iSimangaliso to review farmland back-flooding issue
The back-flooding of community farms has been a bone of contention over the last year
ISIMANGALISO Wetland Park may have to employ mechanical intervention to address the back-flooding of farmland in the Sokhulu and Dukuduku areas.
This after the conservation authority said the scouring to remove sludge and reeds, which were preventing the natural functioning of the system, did not occur at the expected rate and, since the natural breaching of the estuary mouth to the sea in January, the sludge had moved further upstream, affecting these areas.
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This was revealed last week at a park organised media briefing. “It’s even worse now in the Sokhulu area. The scouring does not happen there, so we may have to find another way, which may be mechanical,” said
iSimangaliso senior environmental planner Siboniso Mbhense.
The back-flooding of community farms has been a bone of contention over the last year, with the local farmers accusing iSimangaliso of closing off the Mfolozi river to the sea, causing the back flooding.
This led to more than 70 Dukuduku residents allegedly illegally invading the Futululu Forest outside St Lucia in August, saying they needed to use it for farming to replace their flooded farmlands. They were arrested and the issue has since been in court, with the next date set for Wednesday.
Historical issue
Mbhense explained that in the 50s, farmers opened the Mfolozi river mouth to permanently flow directly into the sea, rather than first joining with the Msunduzi river St Lucia estuary as it naturally did. These farmers piled up dredge spoil to block the Mfolozi mouth and prevent the river from feeding into the lake.
While this worked for those farmers, Mbhense said, it negatively impacted nature and the business and fishing communities which rely on the lake. Money from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Mbhense added, has helped to start correcting this.
At a symposium in 2020, the decision was made to manually breach the system to the sea, which was done, but the scouring did not occur at the expected rate, leading to the current situation. iSimangaliso spokesperson Bheki Manzini said various stakeholders, including the scientific community and those equipped with indigenous knowledge, were part of recent discussions to find solutions around this.
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