City of Cape Town Invites Comment on the short-term remediation of the Milnerton Lagoon

The City of Cape Town has asked for comments and suggestions for the short-term remediation of the Milnerton Lagoon.

To read and download comments from GTAF please click here.

If you want to send our comment you can use the following e-mail Enviro@capetown.gov.za address or you can use and edit the GTAF comments.

Short Term Remediation Milnerton Lagoon

Re: Milnerton Lagoon Clean Up
We thank you for asking for suggestions as to the clean up options for cleaning up the Milnerton lagoon.
Firstly it must be stated that the Milnerton Lagoon is not an isolated waterway. The Milnerton Lagoon
will cannot be cleaned unless The City addresses the similar problems found in the Diep River and the
Table Bay Nature Reserve.
It must also be stated that the expensive clean up of these waterways would not be required if the City
of Cape Town had not have been negligent in polluting theses waterways in the first place.
1. The first step in the cleaning of these waterways must be the a realization and admission as to
where the responsibility for this pollution is.
a) The City of Cape Town must stop bringing out plan after plan and actually start service
delivery.
b) The City must admit they are responsible for this pollution.
c) The City must hold to account those City Managers, officials and political leaders to account
for the environment terrorism they have carried out and been responsible for.
d) The City must use the full force of policy, by laws and national legislation to hold these
people to account in order that it serves as a deterrent to others. We would like to see legal
charges against The City Manager, Mayor, Alderman, Mayoral Committee Members,
Director of Water & Sanitation and Director of Environmental Management and Spatial
Planning.
e) Commission an independent enquiry into the Environment Management an Spatial Planning
department. To determine what went wrong, what mistakes were made and what lessons
could be learned.
f) Commission an independent enquiry into the Water & Sanitation Department. To determine
what went wrong, what mistakes were made and what lessons could be learned.
g) Should the City attempt to cover up these actions and not admit responsibility it would
demonstrate a lack of management and leadership. The City cannot manage its
responsibility with not practicing consequence management.
2. Act to Stop Additional Pollution
a) Immediately implement a moratorium on new connections to the Potsdam Waste Water
Treatment Plant
b) Immediately implement a moratorium on new land use applications and planning
applications. Halt all current applications.
c) Ban the use of private waste water treatment plants.
d) Fast track the upgrades to the Potsdam Waste Water Treatment Plant.
e) Development to start only when an independent team of specialist have confirmed that the
Potsdam Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrades are complete and the plant is able to treat
the required load.
f) Appoint an independent body to assess the Water & Sanitation Department and ensure that
the staff running the Potsdam Waste Water Treatment Plant are competent to do so.
g) Open the public participation for the Blaauwberg District Plan draft. Ensure that City officials
listen to comments by the public. In short ensure that the same mistakes are not made.
3. Clean Up Lagoon
a) Once we have stopped the increase in pollution and stopped the reckless development
sanctioned by the City of Cape Town. The clean up can begin.

You can add formatting using markdown syntax - read more

BCC yourself

7 signatures