Amanzimtoti’s Ilanda Wilds to receive some attention

Ward 97 councillor, André Beetge, was elated to receive confirmation that funding is now available to clear Illanda Wilds between Riverside Road and Hutchison Park of alien invaders, with commitment from natural resources to open up the trails.

Beetge said there is often a misconception of the different departments within local government and what their respective responsibilities are. One is the parks, recreation and cemeteries department, which has different sub divisions such as parks, sport, stadiums, beach management, aquatic safety, pools, cemeteries, verge cutting and so on, which also includes natural resources such as rivers, reserves, Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D’Moss) and streams.

“Although they all fall within the same cluster and answer to the same management structure, these departments are often separated from each other, with their own individual budgets, planning and agendas, which may or may not align with that of their sister departments.

“This can possibly be better explained when local situations come into play, for example, beach cleaning after heavy rains where the beach cleaners are responsible to remove outfall from the time that it reaches the actual sand, as opposed to natural resources that would be responsible for clearing from the river mouth upstream and including the immediate banks. Given their limited human resources component, this is more than often not done, resulting in the rubbish remaining trapped in the undergrowth or stream, with resulting outfall onto the beaches come the next downpour.

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“Against this background we engaged this department and the department of environmental affairs for assistance in addressing some of the challenges experienced within the ambit of our river to the point where we are able to confirm that funding has been availed from the national fiscal to facilitate cleanup exercises that should include river mouths, streams and embankments for all contaminated rivers from Isipingo to Umkomaas, with inception from January.”

To add to this, the municipality has taken note of the plights surrounding Illanda Wilds that is now overgrown with alien invaders, despite its sporting and cultural significance to the area, and the project was approved. A service provider will eradicate alien invaders, while the natural resources line department will maintain open grassed areas as public open space, thereby affording the Toti public safer access and accommodating various sporting activities along the banks of the Amanzimtoti River.

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