Hyacinth crisis in Ekurhuleni concerns DA
According to Ward 23 Clr André du Plessis, the DA regards the water bodies as critical to the livelihood of citizens living within the metro and calls for greater accountability and action to tackle the source of the problem and not just the symptoms to avert the crisis.
Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow MMC for Environment and Waste Management Services in Ekurhuleni alderman André du Plessis says the party in the local vicinity is gravely concerned over what he deems is a lack of political will and urgency shown by the ANC-governed metro in dealing with the hyacinth crisis in the City of Ekurhuleni’s (CoE) dams and lakes.
Du Plessis warns that despite the use of a Water Master Machine, which dredges the water bodies of various plant invader species, the process is tediously slow and deals with the symptom and not the bigger problem.
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“Evidence of this includes the Brakpan Dam, which is virtually 100 per cent covered with hyacinths despite the Water Master working on it for the past six months,” explained the Ward 23 councillor.
“Aside from this inefficiency, a secondary problem takes root in the removal of the extracted hyacinth which is dumped onto the embankments, which creates a risk of these alien invader species to other waterways within the vicinity.
“It is therefore imperative that a proper environmental management plan is adhered to in accordance with the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act, to avoid these problems.
According to du Plessis, a “very lucrative” tender was awarded to a company by the municipality to manage the control of alien invader species throughout the metro.
“We are yet to see their credentials or scientific inputs into how they (the tender-awarded company) intend to tackle the on-going crisis.
“Compounding the crisis is the failing infrastructure that is causing raw sewage being pumped into Benoni Lakes on a daily basis, thus creating an ideal environment for hyacinth to grow and multiply.
“This situation is simply untenable for the municipality’s water bodies and has the potential to spiral into a full-blown environmental disaster.
“I have written to the HOD of environmental and waste management, as well as the City Manager, demanding urgent solutions coupled with specialised, scientific and legally compliant action in tackling the hyacinth crisis that is threatening our dams and lakes.
“Aside from my efforts, other DA councillors have been applying pressure on the CoE to take measures to resolve the crisis.
“Furthermore, Clr Melanie Haggard, Ward 28, and her ward committees have done extensive research on alternative biological controls of the increasing levels of hyacinth in the Benoni Dams.
“Their inputs, however, have been largely ignored by a metro that seems to lack the political will in dealing with the crisis.
The councillor added the municipality purchased a 12-seater speedboat in order to provide support and maintenance to the effort to control alien invader species, but that the speedboat is yet to be launched.
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