{"id":826492,"date":"2025-06-13T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=826492"},"modified":"2025-06-19T11:56:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T09:56:32","slug":"the-man-trying-to-save-the-river-of-disease-and-death-in-gauteng","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/826492\/the-man-trying-to-save-the-river-of-disease-and-death-in-gauteng\/","title":{"rendered":"The man trying to save the ‘river of disease and death’ in Gauteng"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

White sewage foam a metre thick, black sludge tides leaving fish floating on the surface, and trash piling up so high one can ‘walk on water.’ These are the tragic realities of the once pristine Hennops River in Gauteng.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is now dubbed “the river of disease and death,” due to its persistent pollution caused by industrial and urban runoff, sewage discharge, and illegal sand mining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent study<\/a> by Thabiso Letseka from the University of the Witwatersrand\u2019s Faculty of Science found the river critically polluted and unfit for drinking, irrigation, or recreation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it was not always the case. Artist and activist Willem Snyman recalls when the river once breathed life into ecosystems along its 100km journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originating in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg, and flowing through several urban and peri-urban areas, including Tembisa, Olifantsfontein, and Centurion, it eventually joins the Crocodile River near the Hartbeespoort Dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It once supported a rich array of native fish, waterbirds, and riparian mammals, including spotted-necked otters, yellow-billed ducks, and endangered minnows, but the severe pollution has decimated biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, only a handful of hardy or invasive species survive, while most sensitive and specialist species have vanished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to waves of the different types of pollution destroying wildlife in what was once a pristine ecosystem that raised him, Snyman launched the Fountain River Environmental Sanctuary Hennops (Fresh)<\/a> eight years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based in the lower reaches of the river within the Crocodile River Nature Reserve, Fresh, he said, \u201cunfortunately couldn\u2019t stop this sewage ecocide, and most of the life got wiped out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now focusing largely on the massive volumes of litter, the team has begun working upstream, targeting severe pollution near the river\u2019s source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So far, they have removed around 500,000 cubic metre bags of plastic waste, employing dozens of unemployed residents from nearby informal settlements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fresh founder, activist and artist Willem Snyman. Screenshot: Fresh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Sewage and litter choke the river. Photo: Seth Thorne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Cleaning up the Hennops River<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With attempts to address sewage pollution proving ineffective, Snyman explained that they shifted focus to plastic waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They launched numerous cleanup events to catch and remove the plastics near the source, before they get scattered irretrievably in the surrounding nature<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team began moving upstream, concentrating on pollution near the river\u2019s origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For over five years, they have operated large litter traps equipped with biological filters and floating wetlands in the Olifantsfontein wetland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These systems catch large amounts of plastic during floods, preventing it from dispersing downstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unemployed residents from nearby informal settlements are hired to gather the waste into one-cubic-meter bags, which are then hauled above the high-water mark and stacked into heaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scale of pollution has been staggering. At the traps, they\u2019ve removed vast amounts of Styrofoam food containers, nappies, and other plastics, as well as dead dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snyman described how the trash \u201coften piled up two meters high and stretched fifty meters long,\u201d forming a mass \u201cdense enough to walk on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the grim conditions, their efforts have shown some positive impact. Snyman noted visible improvements in water quality due to the biofilters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The traps also help by slowing floodwaters, which reduces erosion and promotes riverbank recovery. Still, he admitted,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve removed around 500,000 cubes of plastics from the river, but it feels like one\u2019s not making a dent in this toxic avalanche.\u201d With E. coli levels in the millions, change remains slow and difficult to detect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
One of the litter traps set up in the severely polluted Kaalspruit tributary. Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Fresh workers cleaning the Kaalspruit Catchment, which feeds into the Hennops. Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fight to get the Hennops clean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Funding remains the biggest obstacle, especially when it comes to paying those hired to remove the waste. \u201cUsually we need around twelve guys at R300 each, it escalates fast,\u201d said Snyman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once recyclers pick out valuable materials, the team is left with massive quantities of unwanted Styrofoam, which no one recycles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point, they were filling a 30-cubic-meter skip daily, only for the waste to end up in already burdened landfills. Snyman noted that alternative disposal solutions are still being explored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Municipal neglect has worsened the situation. Snyman said that over the last five years, municipalities have been central to the river\u2019s decline, mainly due to inaction and poor management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe received no help from the Ekurhuleni municipality,\u201d he said, calling them \u201cprobably the largest polluters of this freshwater system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Areas like Tembisa, Ivory Park, and Olifantsfontein suffer from inadequate sanitation, waste removal, and stormwater infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The huge piles of uncollected trash represent a severe health risk to them and everyone downstream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The infrastructure around is also collapsing. Snyman described \u201cwetlands and riverbanks buried under building rubble,\u201d with \u201clong rows of sewage pipes stick straight into the streams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raw sewage regularly enters the water, spreading disease. At the center of this crisis is the Olifantsfontein Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), which was built to treat 110 million litres daily but often processes nearly twice that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe simple truth is that WWTWs are slowly rendering the drinking water of the country unusable,\u201d warned Professor Anthony Turton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet no one takes responsibility. \u201cEveryone passes the buck,\u201d said Snyman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turton echoed this, saying, \u201cWastewater policies in South Africa are mostly OK… none are being enforced.\u201d He added, \u201cRegardless of the ruling party, it\u2019s the Three D\u2019s \u2014 deny, deflect, and demonise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late 2024, Snyman said Fresh\u2019s waste traps, upgraded at a cost of R100,000, were removed by municipal contractors without warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need more hands-on work and support from the authorities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Ferrial Adam of WaterCAN shared the frustration: \u201cMunicipalities are making the issues worse, there is not enough enforcement to arrest all polluters, people dumping etc and hold them accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added, \u201cThe cry that they do not have money makes me so angry because it is not about no money, it is more about mismanagement, poor\/incorrect priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fresh’s efforts in attempts at rehabilitating the river. Photo: Supplied<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Photo: Seth Thorne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Photo: Seth Thorne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Working with government to clean Hennops<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Activists like Snyman are pushing to reinstall the removed litter traps and are seeking municipal cooperation for rubbish removal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, WaterCAN is calling for more decisive legal action, including arrests and dismissals of negligent officials, and is building a national citizen science network to hold polluters accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hope is that with genuine cooperation and accountability, the Hennops River may one day begin to recover. However, this will require the municipalities to finally take responsibility, not just make promises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 27 May, the cities of Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni acknowledged the extent of the crisis and announced a joint effort to rehabilitate the Kaalspruit Catchment, which feeds into the Hennops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya described the meeting as \u201ca defining moment,\u201d stating that the cities had moved past \u201cthe blame-game\u201d and were \u201cready to act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A joint task team of senior officials will be created to coordinate plans, with support from the Gauteng Department of Environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Since 2019, a dedicated task team has worked consistently to reduce flooding risks, remove debris, and engage local stakeholders in improving the Hennops River and Centurion Lake,” said city spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“To suggest that local government is apathetic or disengaged misrepresents ongoing initiatives and community partnerships already in place.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spokesperson added that collaboration with civil society is vital but must respect environmental laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City said acted within NEMA and Water Act frameworks, and compliance should not be seen as obstruction, adding that they are open to constructive engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eight years ago, artist and activist Willem Snyman launched Fresh to tackle the severely polluted Hennops River, and while it has been an uphill battle, it has removed heaps of rubbish since.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":826596,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[22734,22654],"class_list":["post-826492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","tag-fresh","tag-hennops-river"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=826492"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":828685,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826492\/revisions\/828685"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/826596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=826492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=826492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=826492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}