The Soet River Catchment Management Forum (CMF) is being lauded for its work as it continues to actively improve the health of the waterway.

The forum is one of four CMFs that received grant funding from the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate, in a bid to support water pollution reduction and strengthen community participation in protecting rivers and urban waterways.

The City invested R622 000 into CMFs, with the Soet River CMF actively improving the river’s health in Strand since its inception in June 2024. Through this funding, the CMF has implemented a range of integrated interventions aimed at reducing pollution, improving river health and increasing community stewardship.

The forum has tackled illegal dumping, employed river wardens from the surrounding communities and initiated a revegetation project.

To address the illegal dumping, a secure 9×6 metre litter storage cage was installed on the riverbank on the corner of Boundary and Onverwacht roads, providing residents with a designated disposal point to discourage dumping in the river.

The local CMF also distributed educational pamphlets to households to encourage responsible waste disposal and use of the cage, with a positive community response including increased use of the facility and growing peer encouragement.

According to the City, the section of the river is “noticeably cleaner”, with improved river flow and a significant reduction in illegal dumping. Waste collected in the cage is regularly removed by the City, while waste pickers are also accessing the cage to recover recyclable materials.

Three river wardens, supported by six Extended Public Work Programme workers, are also driving ongoing clean-up and maintenance efforts.

The wardens drive environmental awareness, proper use of the litter cage, deter illegal dumping and report offenders to Law Enforcement. They are equipped with tools such as spades, rakes, gumboots and gloves to support daily operations.

The team also removed about 5 000 bags of litter and prepared the site for revegetation work that started this month.

They were also part of The Litterboom Project, another City partner that ran clean-ups at the Soet River culvert, removing around three tonnes of waste.

The revegetation project is taking shape along the section between Boundary Road and Broadway Boulevard, with the installation and supply of topsoil, and the planting of around 4 000 sedges and other wetland species that support biodiversity by attracting birds and insects.

The CMF is also engaging nurseries, seed producers and related industries to secure donated plants and seeds to supplement ongoing rehabilitation efforts.

“I applaud the City for considering CMFs for grant funding. The funding awarded to the Soet River CMF has allowed us to restore flow and improve water quality in a section of the river that was in desperate need of help,” said Dave Walker, chairperson of the Soet River CMF.

“Bird life is returning and, last week, we heard frogs in that section of the river for the first time in many years. I firmly believe that the grant-funded projects will have a lasting impact on the river and on the way local communities view it.”

Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation reminded residents that the river is not a waste removal system. “Every item of waste thrown into the river ultimately becomes a problem for the ocean, marine life and our communities,” he warned. “We all have a role to play in protecting and preserving our waterways for future generations.”