Failing Restoration Project

Inconstancy with Facts

The Truth Will Prevail

A May 2017 photograph showing the significant progress been made by removing over 1 million
 m3 of dredge spoil that separates the Mfolozi River from Lake St Lucia Estuary. 
Photo: Courtesy of iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Over the 17 years many hap hazard truths and public rumors has stalled the 1958 Estuary management plan. It is cruel of Andrew Zaloumis to slam previous conservation authorities. They had a functional World Renowned Estuary by the end of 1999. (World Heritage Status was declared on 15 December 1999)

"“The [R63 million] rehabilitation project comprises the removal of dredge spoil that was artificially placed in the Mfolozi River course by conservation authorities at the time to protect the estuary from what were believed to be damaging effects of the canalisation of the Mfolozi River and the draining of the uMfolozi floodplain for some 9 100 hectares of sugarcane farming,” said a statement by iSimangaliso."

They manage a healthy system with out World Bank funding and bail outs. There is also a question mark on the Nett value of the so called Rehabilitation project. There was a total of three grants/bail out given for this project, but I will supply facts in a latter entry. The current inconvenient truth is regarding the water level.

As per video Record 

17 May 2017

20 May 2017


25 May 2017

In Your Face 

Now if the World Renowned Scientist can please explain to me where did the water go between the 17 th of May 2017 and the 25th of May 2017 we can put the argument of Rehabilitation to rest. Then we can commence on the net Worth of a Failing World Heritage Site and its inclusion of local communities and misrepresentation of the law and failure to execute a Mandate.

Public Rumor 

It is a public Rumor that the Estuary will breach at the end off July of 2017 and the Facebook page creating the miss information that it could be should be reported as #FakeNews. Here is the facts from the Horses mouth.

“The area being removed was shown to be the most important portion of the dredge spoil island to remove. Removing the eastern area of the dredge spoil will help to reinstate the hydrodynamic processes and allow a much more natural mouth dynamic to Lake St Lucia,” said estuarine ecologist, Nicolette Forbes.

“Lake St Lucia Estuary’s lifeblood has been returned and this puts the system in a good position as we move into the naturally dry winter months where we can expect water levels to reduce through evaporation,” said iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis.

iSimangaliso expects the dredge spoil removal operation to be completed in early July this year.

Failing World Heritage Site

To put this in laymen terms ... iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority has no management plan in place to mechanically manage the sediment built up from the iMfolozi River.  iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority has no management plan to open the Estuary Mouth Mechanically.  iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority did not adhere to public outcry to stay with the Government Approved Management Plan of 2012. iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority is failing it's mandate to include public user rights as per 15 December 1999. iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority has failed to keep the integrity of a healthy World Renowned functioning Estuary system over the past 16 years. 

By Petrus Viviers
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