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Action SA’s National Chairperson, Michael Beaumon says the city is not keeping up with its sewage responsibilities
ActionSA has criticised the City of Cape Town’s plans to upgrade and expand marine sewage outfalls. It argues that the plans threaten marine life and could negatively impact the tourism sector. Critics warn that the proposal reinforces the ongoing discharge of untreated sewage into the ocean instead of promoting more sustainable, land-based wastewater solutions.
The city has proposed a R12 billion investment for these upgrades.
[ON AIR] The @CityofCT’s proposed R12 billion investment in upgrading and expanding marine sewage outfalls has ignited significant political and environmental debate, with critics warning that the plan entrenches the continued discharge of treated sewage into the ocean rather… pic.twitter.com/2bi00gV1xd
— SAfmRadio 📻 (@SAfmRadio) December 25, 2025
ActionSA Chairperson, Michael Beaumont says what is happening now has to take place, as it is what is the world standard.
“We’re not the only place in the world that puts sewage out through marine outfalls. However, the industry standards around the world is for it to be treated so that the harmful toxins and some of the pharmaceuticals in the sewage are treated so that you don’t have these kind of problems. But there also has to be a major set of solutions around how we can eventually move towards stopping spilling it out into the ocean. We must remember that municipalities across South Africa, to various degrees of success, I might add, I live in Johannesburg, we don’t have an ocean, and sewage has to be treated, and at the end of the day, the city of Cape Town could take the approach that other municipalities have in terms of how they address this.”
VIDEO | ActionSA bemoans sewage pumped into the ocean
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5w_18wA6BI
