GOOD Press Statement by Suzette Little
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor & Caucus Chairperson
15 October 2024
The GOOD Party calls on the City of Cape Town to immediately comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act at the City’s Water and Sanitation treatment plants and pump stations. Good has received crucial information alerting us to serious violations at the facilities resulting in unsafe working conditions and potential harm to the environment.
In the first quarter of 2024, the Department of Labour conducted compliance audits across the City’s Water and Sanitation treatment plants and pump stations. They found a shocking level of non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) No. 85 of 1993. Contravention Notices were issued on the 16th of April and the 15th of May.
The violations were not minor administrative oversights but rather severe contraventions of the act. Among the glaring infractions were the reckless mishandling of asbestos, the disregard for properly qualified and competent staff being employed to operate essential machinery, no machine risk assessment, no maintenance plan or maintenance procedures for machines and no electrical compliance for the facility.
To make matters worse, unqualified senior engineering managers have been appointed to oversee these critical operations. These individuals lack the minimum competencies required by law, and their presence endangers both workers and the communities they serve.
These facilities are responsible for the treatment of dirty water until it is safe enough to be release back into the environment without affecting biodiversity or the health of residents.
Perhaps this lack of qualified leadership is the reason the residents of Cape Town see an increasing number of sewage leaks severely impacting the water quality at our beaches including Green Point, Sea Point and Hout Bay and in our waterways.
For a city that is quick to highlight its clean audits, it is appalling to see such negligence when it comes to fulfilling the most basic requirement of governance: ensuring that public facilities are safe and compliant with the law.
Today, we wrote to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis but it is unlikely we will receive a reply before the end of the year. As the GOOD Party we feel we have a duty to raise awareness for the well-being of the workers and the protection of our environment.
The City Manager and the Mayor must be held accountable for their failure to address these violations and for putting the lives of workers and residents at risk. The Occupational Health and Safety Act is not optional—it is a legal framework designed to protect people from harm, and it must be enforced rigorously.
The GOOD Party demands that the City of Cape Town immediately:
- Comply with the outstanding notices issued by the Department of Labour.
- Conduct an independent investigation into the appointments of unqualified senior managers in Water and Sanitation facilities.
- Report all safety violations and incidents to the Council without delay.
- Prioritise the safety of workers and residents over bureaucratic posturing.
This is not just about compliance; it’s about justice for those who are most affected by the City’s failures—the poor and marginalized communities that bear the brunt of environmental degradation and unsafe working conditions.
For too long, the City has traded on its reputation for clean audits while neglecting its real responsibilities to its people. It’s time for the City of Cape Town to show the same commitment to transparency, accountability, and safety that it does to its financials. Our residents deserve nothing less.
Media Enquiries:
Suzette Little, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor & Caucus Chairperson
Cell: 073 321 5036
Email: suzettel@forgood.org.za
Samantha Jackson, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 083 5509875
Email: samantha@forgood.org.za