Political party ActionSA has filed criminal charges against the City of Cape Town, alleging reckless handling of sewage by pumping untreated waste into the ocean. The party cites health and environmental risks from the city's marine outfall pipes. Cape Town officials dispute the claims, emphasizing ongoing upgrades and limited discharge volumes.
ActionSA, a South African political party, has accused the City of Cape Town of endangering public health and the environment through its sewage management practices. The party claims the city is discharging untreated waste into the sea via marine outfall pipes, a method they describe as outdated and irresponsible. This accusation follows public statements and a reference to a 2023 study highlighting the need for alternative waste management approaches.
ActionSA's National Chairperson, Michael Beaumont, criticized the city's approach in strong terms. "The city is not keeping up with its responsibilities in terms of treating the sewage before it goes out, reporting on the condition and quality of that effluent that’s going out," Beaumont said. He pointed out that other municipalities, like Johannesburg, manage sewage without ocean discharge, arguing that Cape Town should adopt similar methods despite lacking direct access to the sea.
In response, the City of Cape Town has allocated R200 million in the current budget to upgrade the marine outfall infrastructure, including electric water pumps and sewage screens. Water and Sanitation MMC Zahid Badroodien defended the system's scale, noting that marine outfalls handle only 5% of the city's sewage, with the remaining 95% processed through land-based wastewater treatment works. "Technologies are being developed to break down these ‘forever chemicals’ that get flushed into the sewer systems," Badroodien explained, referring to contaminants like medications and detergents.
The city is also investing in upgrades at four treatment facilities: Zandvliet in Macassar, Potsdam in Milnerton, Macassar Wastewater Treatment Works, and Athlone. Projects at Potsdam and others are set to begin soon. This dispute reignited amid concerns over beach pollution, such as at Camps Bay, underscoring ongoing tensions between political opposition and municipal authorities over environmental stewardship.
