Please excuse the high activity on this site it is how FoZR communicates with the community and other bunny huggers like me.
R10.00 to whom ever locates this well hidden sigh first.
There it is! … USELESS another waste of money and time. behind a locked gate in a cul-da-sac where nobody will see it…
I have just this evening received a warning about the vlei from the city, please see below.
Good day All
Hope you are doing well.
A message for the City of Cape Town’s Scientic Services informed that during their routine sampling programme,
a marked increase in the E.coli count was observed.
This led them to inform our department that No recreational activity must be allowed at Zeekoevlei.
This includes full and intermediate contact with the water. ( no swimming, diving, water skiing, angling, canoeing, paddling and wading.)
Warning signage have been erected at the main picnic area as well as at the mouth of the Big Lotus River.
Further developments will be communicated as the matter unfolds.
Kind Regards
Grant Mackenzie
Environmental Health Practitioner
City Health Directorate
Lakeside Environmental Health
Tel : 021 788 9350
Fax : 021 788 9844
E-mail: Grant.Mackenzie@capetown.gov.za
Web: http://www.capetown.gov.za/health
SHOCKING!
… To little to late as far as I am concerned, how long have we been at risk without them telling us? My children swim in the vlei and my dogs drink it.
That is what I received, sent to at least 100 other people – LETS pretend we are doing the right thing…
NOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN CAUGHT OUT!
So what is the truth?
- check the date on these results
I was informed, by a resident, that there was sewerage coming down the Lotus river into Zeekoevlei. I informed our Local ward councillor, Shawn August who immediately asked what was going on and sent me the following email…
——– Original message ——–
From: Alfred Wolfgang Moll
Date:03/10/2014 19:50 (GMT+02:00)
To: Shaun August
Cc: Pierre Maritz , Pierre Maritz , Pierre Maritz , Peter Flower , Malcolm Cupido , Randall Josephs , Mjikisile Vulindlu
Subject: RE: URGENT ACTION NEEDED
Dear Councillor,
The situation that you describe is caused by blockages as described in the attached “Ward33-drain blockage”. An analysis of the waters in the Big Lotus and Little Lotus rivers is as per attached “FW:Bacteriological results fro vleis and rivers”.
As discussed, the Big Lotus and Little Lotus rivers feed into Zeekoevlei, and considering the results attached, body contact with the water should be avoided in these water bodies. The commendable cleaning operations described below can be undertaken provided body contact with these waters is avoided.
Signage was erected in the past, however this is subjected to vandalism. I have asked the local Environmental health staff to check if this is still in place.
Regards
Alf Moll Pr Eng
Head: Operational Logistics
Water & Sanitation Department
Reticulation Branch
cnr Queen & Oxford Streets, Durbanville
Tel: 021 444 7338
Cell: 084 207 9472
Fax: 086 576 1111
So what had they done to warn us?, and the Yacht club?, and the rowers?, and the fishermen?, and those who eat the fish to survive?, and the children swimming in it these school holidays?, and on and on.
NOTHING!
below email on the 3rd Oct
Hi Alf
I am afraid it is not looking good, heavily polluted. No public contact should be allowed.
Kind regards,
Mjikisile Vulindlu Head: Biological Sciences
Scientific Services
Off Jan Smuts Drive, Athlone 7764
Thanks Richard!
Without my lawyer by my side, I’m almost too scared to comment as what I’ll say is bound to be in some way libelous!
Is it not time for a lawsuit? How much longer can the City be allowed to continue to contravene National Law by polluting a natural water body? This they readily do, yet take the high ground in criticizing others who contravene other legislation!
That through the actions or inactions of some City official/s the lifestyles of residents, the recreation of those belonging to one of the 12 constituted Clubs using the Vlei, the City’s own Education programme and the fauna & flora of a Nature Reserve are compromised is just not able to be tolerated.
To then maliciously – that’s all I can call it – withhold word and warning of the incident is simply criminal given the potential medical implications of such a “spill”.
I seem to recall that a Municipal Election looms in the next year or two – let us remember who stands up with integrity to be counted at a time like this!
Regards,
Len
Cllr Shawn August – reacted fast and efficiently in getting info as soon as he was informed, I am sure he will help us sort this out, but yes we need to take action to stop this in the future and hold those responsible responsible for the mess. If a private company did this what would be the result? Hefty fines and clean-up fees and they could even be shut down, the CoCT should face the same consequences…
Like I said before… Lets pay our rates into an Escrow account and withold it until the CoCT give a binding undertaking to attend to ALL the outstanding problems in the Zeekeoivlei Nature Reserve. No one keeps the vlei clean beside the residents.
Just look at the the state of Victoria Road after the High School. These patch jobs are not good enough.
Canoeists out there today by the Big Lotus-6 of them out on the water,just phoned the Pelican Lodge to get people out of the water,referred them to Zeekoevlei and Bottom Road websites
Incidentally they did not know ath about the spill -the city has a lot to answer for
I have sent out the news to multiple news orgs- expect coverage on this shortly, CapeTalk are investigating,was mentioned twice on the drive show this afternoon , idea-please call CapeTalk tomorrow am 0214460567
Given that even the humble Zeekoe Vlei Ratepayer & Resident has access to and understanding of the above Bacteriological Report dated 18th September 2014 exposing the pathological levels of E.Coli in the Vlei, how is it possible that Councillor van Minnen, in charge of the City’s Health matters, can claim that the said report does not exhibit inordinately high levels of coliforms.
To add insult to injury, when asked by Cape Talk’s Africa Melanie what symptoms would indicate exposure to E. Coli, she illustrated her ignorance of the subject matter by suggesting that medical assistance be sought at the first sign of runny noses and cold-like symptoms only thereafter suggesting diarrhoea as a symptom. Surely the City’s spokesperson on matters Health should know that E.Coli and runny noses are unrelated and that diarrhoea would be the first likely manifestation of exposure to E.Coli.
She predictably didn’t know what she was talking about. I then had to phone in and give my 2 cents worth. This really is quite frankly a massive case of negligence bordering on criminality- what should be the next step as a community?
The stench in unbearable here in Bottom Road Sanctuary on Northern shore
@zeekoevleiBR: Zeekoevlei must mobilize vs city of cape town criminality re pollution of major water body-stench #sick follow@zeekoevleiBR on twitter
Report Bottom Road- the stench this am is terrible again
@zeekoevleiBR: @helenzille @PatriciaDeLille Zeekoevlei must mobilize vs city of cape town criminality re pollution of major water body-stench #sick
@helenzille: @zeekoevleiBR @CapeTalk567 I have contacted the relevant people to take action asap. @giselakaiser @AUjfalussy
@BeachCleanSA: @WesternCapeGov @zeekoevleiBR @discoverctwc Ys but not cleaned to Interntnl Std as Mech clening reqd, go to http://www.beachclean.co.za see why
http://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/residents-raise-stink-over-vlei-1.1148072#.VDoh66O6LMI nothings changed!
@AUjfalussy: @helenzille @zeekoevleiBR @CapeTalk567 @giselakaiser yes, &city has done advisories to clubs &residents. Treating water to normalize it ASAP latest from city
and what about the sludge below
e-coli, only 1 bit of the sh1t!
so where did the Dredging E.I.A go
if you know, we’d like you to share it!
Bill Harding, River, lake and wetland specialist
All sorts of issues here – most notably the apparent long delay between the report being generated, i.e. awareness of the problem at DSS – and anything being done about it? While the horse has now well and truly bolted (I assume it was a once-off spill), – the normal routine would be to alert relevant departments (obviously a sewer leak so easy to do) and re-sample immediately and again thereafter until the data show a return to normality. Why this was not done is unclear to me and I have no idea of the range of contemporaneous data – i.e. this might occur more often than you’d expect – or do you guys see the routine data on a regular basis (these days they should be posted on a publically-accessible webpage on the day they are generated).
It would also have been useful to see in-vlei counts during the same period – i.e. to assess the level of dilution and natural attrition. This time of year, i.e. just ahead of the algal growth season, is also not ideal for a large plug of sewage-borne nutrients to be added to the vlei.
There is no excuse for the apparent poor level of information and understanding on the part of the elected official – but is this not entirely in line with what we see these days?
I have to say that, based on my extensive experience and knowledge of Zeekoevlei – I would never choose to swim in it or come into contact with the water. The health-associated risks are simply too great for such a polluted vlei, forming part of the urban drainage system of the south-eastern metropole.
Best of luck!
Bill
Well done Richard- an excellent discussion on the radio tonight on Zeekoevlei, all the issues were profoundly highlighted; Voice of the Cape