South Africa’s coastline is a national jewel, a 3,000km ribbon of pristine beaches, vibrant marine ecosystems and economic lifelines that weave together fisheries, tourism and livelihoods for millions.
Yet, this precious tapestry is fraying under the strain of a preventable scourge: untreated or poorly managed discharges from municipal wastewater systems. Like poison seeping into a vibrant river, raw sewage, industrial effluents and stormwater runoff are tainting our oceans, choking marine life, threatening public health and unravelling the fabric of our blue economy. As minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, I am resolute about stemming this toxic tide, but it demands steadfast compliance from those who hold the reins of responsibility.
For too long, some municipalities have treated environmental regulations as mere whispers on the wind rather than ironclad obligations. The National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act and the National Water Act, among other legislative beacons, light the path for managing coastal discharges.
These laws mandate permits for any effluent release, require vigilant monitoring and reporting and demand infrastructure upgrades to dam the flow of pollution. Noncompliance is not a mere stumble; it is a wrecking ball swung against our ecosystems. We have witnessed the fallout: algal blooms smothering bays like a suffocating fog, fish kills leaving our fisheries gasping and beaches shuttered to swimmers due to E. coli contamination. These crises not only wound biodiversity, but also bleed our economy dry, costing billions of rand in lost tourism revenue and cleanup efforts.
Regulatory mandate
Over the past five years, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has consistently exercised its regulatory mandate to uphold South Africa’s environmental legislation across all four coastal provinces. A range of compliance actions — including administrative enforcement notices, pre-directives, and compliance notices — have been issued to municipalities at both metropolitan and local levels.
These have addressed contraventions under key coastal environmental law — the National Environmental Management Integrated Coastal Management Act (ICM Act). Importantly, these interventions demonstrate that enforcement is applied broadly and impartially, and is not directed at any single municipality or region. For example, Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay, and the City of Cape Town have all received enforcement notices in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces.
Similarly, in KwaZulu-Natal, notices and directives have been issued to eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and uMhlathuze Local Municipality, while in the Eastern Cape Amathole District Municipality, and Ugu District Municipality in KZN, have also been subject to compliance action.
At the local level, municipalities such as Kouga and Saldanha Bay have likewise been engaged through enforcement processes. This broad application underscores that the Department’s actions are guided solely by the imperative to safeguard the coastal and marine environment and uphold the rule of law without fear or favour.
Strengthening cooperative governance
Our aim is not only to address non-compliance, but also to strengthen cooperative governance and support municipalities in fulfilling their environmental responsibilities. By doing so, we help ensure that the natural resources and ecosystems upon which our communities depend are protected and sustained for generations to come.
Let me be clear as a coastal sunrise: the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment will hold any municipality accountable for coastal discharges if they are found noncompliant with these legislative requirements. My decisions will be anchored in evidence, guided by science and facts, not swayed by conjecture or convenience.
Different stakeholders are entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts. We will apply the law without fear, favour or prejudice, ensuring that those who pollute our coasts face the full weight of accountability. We are sharpening our tools, intensifying inspections, harnessing satellite monitoring and forging alliances with provincial authorities to enforce the law with unyielding resolve.
Penalties will strike like lightning, with fines, operational shutdowns and legal action against officials who fail to steer their duties. This is not about wielding a stick for its own sake; it is about shielding our shared heritage for generations yet to come. Municipalities that sidestep the rules cast a shadow over national efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, and betray the trust of their communities.
Lifelines
Yet, accountability must sail alongside support. Many municipalities grapple with rusted anchors like ageing infrastructure, strained budgets and capacity gaps. The department stands ready to throw lifelines through technical guidance, funding applications for green infrastructure and collaborative frameworks under the Operation Phakisa initiative.
But the helm remains with local governments to chart a course for compliance. Municipalities must ensure they adhere to environmental legislation and take every reasonable actionable step to do so, from conducting regular audits and investing in treatment plants to rallying communities in pollution prevention programmes.
Proactive measures, such as embracing nature-based solutions like wetlands for filtration, can transform potential storms into harbours of innovation and job creation.
We owe it to residents to keep our coastline clean, vibrant and to secure the future of our ecosystems. As we navigate the turbulent waters of the climate crisis, with rising sea levels and fiercer storms fanning the flames of pollution risks, there is no room for drifting.
South Africans deserve clean coasts, thriving oceans and governance as steady as a lighthouse. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment stands firm as a guardian of our environment, and I call on every municipality to join us in this vital voyage.
Together, we can ensure that our beaches remain beacons of pride, not scarred battlegrounds. The era of excuses has run aground; the age of enforcement has set sail. DM