Rethink The Stink

20/08/2026

You are invited to Living Water: Cape Town's Sacred Heritage and Shared Future on 1 September at Holy Trinity in Kalk Bay.

Although this opens the Season of Creation, it isn't only a church event. We want to bring together faith, community, water, livelihoods, heritage and environmental voices and hear from people already experiencing and responding to water issues locally.

Dr Vanessa Farr will be the principal speaker, followed by a conversation including local community voices.

We will also ask people to tell us what is already happening around Cape Town's waters and what communities themselves might want to do during September.

Everyone is welcome — people of every faith and none.

Please share the attached invitation with anyone you think should be part of the conversation. 💧

https://forms.gle/tyoXMRUae5Sw3UYdA

20/08/2026

https://tabletalk.co.za/news/2026-08-17-watchthousands-of-dead-pilchards-washed-ashore-along-cape-towns-coastline/?fbclid=IwdGRzaATzdHxjbGNrBPN0I3Bkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeR-no7rJGDeYpT-5QHFiE2k63L5aKXeVjGFnHC8kfha-jlTN7fRmX6xdTfL8_aem_JX_-HpO4O8jfNAylqWNY_g&sfnsn=scwspwa

As thousands of dead pilchards wash ashore along Cape Town's coastline, scientists investigate the alarming cause behind this mass die-off, raising concerns about marine health.

19/08/2026

It’s encouraging to see community recycling programmes finally being rolled out after years of calls for greater investment in waste separation and recycling.

But 22 groups in a city the size of Cape Town is only a start. These programmes need to be accessible in every suburb and community, with convenient collection systems that make recycling easy.

Effective separation at source can help reduce litter, illegal dumping and the enormous amount of waste ending up in our stormwater systems, rivers, wetlands and ultimately our oceans.

Empowering communities with the infrastructure, support and opportunities to recover waste is an investment in cleaner neighbourhoods and healthier rivers and oceans.

19 AUGUST 2026

MEDIA STATEMENT BY ALDERMAN GRANT TWIGG, URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT MAYCO MEMBER

Community Recycling in Cape Town Is Growing — And So Are the Opportunities

What started in August 2025 with the first community-led Separation at Source (S@S) project in Ward 7 has grown into a movement that is reaching communities across Cape Town.

Today, we have 22 community recycling groups, with more communities joining on a regular basis.

But this growth is about far more than recycling. It is about communities taking ownership, creating opportunities, supporting families, and building a more circular local economy.

Our community-based S@S model puts residents at the centre. Households separate dry recyclables at source, community volunteers collect and sort the material, and SMMEs purchase the recyclables. The result is a practical system that diverts valuable materials from landfill while creating income opportunities for participating volunteers.

Between January and June 2026 alone, participating projects diverted 37 589 kg of waste from landfill. The programme is creating an economic benefit for participating volunteers. The value of over R70 000 of recyclables has been collected by groups over time.

Projects are currently operating in communities including Scottsdene, Scottsville, Eerste River, Mfuleni, Delft, Khayelitsha, Langa, Atlantis, Mamre, Nyanga and Du Noon, with multiple groups operating in some areas.

The message is simple: waste has value, and communities can unlock that value.

When residents are given the opportunity, support and knowledge to separate recyclables, they can make a real difference. They can help create cleaner neighbourhoods, reduce illegal dumping, divert waste from landfill and generate additional household income.

This programme is coordinated through my office as the Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, working together with communities, Producer Responsibility Organisations and private-sector partners, at no cost to the City.

I am particularly proud of how this initiative has grown from a demonstration project into a growing community movement.

22 groups today.
More communities joining.
More recyclables recovered.
More families benefiting.
More waste diverted from landfill.

This is what community-led circular economy action looks like.
The movement is on the move, and we are only getting started.

ENDS

17/08/2026

There is currently no evidence linking sewage pollution from rivers or direct discharge to the pilchard die-off.

However, excess nutrients from sewage can fuel algal blooms and contribute to low-oxygen conditions, while pilchard herpesvirus which affects the gills may make infected fish less able to cope with that stress.

Scientists are still investigating the cause .But one thing is clear: humans may not cause every algal bloom or low-oxygen event, but sewage pollution adds unnecessary nutrients and stress to our oceans.

Reducing that pollution is something we can and should control.

Laboratory tests confirm the presence of pilchard herpesvirus in sardines along the Western Cape coastline, raising alarms as dead fish continue to wash up around Milnerton. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment investigates the cause of this alarming mass mortality event.

17/08/2026

Update: Pilchards continued to wash up yesterday afternoon on Sunset Beach, Cape Town with many appearing to have died in the past few days.

Pilchard herpesvirus has been detected in dead fish samples elsewhere , but it has also been found at low levels in healthy fish. So, its presence alone does not prove that it is the sole cause of the pilchard die-off.

The virus affects the fish’s gills, which makes it harder for infected fish to cope with low oxygen levels, which can occur naturally. However, algal blooms can also reduce oxygen in the water. While algal blooms are a natural part of marine ecosystems, excess nutrients from sewage and polluted rivers can act like fertiliser, encouraging excessive algal growth.

These factors can work together. Sick or weakened fish may be less able to survive when faced with low oxygen, algal blooms, or other environmental stresses.

Scientists are still investigating the cause of the die-off, but one thing is clear: humans may not cause every algal bloom or low-oxygen event, but sewage pollution adds unnecessary stress and nutrients to our oceans. Reducing that pollution is something we can and should control.

15/08/2026

Devastating scenes on Milnerton, Sunset and Blouberg beaches in Cape Town , as thousands of dead pilchards continue to wash ashore today.

The exact cause of these mass die-offs has yet to be established. Viruses and harmful algal blooms are among the possible causes being investigated, and scientists are continuing to work to understand what is happening.

Whatever the final cause, this event is a stark reminder of how vulnerable our marine ecosystems are.

We urgently need to reduce the excessive nutrient loads entering our oceans through sewage polluted rivers and direct sewage discharges. Excess nutrients can fuel harmful algal blooms,
contribute to oxygen depletion and disrupt the delicate ecological balance on which marine life depends.

Protecting our oceans means addressing pollution at its source. 🌊



Photo Credit: Jason Lava Smith

15/08/2026

Important new findings on the ongoing mass sardine mortality along South Africa’s West Coast. Laboratory testing has detected pilchard herpesvirus genetic material, but scientists have not yet established that the virus is responsible for the deaths.
The investigation is continuing, with harmful algal blooms, low oxygen levels and unusual oceanographic conditions among the possible contributing factors.
The findings highlight just how complex this event may be—and why continued scientific investigation is so important. They also remind us that the overall health and resilience of our oceans matters. Protecting our marine environment means understanding and addressing the multiple pressures affecting our coastal ecosystems, including pollution and nutrient inputs.

Laboratory testing has confirmed the presence of pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) genetic material in sardines linked to the recent mass mortality event along South Africa's West Coast. Link below 👇

08/08/2026

🚨 100 YEARS TO STOP DUMPING RAW SEWAGE INTO OUR OCEAN?
Any move towards treating the millions of litres of raw sewage discharged every day into Cape Town’s Marine Protected Areas is welcome.But at an estimated cost of over R6 billion, with just R63 million allocated for 2026/27 the proposed pace of investment could mean around 100 years to complete the work.

Our ocean cannot wait 100 years.

City Centre, Hout Bat and Atlantic Seaboard ratepayers already pay substantial amounts for sewage charges. Pumping their sewage out to sea untreated simply because it is cheaper should never be the long-term solution.

These are Marine Protected Areas, established to protect our marine ecosystems — not convenient disposal sites for untreated sewage.

The Coastal Discharge Permits remain under appeal. We hope the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment will use this opportunity to impose firm conditions requiring the City to dramatically accelerate the transition to proper sewage treatment.

💙 Protecting our marine environment cannot be postponed for another century.

05/08/2026

It is deeply concerning that, in addition to the ongoing mass sardine die-off, mass krill die-offs have now been been reported, along with the deaths of other fish species washing ashore. This suggests that the impact may extend beyond sardines alone and highlights the urgent need for a thorough scientific investigation into the cause of these mortality events.

A harmful algal bloom involving the toxin-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella has been documented in the Saldanha Bay area. Harmful algal blooms are often fuelled by excess nutrients from sewage-polluted rivers and untreated sewage discharged directly into the ocean, as occurs in Cape Town. Although investigations into the cause of these widespread marine deaths are continuing, the presence of this harmful algal bloom raises serious concerns and reinforces the urgent need to reduce nutrient pollution entering our coastal waters.

Members of the public have been warned not to collect or eat the dead sardines. At present, there are no confirmed reports of other marine wildlife being affected, although investigations are ongoing.

Wydverspreide sardynvrektes langs die Wes-Kaapse kus word ondersoek terwyl nuwe uitspoelings van Saldanha tot Bettiesbaai aangemeld word.

04/08/2026

Dead sardines have washed ashore along hundreds of kilometres of South Africa's west coast.

The public has been warned not to collect or eat the dead sardines, and to date there have been no reports of any other wildlife being affected.

While investigations into the cause of this mass sardine die-off continue, a harmful algal bloom involving the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella has been reported in the Saldanha Bay area.

Although the exact cause has not yet been confirmed, harmful algal blooms are often fuelled by excess nutrients entering coastal waters.

In Cape Town, nutrients from sewage-polluted rivers and millions of litres of untreated sewage discharged directly into the ocean provide the conditions that can promote harmful algal blooms
Reducing nutrient pollution by properly treating sewage before it enters our rivers and oceans is essential to protecting marine ecosystems, fisheries, public health, and the livelihoods that depend on healthy coastal waters.

Dead Sardines Wash Ashore From Saldanha Bay To Gansbaai As Testing Begins