Swimming in ‘sick’ estuaries

A TEAM of intrepid open water swimmers braved seven Eastern Cape estuaries in a bid to raise awareness about the poor state of the country’s rivers.

The Swim for Rivers campaign involves a small group of swimmers in major rivers in each of South Africa’s nine provinces.

Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) spokeswoman Catherine Ritchie said the aim of Swim for Rivers Eastern Cape – the fourth event of this extreme swimming challenge – was to focus specifically on estuaries, “the critical link between rivers and the sea”.

The team comprised seasoned open water swimmers Andrew Chin, Mandy Uys, Joy Roach, Sean Murray and Nicky van Nierop.

“After setting off from the Kromme River mouth in St Francis Bay on October 14, the group completed their final swim in the Nahoon River on October 21, covering daily distances of between 5km and 11km.

“In most of the rivers they found silted river mouths, plastic pollution and [in some] a strong smell of diluted sewage,” Ritchie said.

The swimmers’ programme also included visits to schools, where they talked to pupils about the importance of rivers.

“The 2017 Swim for Rivers for Life athletes hope their initiative will spark debate about what the authorities and the public can and should do to manage and protect our rivers.”

The programme was supported by Wessa, the National Sea Rescue Institute, Amatola Water and other sponsors.

They found silted river mouths, plastic pollution and sewage