THE BIGGEST BATTLE FOR CANOEISTS

As exciting as the sport is, canoeing isn’t without its challenges in the KZN environment. Ian Player was reportedly bitten by a snake during his first Dusi. Today, the “poison” infecting canoeists is likely to stem from contaminated or polluted water from overloaded sewers and industrial effluent.

This has been worsened by the floods earlier this year and a number of Durban beaches have been closed to the public due to the high levels of E. coli.

KwaZulu-Natal Canoe Union administrator John Oliver says many of the rivers go through built-up areas with concentrated populations, where pollution is at its greatest. But these rivers also have amazing capacity for recovery, with the sun doing its work killing E. coli in water.

“We work with the communities where these problems occur, introducing trash booms to collect plastic and river cleanups, and reporting problems to the authorities. There are many dedicated technicians who do their best, but resolving any problems ultimately hinges on the political will to do so.”

Oliver says Umgeni Water, for example, does regular weekly testing of the rivers in its area.

A formal reporting process is also being established so canoeists can notify the authorities of problematic areas.

“It’s in everyone’s interest that the problems are resolved, not just for the canoeists, but for the communities flanking and often dependent on the rivers, as residents use the water for drinking, irrigation and ablutions.”

The scale of the problem is quantified by Doug Gow, chair of the KwaZulu-Natal Canoe Club, which organises the Dusi.

“Pollution is problematic for rivers in built-up areas globally. In our case, we go through seven municipalities and the Valley of a Thousand Hills, with a population of about 400,000 people, and we are clear there is a risk of illness,” says Gow.

“Three years ago, a post-race survey showed that 66% of respondents noted some sort of infection during the race [though some may have been simply suffering dehydration], but in the past three years we have brought this down to nine or 10 people suffering infections [out of about 800 competitors].”

KwaZulu-Natal Canoe Club has spearheaded strong drives to involve communities in canoeing, and now some of the leading competitors at every event are former development canoeists.

Truda Foods’ MyLife, the title sponsor for the Dusi since 2021, has worked with the Duzi-Umngeni Conservation Trust to help clean up waste from the river.

It has also created a platform to boost awareness among local communities and schools on the impact of litter and the importance of water quality in the local environment.

● The Duzi Canoe Marathon takes place on 16-18 February 2023.