A Rocha KZN’s Living Msunduzi Waterways Project

2008 Update

A Rocha and DUCT have entered a formal partnership to manage the Living Msunduzi Waterways conservancy together. Siphamandla Dlamini of A Rocha will lead DUCT's four man work team once each week under the direction of DUCT project manager, John Butler. Follow up litter pickup and weeding will be managed by Siphamandla on two other days of each week. A Rocha is fund raising to increase the capacity and work hours of the A Rocha-DUCT team. If you would like to sponsor four days of work in a month for a previously unemployed young adult @ R140 per day, contact Allen Goddard at south.africa@arocha.org for a partnership form. All donations to A Rocha are tax exempt.

A full description of the project can be found below.

Percy Taylor Rockery

In February 2007 A Rocha received a grant from the Msunduzi Municipality to rehabilitate the Percy Taylor Rockery precinct, adjacent to Alexandra Park, a stones throw from the Duzi river banks. A magnificent series of terraces and stone staircases were constructed here by Italian prisoners of war in the 1940s, for a formal garden on the edge of Alexandra Park. In the last 30 years the terraces have been abandoned to weeds. A Rocha’s proposal to transform this area into an aloe and muthi (healing plants) garden has been welcomed by the Municipality. We will be appointing new team members for the project shortly.

A living Msunduzi River

South Africa’s small rivers are being rapidly affected by urban encroachment, industrial waste, refuse abuse, urban run-off and E. coli pollution. Pietermaritzburg’s Msunduzi River is no exception. The Msunduzi runs most of its course through the most urbanized valley of the KZN Midlands, and right through our provincial capital’s city centre. Despite a high degree of alteration the “Duzi” still boasts a promising level of plant and animal biodiversity. Fishermen frequent the Duzi’s lower reaches, and the river’s inner city waterways are still visited by egrets, ducks, hammerkops, giant kingfishers, and even the African Fish Eagle.

A local community conservation initiative

During 2004 Pietermaritzburg’s Medi-Clinic financed the removal of many invasive, introduced tree species along a one kilometre stretch of the river. A Rocha canvassed local residents, businesses, local schools and community organisations for funds to employ and supervise a worker on the banks. In May 2005 Nkosinathi Chonco commenced the first phase of rehabilitation - litter pickups and the clearance of invasive plants. Successive phases will encourage the return of riverine reeds, grasses, shrubs and trees. A Rocha will conduct research to better understand the progress in ecological succession along the banks.

The bigger picture

A Rocha aims to involve many more partners who are concerned about water quality and the preservation of riverine habitat along the Msunduzi. Community tree planting days and school visits will become part of our programme. We aim to create a four kilometre long conservancy and heritage walk in community policed parkland along the Msunduzi’s Kershaw Park and Scottsville waterways. We envisage the A Rocha Conservation area as ideal for grassland field studies, riverine research and environmental education. Opportunities for volunteer research and environmental education will grow as the project expands.