The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has budgeted R6,3 million over the current 2025-26 financial year to remove litter, alien vegetation and silt from water bodies to help tackle pollution affecting the Eerste/Kuils River catchment area.
The City is also teaming up with the Eerste/Kuils River Catchment Management Forum (EKR CMF) to address these challenges and find long-term sustainable solutions for this area.
Hot spots
Officials representing the Catchment Stormwater and River Management (CSRM) Branch joined members of the community, EKR CMF, and Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, for a walk along the waterways, inspecting polluted hot spots needing intervention.
The EKR CMF was established in March 2025, and the chairperson was elected to lead, driving initiatives to help improve conditions from May 2025. The Eerste and Kuils rivers are vulnerable to pollution stemming from multiple sources including illegal dumping, runoff from vehicle-wash areas, farming, greywater runoff from informal settlements, polluted effluent from surrounding industries/factories, wastewater treatment facilities, and sewer overflows due to blocked drains. The R6,3 million investment will fund initiatives planned ahead of the expected winter increase in flow.
The objective is to improve inland water quality as well as stormwater hydraulic performance in the catchment. Activities currently underway:
– Mfuleni canal 1 confluence to Old Faure Road: Removing litter and sedimentation.
– Kleinvlei canal: Installing two litter interceptors and doing regular cleaning/removal of litter
– Botfontein pond in Scottsdene behind the wastewater treatment works: Removing silt, sediments and litter in the pond using an excavator
– Kuils River from south of the railway: Cutting, cleaning and removing vegetation including long grass and alien vegetation
– Skool Street to Kuils River: Removing reeds in 20 m lengths
– N2 to Macassar Road (Moddergatspruit): Removing vegetation
– N2 to Kuil River Eerste River confluence: Removing vegetation and sedimentation
– Macassar Road to Moddergatspruit confluence: Removing vegetation
“Thank you to the City’s catchment planning team for the ongoing input,” says Anthony van Rhyn, chairperson of the EKR CMF. “Our vision as a CMF is to create a thriving, resilient catchment where clean, flowing rivers support healthy ecosystems, prosperous communities and sustainable development through collaboration, stewardship and shared responsibility. The purpose of the EKR CMF is to promote local, community-driven initiatives aimed at reducing water pollution. It is also an opportunity for the community to engage with various City departments to discuss issues within the catchment.”
Collective effort
“Tackling pollution is a collective effort between spheres of government and the public,” said Badroodien. “Residents, businesses, industries, farmers, and community organisations in the surrounding area are encouraged to get involved. This is an open invitation to the public to participate in the next forum meeting and to elect new office bearers for the vice-chairperson and secretariat positions.”
