Inanda residents want stake in dam project
THE community of Inanda, north of Durban, want to be involved in the Inanda Dam operations to fight a water hyacinth invasion which is affecting the water quality.
A follow-up stakeholder engagement meeting took place on yesterday between Umgeni Water, Msinsi Holdings, residents living around the dam, councillors, ward committees and traditional leaders to discuss several issues.
Inanda residents wanted to know why they were not benefiting from the dam. They told officials they would protect their dam as long as they benefit from it. They also requested that fishing lessons be given to the community.
The managing director of Msinsi Holdings, Mbali Ndlovu, said the engagement was meant to build a relationship between them, the community and traditional leaders.
The traditional councillor from Emaqadini, BJ Ngcobo, agreed with Ndlovu but also warned that this must not just be a “song”, rather action should be taken.
“There are a lot of challenges in the dam that still need to be addressed. Msinsi holdings must know that we are not fools, there must be implementation,” said Ngcobo.
Resident Phakamani Ngcobo asked who the dam provided water to, because his area was without a piped water supply.
“You called us here to tell us about these flowers, when we do not have water in this area, yet there is a dam,” he said.
Induna from emaqadini, Siphelele Nxumalo, said if the community were involved from the start, the situation Msinsi found itself in would have been averted.
“Give us an opportunity to look after this dam, especially at night, because people kill and come to this dam to dump the corpses and it’s assumed that it is the residents of this area. We are unemployed, give us jobs, involve us and our kids in this dam, there will be solutions,” said Nxumalo.
Themba Ndlovu from emaphephethweni, said he lived close to the dam and the water hyacinth affected him because his family took water from the dam. Ndlovu said lately it had become difficult to access water because of the water hyacinth.
The divisional head: operations at Msinsi Resort, Nokuthula Mthembu, said before the pandemic hit the country there was a programme to teach community members fishing. However it was disrupted and she promised to look into it. Mthembu explained that the dam was providing water to ethekwini and nearby areas.
Officials said there would be integrated management of aquatic weeds at Inanda Dam, where there will be a combined use of bio-control, chemicals and manual removal.
Ndlovu said: “This approach is currently being implemented. A combination of these methods is being used in a mutually supportive manner to achieve the desired outcomes. Notably, a more sustainable and cost-effective control method is preferred to manage aquatic weeds at the Dam. Herbicide/ chemical is being applied in critical parts of the dam (main basin and mid-dam) to control the infestation.”