Growing Public Outcry Forces City To Fix The Aquarium

The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) has committed to fixing up the KuGompo City Aquarium ahead of the festive season to cater for an expected influx of visitors.

This response follows growing concerns about the aquarium's aging infrastructure and its poor state; attracting negative feedback from locals and others beyond the city borders.

These concerns were amplified in a circulating TikTok video, showing the condition of parts of the facility, which attracted reactions from the social media platform users. Some shared their own negative experiences after visiting the facility and others expressing concern about the state of the aquarium and other animal facilities in KuGompo City.

The public reaction has placed renewed attention on the condition of a facility that has, in the past, played an important role in attracting tourists and visitors to the city's beachfront. BCMM spokesperson Luzuko Buku acknowledged concerns regarding the maintenance and general condition of the aquarium but stressed that the municipality considers the facility an important heritage, educational, conservation and tourism asset.

Established in 1932, this is the oldest aquarium in South Africa and because of its age, the facility requires ongoing maintenance, repairs and refurbishment. Buku said the City was currently implementing a turnaround maintenance plan, with several interventions planned to address areas that have deteriorated.

Among the projects is the refurbishment of the aquarium's exterior penguin pool, the decking, the tiling, painting and general refurbishment, with the municipality saying it was now finalising the procurement process and intends to complete this by December this year.

The deadline is significant, as BCMM wants the aquarium to be in a better condition ahead of the peak holiday period, when visitor activity is expected to increase. The concerns have not been limited to the physical appearance of the aquarium.

One TikTok user, commenting on the video, suggested that both the aquarium and zoo should be closed because of what they described as the "brutal" treatment of animals.

Another user, @Asithandile🍃, simply commented: "The smell 😩", suggesting that unpleasant odours were among their concerns about the facility. A third TikTok user, @🇿🇦Jikky_07🇿🇦, expressed disappointment at the decline of places they remembered fondly. Her comment in isiXhosa, loosely translated into English, reads:

"Yhooo, this used to be such a nice-looking place. We used to go there when we went to the beach or went out with school. I was even shocked when I saw a video of the zoo; it was also in a terrible state. East London is falling apart, and it is sad to witness it."

The comments reflect the emotional connection some residents have with the aquarium and other attractions in the City, while also highlighting growing public frustration over their condition.

While BCMM acknowledged that the condition of the aquarium had become a concern, it rejected any suggestion that the maintenance challenges had compromised animal welfare.

Buku said the welfare and care of the animals remain a priority and that aquarium staff continue to monitor and care for them. He added that work was underway to strengthen the animal collections and exhibit offering, with the objective of substantially restoring the exhibits and improving their operation by December 2026.

The City was also considering renting out the upper-level office space as part of efforts to improve the facility's overall sustainability. Buku said they were busy engaging prospective tenants for those spaces. "The expectation is that their occupation will contribute positively to the utilisation and sustainability of the aquarium," he said.

The municipality's response comes at a crucial time for the KuGompo City Aquarium, which is not only a tourism attraction but also a heritage and educational institution.

BCMM says it remains committed to preserving the aquarium and addressing its infrastructure and maintenance challenges so that it can continue serving East London and the broader community.