Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in Afrikaans here and English here by Leanne De Jager MPL.
Fallen trees and accumulated branches along the Hartbeesspruit are creating a growing safety issue for properties located on its banks. The accumulated branches have choked the river’s natural course, forcing its water off its original path, leading to the erosion of the embankments on either side.
The erosion is not cosmetic; it is undermining the foundations of buildings situated along the river, placing homes and structures at real risk of structural damage or collapse. At the same time, the debris pile-up has caused a dangerous backup of water upstream, raising the risk of localised flooding with every heavy rainfall.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng will write to the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, requesting his intervention to ensure that the City of Tshwane treats this situation as an emergency rather than a routine maintenance issue to be addressed at their convenience. The DA demands that the City of Tshwane remove the fallen trees and branches from the Hartbeesspruit immediately, repair the eroded embankments to protect nearby homes, and provide affected residents with timelines on when it will be done.
See the photos here, here, here and here.
This crisis is unacceptable because it could have been entirely prevented. Ward 84 Councillor Anru Meyer has repeatedly reported this hazard to the City of Tshwane, formally requesting the removal of the debris and the restoration of the river’s natural flow. So far, these requests have gone unanswered. This silence is not merely bureaucratic delay; it is a dereliction of the City’s duty of care to residents whose safety and property are affected.
Every day of delay increases the risk to residents’ homes and safety. The City of Tshwane must act now, before erosion and official inaction cause damage that cannot be undone.
A DA-led government would not allow our waterways to get to a state where they threaten the homes of residents who live close to riverbanks. We would ensure all our rivers are cleared of any debris that may affect homes and businesses. This would ensure that the river continues to follow its natural path.