of a “perfect storm” of infrastructure failures, including pipe collapses, pump station faults, and legacy construction defects.
Key City projects currently in progress include:
– Trappies Bulk Sewer Rehabilitation: A R146 million project using trenchless “cured-in-pipe” lining to minimise excavation.
– Gordon’s Bay Pump Station: A R279 million upgrade, currently 78% complete.
– Pipe Replacements: R3.9 million dedicated to rehabilitating 2 000 meters of sewer pipes in Somerset West.
“Residents can be assured that it is safe to enjoy Cape Town’s beaches, including Strand,” said deputy mayor Eddie Andrews, noting that recent testing showed 96% sample compliance for water quality over the last three months.
The City’s assurances have done little to quiet the frustration of residents. Water quality advocate Jamii Hamlin and Bays of Sewage – Helderberg (BOS-H) have accused the municipality of “cherry-picking” data by only releasing results from popular surfing and swimming spots like “Pipe” and “Dakkies.”
“The City hasn’t released any of the data from the Wilberforce Street/Topaz building where the Ou Trappies overflows predominantly discharge,” Hamlin countered. He further noted that proposals for a Water Quality Flag System that offers a predictive modeling algorithm, a water safety initiative supported by the NSRI, Life Saving CT and WESSA – have been met with silence from City officials as have the aspirations for a Blue Flag beach.
Local activists receive regular report cases for infections suspected to be linked to water quality, a few swimmers and surfers requiring ICU treatment too.
As the protest nears, BOS-H has extended a formal invitation to the mayor, deputy mayor, and cllr Francine Higham to attend the march, accept a petition of grievances, and – in a symbolic gesture of transparency – “have a swim” in the affected waters.
For the ratepayers of the Helderberg, who face increasing levies alongside daily inconveniences, the message of Friday’s march is that the time for infrastructure updates must be matched by a time for accountability.
“The ‘Stop the Sewage’ petition and peaceful protest followed by a beach clean up for Friday are an opportunity for the community to join hands in raising awareness for greater accountability and call for meaningful action to improve environmental custodianship, free of any political agenda or narratives which we hope the City will acknowledge and receive as a goodwill action,” said Hamlin. “We’ve invited 35 schools to join the protest,” he said.
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