Tshwane redirects ‘litter-infested’ Centurion lake rehabilitation funds

Millions of rands allocated to the revival and rehabilitation of the once prestigious Centurion Lake has since been directed elsewhere by the City of Tshwane.

“Since the project couldn’t kick off due to no approved tender, the funds initially allocated to this project were re-prioritised,” said Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.

Instead, those funds were transferred to electricity, water, sanitation and road maintenance “where the needs were more than the initially allocated budgets”.

That, however, did not mean that the metro will not be going ahead with plans to dredge the lake and turn it into a park or wetland with a river by-pass.

Mashigo said the metro was busy appointing a contractor from their existing panel of service providers for the development of detailed construction designs for the rehabilitation of the lake.

“The service provider will be appointed to produce detailed designs from which the rehabilitation of the lake will emanate from. The provider is expected to be awarded by the end of September.”

The metro was continuously performing maintenance of the Hennops River catchment area.

This maintenance includes, but is not limited to unblocking of the sluice gates at the Centurion Lake dam wall as well as the unblocking of the low bridges before and after the lake.

“Litter picking along the river which is done in cooperation with the Hennops Revival NGO,” said Mashingo.

In February, it was reported that the remaining two sluice gates of the lake were opened to make way for phase 1 of the project to rehabilitate the lake.

Phase 1 was only the preparation work for the long-term plan and was originally is scheduled for completion in August.

It was planned that it would take five months before phase 1 of the desolation and dredging process would be completed.

Hennops Revival Organisation founder Tarryn Johnston said the first phase of the project nor has the desiltation started yet.

“Quite a lot has happened behind the actual lake. On the other side of the river, a lot of work has been done – just no actual desilting yet.”

Johnston said criminals have not only completely vandalised the lake’s pumphouse, but completely stripped the structure.

“I went there recently,” she said.

“It has been vandalised and completely destroyed. The roof has been stolen and the ceiling has been damaged. The fittings were also removed. The place is beyond restoration.”

Tarryn said she would recommend that the area is fenced off to make the lake less accessible.

Lyttelton police station spokesperson Captain Dave Miller said that while several crimes have been reported in the vicinity of the lake, crime has dropped “dramatically” thanks to teamwork by police and mall management as well as security companies in the area.

“The mall management along with the security companies have gone the extra mile to secure the area. They have made a security guard available to patrol around the lake to help reduce crime, especially at the Hendrik Verwoerd bridge and around the lake,” said Miller.

Many are starting to embrace the idea of the wetland effect that has emerged at the lake over the years with blossoming birdlife that tourists find appealing.

The two most significant benefits of the wetland effect are the reduction of flood risk and water purifying properties.

This article first appeared on Rekord and was republished with permission.

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