Cape Town's solution to river pollution that KZN should adopt

Recent reports regarding the DA-led City of Cape Town’s installation of permanent waste interceptors in 20 rivers and canals is a success story in environmental stewardship. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and his administration deserve high praise for the initiative in securing a lasting environmental solution to the city’s pollution challenges.

At a time when South Africa is struggling to deal with a pollution crisis, this initiative demonstrates what a city can achieve when smart engineering and political will are combined.

These simple yet effective waste interceptors, strong metal grids that trap plastic and litter while letting water pass through, are already having a visible impact. By preventing rubbish from reaching our oceans and beaches, they protect marine life, preserve ecosystems, and move towards restoring the integrity of urban waterways. But, most importantly, they show that the city of Cape Town, besides getting the basics right, has recognised the immense value in protecting our natural environment.

Regrettably, the same cannot be said for all parts of our country. Here in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), rivers and stormwater systems are burdened with staggering levels of pollution.

From the uMngeni River to the uMlazi River, plastic waste and untreated sewage continue to flow unabated into the ocean, destroying biodiversity and threatening public health. This while KZN’s communities are left to live with the consequences—poor water quality, declining tourism, and a natural heritage left to ruin.

Cape Town’s model offers a clear, affordable, and scalable intervention. The question is: what is stopping provinces such as ours from doing the same? KZN could greatly benefit from replicating such waste interception systems.

KZN needs to learn from the DA-led city of Cape Town and begin to take the stewardship of its rivers, beaches, and marine life seriously. As a member of the KZN Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA will raise this urgent and critical intervention in a bid to ensure that our province follows suit. We only have one planet.| Hannah Lidgett, MPL, DA KZN Spokesperson on Environmental Affairs