Ethekwini Municipality has confirmed it will release bio-control agents to combat the resurgence of water invasive plants on the Toti River and Little Amanzimtoti River.
After initially saying there was no budget to clean and rehabilitate Toti’s rivers in May, the municipality deployed two teams of Expanded Public Works Programme workers to remove water hyacinth in the Toti River and water lettuce in the Little Amanzimtoti River, even though this function is not the city’s mandate, but that of Water Affairs Department.
This happened at the same time a group of civic-minded residents, who call themselves the Army Saints, started meeting on Sundays to clear the lagoon and river of hyacinth.
“Towards the end of our financial year we appointed several teams to clean the water weeds in both rivers and they have done very good work. We intend bringing more teams again this financial year to do follow-ups and continue with the project,” said the senior manager of Natural Resources and Special Services, Sibusiso Mkhwanazi.
The natural resources division of the Parks, Leisure and Cemeteries Department is responsible for conservation biodiversity of the city, rivers and wetlands.
“We have also noted with concern the state of both Toti rivers and we have now come up with a plan to restore them into a reasonable state. We are working very closely with Toti Conservancy to ensure biodiversity is restored.
We are going to release natural bio-control agents during September.”
