Capexit’s Karl Bodin at the Strandfontein police station. Picture: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
Cape Town - Police are probing allegations levelled against the City of Cape Town concerning sewage pollution affecting Strandfontein Beach.
The Cape Independent Party (Capexit) this week lodged a criminal complaint against the City, alleging negligence.
According to Capexit PR councillor, Karl Bodin, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has not provided a plan to treat raw sewage that gushes onto Strandfontein Beach and along False Bay.
Speaking outside the Strandfontein police station on Wednesday, Bodin said: “A few months ago in March, it was brought to my attention that the city of Cape Town is discharging raw effluent into the waters of False Bay from the beach Strandfontein. I visited the site and I noted that this is definitely raw sewage.”
Bodin said upon taking samples and noticing the danger, they reported the matter to the City.
“Councillor Zahid Badroodien (mayco member for water and sanitation), in actual fact, ignored the results of the samples or analysis, and he rather focused on media articles that he had placed previously and plans that will take place to improve the filtration of the sewage by the year 2030/31.
“We are here at Strandfontein police station to register a criminal case docket for contraventions in terms of section 67, 69 and 79 of the National Environmental Health, Integrated Management Act of 2008 and that matter will then be investigated.”
Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk, yesterday confirmed SAPS received the complaint.
“This office can confirm that a case under Section 69 Discharge Effluent into Coastal Waters without a permit was opened for investigation at Strandfontein SAPS. No arrest as yet, investigations continues,” Van Wyk said.
Badroodien said on July 9 this year, the City submitted its responses to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) regarding the intention to issue a Coastal Protection Notice to the City.
He said the City was awaiting a formal response from DFFE on the matter.
“We accept that there are areas of chronic pollution due to various causes; however, we emphasise that there is no raw sewage discharged from the Mitchell’s Plain Wastewater Treatment Works. The discharge point referred to along the Strandfontein Coast discharges treated effluent.
“The City notes the intention to lay charges with SAPS,” said Badroodien.
The DFFE did not respond to requests for comment yesterday.
sibuliso.duba@inl.co.za
Cape Argus
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