Community removes 1 623 tonnes of water lettuce from Vaal River
About 50 volunteers scooped the plants out of the water with their hands and more than 15 boats and jetskis pushed the water lettuce to four different removal points.
AfriForum together with several other organisations, businesses and community members removed more than 1 623 tonnes of water lettuce from the Vaal River.
This while the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs have still not done anything about this invasive plant after almost a month.
On Saturday, February 3, about 50 volunteers scooped the plants out of the water with their hands and more than 15 boats and jetskis pushed the water lettuce to four different removal points. Seven trucks were standing by to drive away the water lettuce and four full loads were removed every hour.
“We as a community are actually now doing work that is the government’s responsibility. It is clear to us that the government does not care about our scarce resource and would rather spend time having meetings than actually doing something about the problem. We can’t just sit in meetings while the problems outside worsen,” AfriForum’s Regional Head for the central region, Jaco Grobbelaar said.
Businesses and community members already started to remove water lettuce on 28 January – they removed 70 tonnes then.
“We will continue with this project until our river is clean. People are donating funds that will be used to look at sustainable solutions to save the Vaal River. It doesn’t help to ask the government, who has already failed on several levels, to intervene before our ecosystem is further damaged,” says Grobbelaar.
According to Lambert de Klerk, AfriForum’s manager for Environmental Affairs, this project was an excellent example of the success that can be achieved and the difference that people can make if they work together.
“The community sets a good example of what we can achieve if we work together. If it wasn’t for the quick action and willingness of the community, the river would have looked much worse and could have easily turned into something similar to the hyacinth crisis in the Hartbeespoort Dam.”
Members of the public, businesses and organisations who want to get involved in this project can make a donation that will help to fund this project.
The details are:
Account Name: AfriForum NPC
Account Number: 623 4989 8398
Branch: FNB Centurion
Branch Code: 261-550
Reference: Vaalrivier