Sundowner Dam is an eyesore and a shame compared to what it was – residents
The extensive fish and bird life at the dam either died out or moved on over the years when the dam silted up.
What was once a beautiful dam with thriving fish and bird life is now an eyesore to the community.
Most of the old Sundowner Dam – found in Sundowner Spruit Park – is overgrown with plants and trees.
The few flat places left are so muddy residents have taken it upon themselves to place wooden and concrete planks so they can cross the trickle of water that runs through it.
The thousands of fish that once lived in the water are now dead, and the birds have mostly relocated to greener pastures.
“The dam silted up many years ago and the water that escaped created an enormous ‘donga’ that is still getting deeper and deeper as water trickles through,” explained resident David Strachan.
“I first warned City Parks about this in 2014. Unfortunately, a separate sewage leak killed off many of the fish. By 2020, the donga formed and people struggled to cross the area to get to work, as many people use this as a shortcut.”
Strachan and Ward 134 councillor Devon Steenkamp met Randburg Sun on site, commenting that while many families still picnic and walk their dogs in the park, it is a far cry from the serene state it used to be.
“When it comes to dams it is the responsibility of the Joburg Roads Agency to do major projects,” Steenkamp said.
“But Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo is supposed to clean and cut green areas like this three times a year.”
Steenkamp said he could not recall the tall reeds ever being trimmed or removed since 2014.
In fact, Glenn Taylor and his family have to cut plants growing out of the spruit and encroaching on the pavement across the road from their home.
“They never do a proper job when they do cut,” Taylor said of City Parks.
“The plants are so tall criminals can hide behind them and we worry when we come home. This is all a result of the dam needing a fix.”
Steenkamp said he was told JRA had budgeted R2.5 million for a project on the dam for this financial year.
When he followed up on this, nothing had been done, so he plans to submit a written question to council.
City Parks spokesperson, Jenny Moodley said a ‘cut and clear’ of the dam had been scheduled for May, but the responsibility of the city’s dams falls under Joburg Roads Agency.
Questions were sent to the agency’s spokesperson Lucia Mhlanga on March 14 about what work JRA has done over the years to maintain the dam and its surrounding spruit, whether the issues brought forward by residents in the past were ever investigated, and what plans are in place to maintain the area going forward.
She was also asked to confirm whether R2.5 million was in fact budgeted for the dam and if so, what project was this for.
No comment was received by the time of going to print.
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