For many weeks now, residents in parts of Atlantis have been raising concerns about deteriorating air quality, describing persistent, heavy fumes that are affecting daily life and making breathing difficult.
Glen Ortell, who lives in Avondale, said that on Saturday, 11 April 2026, his home was filled with these fumes, describing the odour as ‘thick and heavy, like rubber that is burning’. “It makes breathing very difficult. It not only burns your eyes but also your throat.” While no residents have formally reported seeking medical attention, multiple complaints suggest a growing health concern, particularly for those exposed over extended periods. Ortell believes the source of the emissions is the GET Energy Plant located in the Atlantis Industrial Area along John van Niekerk Street.
“People working in the general vicinity, including those at Storage Guys next to the plant, experience this daily. Personnel at Tomeez Hire across the road also report similar conditions, as do employees at Phoenix Marine,” said Ortell. He said City of Cape Town officials have been made aware of the issue. A senior air quality practitioner visited his home in early February 2026, where she reportedly witnessed the fumes firsthand. Despite this, residents remain frustrated, saying there has been little visible improvement. Ortell said he has engaged with several City officials, including Ian Gildenhuys, the City’s Head of Specialised Environmental Health for Air Quality. However, he said this has not led to any resolution.
While officials from the local fire department also responded to complaints at his home in Bonaventura Street in Avondale, and confirmed the presence of the smell, enforcement action remains unclear. “Not that I am aware of,” Ortell said when asked whether any formal enforcement steps had been taken. He said local councillor Allister Lightburn has been copied on correspondence and has repeatedly called on City officials to take the necessary action. Responding to a media query from Impact News, the City of Cape Town has confirmed that it has received complaints about odours and associated symptoms in Atlantis. The City said that on Sunday evening, 1 March 2026, odour complaints described as ‘gas-like’ were reported to the Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC). A crew from the Atlantis Fire Station was dispatched to Avondale, where they confirmed the presence of a gas-like smell, but were unable to identify the source at the time, despite driving through the area. An investigation in the Atlantis industrial area on the same evening did not detect any odour. The following day, 2 March 2026, the complaint was escalated to the City’s Air Quality Management office. However, by then, the odour had dissipated and was no longer being experienced by those who had reported it.
However, residents insist on more decisive intervention. “We want the City to do its job — investigate and take the necessary action to ensure that air emissions are within lawful requirements, safe, and not intrusive to the public,” said Ortell. He said the matter may also be heading toward legal escalation, with two legal professionals who is willing to assist the community if need be. When asked what specific actions have been taken to date and what the outcomes of those interventions were, a City spokesperson said that, following receipt of visible emission and odour complaints, unannounced visits to the GET Energy Plant and formal compliance inspections were conducted by the City’s Environmental Management inspectors in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998. This was done to assess the facility’s compliance with its Provisional Atmospheric Emissions Licence.
The City spokesperson confirmed that a number of non-compliances were identified at the facility, and that a formal pre-compliance notice has been issued to the company directors. “They now have until 6 May 2026 to submit representations in response to the pre-compliance notice. Should no representations be received, a formal compliance notice will be issued,” said the spokesperson.
***Residents affected by odours are encouraged to report any such incidents to the City of Cape Town Air Quality Management office by either sending an email to airquality.support@capetown.gov.za or by calling the office at 021 444 2914 and providing a description of the odour, date, time, and weather conditions when the odour was experienced.
