The Milnerton Lagoon and the Woodbridge Island near Cape Town are in a shocking state, highlighting the serious problems of overpopulation and a lack of proper spatial planning, which could turn Cape Town into a second Johannesburg if action is not taken soon.
There is clearly an unbridled influx into Cape Town from outside the province, but it appears that nothing is being done to stop it or to plan for the growing population’s needs.
The City of Cape Town itself identified the problem in 2023 already when it stated in a report that in 20 years’ time, 55% of “all new dwellings” in Cape Town will be informal structures.
The report also states that the informal settlements around Cape Town grew with more than 60 000 structures between March 2016 and June 2020.
A journey through the urban area quickly reveals that the problem has grown immensely since 2020. It is evident that the City is aware of the problem, but is failing to do something about it.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) paid an oversight visit to the Milnerton area over the weekend after residents voiced their concerns about the state of the area during a recent community meeting.
A strong stench hangs over the lagoon while many children play in the water that is clearly polluted.
There are not enough notices to warn the public against the dangers of pollution. This jeopardises the public’s health and the Freedom Front Plus will address the matter as soon as possible.
The informal settlements do not keep up with the rapid influx and this naturally causes it to spill over into established residential areas, which are already under pressure due to normal urbanisation.
The City of Cape Town’s spatial planning strategy, which is seemingly driven by political agendas, and its laxity towards the influx make a recipe for disaster.
As for Milnerton, the projected timelines for solutions to the lagoon’s pollution problems, stretching to 2028 and beyond, show the City is ill-equipped to handle the increasing pressure on its systems.
Overpopulation and decaying infrastructure combined with poorly planned development could cause the systems sustaining it to collapse.
This is precisely what caused the large-scale sewage pollution of Cape Town’s beaches.
The Freedom Front Plus is committed to promoting policies that protect the environment, improve quality of life and ensure a sustainable future for residents.
Action has to be taken at once. Cape Town cannot wait until 2028 or 2030 before it addresses these critical issues.
