‘We are not working towards an end goal’: After 5 years and R50m, Centurion Lake remains unrehabilitated

Once a popular destination for locals and visitors to get some sun while taking in spectacular views, Centurion Lake has been reduced to a barren pit of sand with no relief in sight.

Rehabilitation of the attraction began in 2019 to remove litter and reduce the risk of flooding.

The project was initiated by Hennops River Revival, a non-profit organisation focused on the restoration of the Hennops River, and was reportedly allocated R28.6 million.

The City of Tshwane joined the rehabilitation efforts in 2021.

“This thing [project] just grew and grew, and the more active it became, the municipality also became a part of it,” said Hennops River Revival founder Tarryn Johnston told The Citizen.

During an interview with The Citizen, Jeanne Erasmus said the lake was beautiful before construction began.

“It used to be lovely. There was water fountains and lights and music, and everybody went there at night to go and watch the fountains,” she said.

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‘We are not working towards an end goal’

The city has received more than R28 million, in addition to the money allocated to the Hennops River Revival, since 2021 for the programme, with Adaptation and Resilience Programmes Director at the City of Tshwane Lutske Newton explaining that R7 million is earmarked for the lake’s desilting every year.

Newton said maintenance was ongoing, with no date set for full rehabilitation to be complete.

“It is an ongoing process […] we are not working towards an end goal, it is a continuous maintenance programme of keeping the river sand and silt out,” she said.

Speaking to The Citizen, Richard Weideman, a manager of a restaurant near the lake, said the lake is deteriorating.

“It’s been a couple of years since maintenance began, I’d say anything from five years, that the lake has been deteriorating,” he said.

The Citizen visited the southern section of the lake on 13 September and saw multiple trucks removing silt from the lake’s basin.

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Rehabilitation progress thus far

Newton said the southern section of the lake was drained to remove river sand caused by illegal mining.

“We have so much river sand accumulating there because of all the illegal sand mining that is taking place upstream in the City of Ekurhuleni.

“We have desilted the lake every year in the winter season and removed 260 000 cubic metres of river sand to reduce flooding risks,” she said.

Newton said it is important to acknowledge the sources of pollution that come from upstream.

The city said through sponsorships, it was able to design a litter trap that will be launched on Thursday.

Court order against the city

Centurion Mall, owned by Redefine Properties, served the city with a court order that compelled it to implement a water-use licence in the project.

“We are in line with the court order, so there is nothing to report on there.”

The Citizen reached out to the property company for comment on the court order issued.

“You are going to need to contact the City of Tshwane for that information, they must give you the statement,” Redefine Properties responded.

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