Agi Orfanos, West Beach
Twice recently we drove past Woodbridge Island on the R27.
It has an awful sewage smell worse than driving past the sewarage works on Koeberg Road opposite Chevron.
It’s a disgrace.
About two years ago I photographed lots of sewage floating on the beach at Lagoon Beach and again I read about it this year in the papers. It’s unacceptable.
This is a wetland home to pelicans, flamingos and many other wildlife mammals and fish.
Where is this sewage coming from?
The squatters along the river by Dunoon and the new huge squatter camp the City of Cape Town allows to develop on prime land near Sandown Road. This land could have been bought by the City, developed and the massive funds used to build a proper decent township for the thousands of locals as well as Zimbabweans Congolese Malawians, etc.
Instead these squatters are devaluing land values and as such rates should drop.
It’s unacceptable that such developments are destroying the environment when the City is in reality hoping to curb pollution.
Meanwhile, on Dolphin Beach the sand dune is growing unabated.
The new pedestrian lights have been buried and now there is access for people to remove the fittings. This sand should be bulldozed to resupply the beaches equally as is done in cities around the world.
One cannot allow a suburb and infrastructure to drown in sand.
Stephen Twine, Table View
It’s obvious my cellphone number was blocked by you, Councillor Fabian Ah-Sing, as my messages no longer go through and, according to the City of Cape Town web page, your number has not changed either.
Many of your constituents living in the Milnerton area awoke on Monday morning to the most unbearable sewerage stench.
Some even vomited from the stench. Apparently this matter has been brought to the attention of the mayor’s office as well as yours, yet over the last five years of complaints, the DA-led City of Cape Town has failed miserably to comply with upkeep of the sewerage outlet pipes, to such an extent it’s no longer safe to swim or walk our dogs on Milnerton Beach.
I feel any member of the public that gets ill due to this matter and your lack of maintenance of systems should combine their efforts and consider hiring a legal team to sue for public endangerment and all medical bills for humans and animals alike.
Milnerton Beach is, medically, too dangerous to frequent and should immediately be closed to the public until this issue is resolved correctly.
Ward 55 councillor Fabian Ah-Sing responds
Kindly advise if you sent a traditional message or a WhatsApp. I don’t recall having blocked you. I do, however, block a resident on WhatsApp or Facebook if the resident is abusive, disrespectful or infringes on any of my constitutional rights. Regarding the stench, I have requested the assistance of the City officials to provide feedback on the matter. Regarding the water quality at Milnerton Beach, I have confirmed, as recently as last week, that the water quality is suitable. It is the lagoon water which is a major concern. The City has identified projects which need to be implemented to improve the situation. I am working with the City officials to ensure that the identified projects are put onto the budget as soon as possible.