KAAPMUIDEN – The cause of a cyanide spill in the Kaap River which resulted in the death of many fish, is still an unexplained mystery.

The river flows into the Crocodile River. The fish were discovered around midday on September 24 on the Honeybird farm next to the Kaap River, when the farm manager, Mr John Clark, went to switch on water pumps at the Kudu Farm pump station.

Members of the Lower Kaap Irrigation Board took water samples that same day which were analysed by Labserve Nelspruit and the tests indicated high levels of cyanide. The water bailiff for the Lower Kaap Irrigation Board, Mr Pieter van Wyk, told Lowvelder that they were still busy with the investigation as to the source of the contamination. He asked the paper to please warn the people next to the river to be careful when using the water for drinking or washing.

A water analyst of Skukuza, Mr Robin Petersen also took samples of the polluted water and dead fish. They were still waiting for results. According to Mr John Clark, manager of Honeybird farm, a team of Barberton Mines also came to investigate and took samples the next day.

A spokesman for the Barberton Mines, Mr Jonathan Irons, told Lowvelder that their investigation indicated that there was no cyanide contamination, no leaks or spillages from any slime dams at any of the mines in their cluster. Irons said, “It’s not that I want to pull a Volkswagen on you, but the laboratories that tested our samples said there is no cyanide contamination. We are still waiting for some of the results, and will keep Lowvelder informed.”

Farm owners of the neighbouring farm Koedoekraal, also reported the dead fish. Mr Henri Pieters, one of the owners, says the river is the source of water for many people. He also confirmed that local people told him that, “this pollution always happen after a storm. It’s the second incident this year.”