South Africa: Western Cape winter storms leave piles of garbage along rivers and beaches

Plastic bags, baby food packaging, microplastics, medical waste, shoes and other items of clothing have been found lining some of the beaches and rivers of the Western Cape.

After weeks of heavy rains and strong winds, shocking photos and videos of the accumulation of waste have been shared across social media.

When Daily Maverick went out to photograph the pollution along rivers and beaches in some areas of Cape Town this week, we found enormous amounts of plastic items, nurdles and…