Soet River's stubborn waste still an issue due to illegal dumping
Since the rapid increase of informality which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Soet River has been placed under immense pressure.
The rapid expansion of informal settlements spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic has put immense pressure on the Soet River. Picture: Facebook/City of Cape Town
CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town is beefing up efforts to help tackle a chronic waste issue in a section of the Soet River flowing through the communities of Lwandle and Nomzamo in Strand.
Officials said this section of the river remained filled with solid waste, due to ongoing illegal dumping, despite cleaning interventions by the city’s water and sanitation and urban waste management directorates.
The municipality spends at least R1.5 million a year on efforts to clean this waterway.
Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said that since the rapid increase of informality, which occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Soet River had been placed under immense pressure.
He said that besides solid waste, the river had also become the dumping place of night soil, or human waste, and grey water.
"We've put together an action plan which will be implemented over time to help tackle this challenge, and this aims to augment already existing interventions that are taking place," Badroodien explained.