23-06-2025
Kariba weed came, saw, but didn't conquer Lonehill Dam
It took Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) R300 000 and 20 days of hiring equipment to clean up the aggressive Kariba weed at Lonehill Dam. The staggering price included the equipment's operator and fuel.
Councillor David Foley, from Ward 94, was onsite on June 6, with Rob van der Pauw, putting in more eco granules to ensure that the nine week project to rehabilitate the dam was not in vain. Wendell Africa, stakeholder from JCPZ doing oversight, was at the dam at the same time, and they could all see that the dam is no doubt getting better everyday.
Foley said the eco tab granules will purify the water resulting in the reduction of nitrates that the Kariba weed feeds on. 'It breaks down the sludge at the base of the dam, purify the water so it becomes clearer.'
Also read: Lonehill Dam breathes again after months being choked by Kariba weed
He said the food source of the weed, as in the nitrates, will reduce and limit the growth of the weed, therefore it should die off over time.
'The ecosystem will recover. A good test will be when the frogs return, which means the environment is at a suitable level for nature to thrive. The cost of the eco tab granules will be determined by the success of the exercise, but should not be more than R50 000, as per the initial proposal submitted to JCPZ.'
Kariba weed is a free-floating plant that does not attach to the soil; instead, it remains buoyant on the surface of a body of water. The fronds are 0.5–4cm long and broad, with a bristly surface caused by the hair-like strands that join at the end to form eggbeater shapes.
Read more: Industrial harvester arrives to tackle Kariba weed at Lonehill Dam
The plant has been hovering over the Lonehill Dam since November last year, and since then, experts and authorities have been splitting hairs about how to stop the invasive plant before it harms the fish in the dam.
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