Two months after raising urgent concerns about ongoing pollution in the Milnerton Lagoon, community advocacy group RethinkTheStink says there has been little visible improvement to water quality in the area.
According to Peter Walsh from RethinkTheStink, residents are growing increasingly frustrated by what they describe as “acknowledgement without action”.
“It’s been 60 days since we first brought this to the attention of the Speaker of Council and the City Manager,” Walsh said in a social media post. “Despite receiving polite replies and promises, the reality on the ground hasn’t changed — the water still stinks, untreated discharge continues, and the same health and safety risks remain for residents who visit the lagoon.”
Walsh added that the condition of signage warning the public about pollution is also cause for concern. “Many of the signs are faded, illegible, or missing altogether. Some are only in English, making them inaccessible to parts of our community,” he said.
The organisation has repeatedly urged the City to demonstrate “real accountability” by sharing concrete plans, timelines, and measurable progress toward restoring the lagoon.
Community meeting
In response, the City of Cape Town acknowledged the community’s concerns and confirmed that more detailed feedback will be provided at the upcoming Milnerton Lagoon Community Meeting, scheduled for tonight (Wednesday 29 October) from 18:00 to 20:00 at the Milnerton Library, 81 Pienaar Road.
The meeting will be chaired by Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews, and will include updates on ongoing remediation efforts, infrastructure upgrades, and the recently initiated trial wellpoint project, which aims to improve water quality by introducing clean seawater into the lagoon. Residents are encouraged to attend the session to engage directly with City officials and hear updates on the Milnerton Lagoon Remediation Plan — a process that has become a focal point for community activism and environmental accountability in recent months.
