28 MARCH 2024
FOR URGENT ATTENTION OF ALL RIVER PROPERTY OWNERS DIARISE SATURDAY 6 APRIL AT 10:00 AM. AT STONEHAVEN ON VAAL TO DISCUSS WATER LETTUCE CRISIS AND ACTION
Many Vaal River Community comments applaud Johann Beukes and his team for for the
amazing work in physically and mechanically removing water lettuce. This work costs ‘big
bucks and only a few river property owners have contributed to this fund which is now
depleted. Johann cannot be expected to work for nothing and the great engineers who have
signed and built equipment also need to be paid for ongoing work.
Here are some facts:
- SAVE formed a water lettuce sub-committee at the request of some property owners
to co-ordinate the way forward ad gain the tax concessions on donations.
- A consortium of businesspeople committed a substantial contribution to the SAVE
Water Lettuce fund. It is unreasonable to expect this consortium to provide funds for
the entire Vaal Barrage Reservoir.
- Contributions to the SAVE water lettuce account to date comprise R3,5million from
the consortium and a total of R81 000 from four or five river property owners.
A plan is being formulated to temporarily ‘curtain’ segments of the river for extraction
purposes. Property owners in each segment will need to bear the cost of extraction in their
segment.
Until we have had the planned public meeting at 10h00 on Saturday the 6th of April, where
we hope a measure of consensus will be achieved, we respectfully request the various
groups NOT to use the curtaining to “move the problem next door.”
PLEASE ATTEND THE URGENT MEETING ON SATURDAY 6 APRIL AT 10:00 AM AT
STONEHAVEN ON VAAL to get buy-in and clarity on the plan and to present positive
suggestions. If you are unable t attend, please send a proxy with a friend as
decisions will be taken at this meeting which will impact on you and your property.
These decisions will include:
- Temporary curtaining of areas of the river.
- Spraying or not spraying in your area.
- Self-funding to remove the water lettuce yourself.
- Update on action plan for the Taaibos.
- Update from the authorities on the way forward with a clear action plan.
CHEMICAL SPRAY
- Registration of a more environmentally friendly formula has been submitted via the
Department of Water and Sanitation to the registration authority within the
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. To our knowledge, the application
was submitted on an urgent basis. But we have heard nothing further. SAVE has
written separately to the Director General of DWS and Rand Water regarding the
urgent need to spray under the General Authorisation (via Rand Water) and for the
Vaal Community to participate and assist in this urgently required action.
- The favored chemical for spraying remains Glyphosate. The only provisos put
forward by Dr Gerhard Verdoorn were that it cannot contain Tallow amine or ethylene
glycol. It is generally the additives and surfactants that are detrimental, not the
Glyphosate itself.
- The new formula will have to be manufactured. This is expensive. We don’t know
what the new chemical formula will cost.
- It has also been noted that water hyacinth is taking over from the water lettuce.
Hyacinth is the stronger plant and this was to be expected (according to the experts)
so the question must also be asked what is the best chemical treatment for both
noxious weeds?
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The road is far from at an end, so we need your continued support,
SAVE THE VAAL PROJECT is reliant on donations, without it the
project will fail.
Donations are tax deductible per Section 18A of the Income Tax Act.
Banking Details: Save The Vaal Environment (Water Lettuce) or
By SNAPSCAN CODE below.
Bank: Standard Bank
Account number: 10219449455
Branch Code: 000205
