Cape Town - The Soet River Catchment Management Forum has taken action to combat pollution in the Helderberg basin’s vital waterway.
The Soet River, winding through the Helderberg basin and passing through Lwandle, Nomzamo, and Strand, has become a focal point for environmental action.
The forum has now taken a significant step towards rejuvenating the river, with the immediate focus being on the upper section of the river.
Forum chairperson, Dave Walker, lives near the river mouth.
He said the river is in a dire condition and requires a significantly increased focus from the City, Sanral and other stakeholders.
“Through the catchment forum, a dedicated team can work together to set reasonable, achievable targets with deadlines, to significantly improve the flow and water quality,” he said.
Proposed actions include educational awareness campaigns and the installation of effective litter traps, among other initiatives.
The City plans to invest in the installation of litter interceptors in the river, which will aid in capturing debris before it reaches the ocean, alongside regular cleaning and maintenance as outlined in the Soet River Pollution Abatement Strategy and Action Plan.
Zahid Badroodien, the City’s mayco member for water and sanitation, said the formation of the forum is a crucial goal for the Water and Sanitation
Directorate, as part of the Mayoral Priority Programme.
“In partnership with community organisations and through joint interventions, these fora can become drivers for improvement of inland water quality across the City,” he said.
Badroodien joined the forum for a walk along the river on Tuesday, highlighting its current challenges.
Simthembile Mfecane from the Nomzamo community, referred to the plans as mere “lip service”, expressing scepticism about their actual implementation due to the City’s past shortcomings in tackling the issue.
“It is a very good initiative. It is not a new initiative. It was there for a while, this is the problem of the City, they always come up with something great and exciting, but the challenge is the implementation they don't implement the projects,” he said.
The forum will now monitor the progress of all objectives set out in the high-level action plan on a monthly basis.
Meanwhile, Badroodien encouraged residents to get involved by attending forum meetings.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus