Gugulethu’s Filthy Rat-Infested Canal

A dirty stinking canal filled with rotting rubbish and stagnant green water, runs from Sibanye Street to Tambo Street in Gugulethu, Cape Town. The last time it was cleaned was eight months ago.

“I know it’s summer and insects are common, but it feels like they are ten times worse now,” an elderly resident sitting on her porch told GroundUp. “Sometimes you’ll be sitting in your house with the door open and the whole house will smell like the canal.”

She said she frequently sees rodents scampering in the rubbish in the canal.

Former ward councillor Siyabulela Mamkeli said he noticed the state of the canal last year.

“I grew up in that area where the canal is and it used to be one of the cleanest canals. Even if you accidentally fell in, you wouldn’t worry about getting sick. But now it is filthy and cracked, which shows that not only is it not being cleaned, but it is not being maintained.

“I reported this situation to the City early last month. I even have the reference number to prove it. I am yet to see any results,” said Mamkeli.

When GroundUp asked the City why the canal was in such a state, we were referred to mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas. He said the City is aware of the canal’s current state. It was last cleared in May 2024 according to a scheduled routine. The next cleanup is set for March. But, he said, the Roads Infrastructure Management team only cleans canals to ensure their is sufficient capacity to transport stormwater, not to address illegal dumping. Inlets and outlets are cleared of vegetation to ensure that stormwater does not back up and cause flooding, he explained.

He said, “Illegal sewer connections and illegal dumping of solid waste are the biggest contributors to the pollution of the canal.”

The City then referred us to mayco member Zahid Badroodien responsible for sanitation and water. He blamed the situation on illegal dumping – “a big problem and difficult to regulate,” he said. “The impact on the City’s sewer and stormwater infrastructure is only found after the culprit is long gone.”

For the Athlone District, there are approximately ten kilometres of canals.

We found sections of canal so filled with rubbish, they hardly resembled a canal at all anymore.

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