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Dear Minister Creecy,

ActionSA has appealed against the issuing of permits that authorise the City of Cape Town to continue discharging untreated sewage into Marine Protected Areas in Cape Town at Camps Bay, Green Point, and Hout Bay.  We write to you today, recognising that, as the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, you are the guardian of everyone’s Constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing, and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

As you deliberate on the issuance of the permits, it is crucial that you take into account the fact that the City of Cape Town (“CoCT” or “the City”) has not complied with the requirements of the Hout Bay permit, issued to the City on 7 May 2019 (i.e., four and a half years ago). 

Information about the City’s lack of compliance with the requirements of the Hout Bay permit was obtained by means of a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request, which was submitted to the CoCT, asking for records showing their compliance with each of the conditions contained in the Hout Bay permit.

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH HOUT BAY PERMIT

The City’s PAIA response, received on 31 August 2023 (the full content of which will be made available to you on request) showed that the City has not complied with conditions of the Hout Bay permit relating to:

The permitted effluent quantity (flow) limit.

The permitted effluent quality limits.

Monitoring requirements.

Reporting requirements.

The establishment of a Permit Advisory Forum.

The requirement to improve effluent quality.

The following are examples of Hout Bay permit requirements and how the CoCT’s PAIA response shows that requirement has not been complied with.  

Full letter attached.

Issued by ActionSA Western Cape Provincial Chairperson Michelle Wasserman