by December Ndhlovu
The Sabie and Sand Catchment Management Forum (CMF) is a multi-stakeholder platform where community members, emerging farmers, farmers, civil society organisations, Department of Water and Sanitation [DWS], Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries [DAFF], South African National Parks [SanPARKS], municipalities and hospitals, amongst others, meet and discuss water and environmental issues. It is a platform where all water users raise issues that are of concern to them.
The Sabie and Sand CMF are hosted by the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency (IUCMA). The Sabie and Sand CMF meetings happen once quarterly, whereas before they were held every month.
The MPWC attend the CMF on 3rd August 2022, and engaged with the following items on the Agenda:
1. Concerns of stakeholders
This was an additional item added by the participants concerning the “temporary” merging of the two sub-catchments, the Sabie and Sand. According to Mr Hasani Makhubele of the IUCMA confirmed the temporary status, due to the IUCMA undergoing an immense budget cut. This is the reason for hosting one combined meeting of both the Sabie and Sands CMFs. This was opposed by some participants, noting that the two sub-catchments have different challenges. It was eventually agreed that the two sub-catchments will meet separately, but the number of attendants will be drastically reduced. It will only be representatives of organisations that will attend, with the understanding that they will report back to their constituencies.
2. Water quality status of the Sabie and Sand Catchment Areas
The water quality status of the Sabie and the Sand sub-catchments is not that good. There is a problem of e.coli infestation – which is linked to the disposable nappies that are dumped illegally and leaking sewerage infrastructure, as well as many other contaminants.
MPWC’s input to the CMF: water quality depends on the strong downstream flow because the rivers naturally cleans itself if the flow is good, meaning less e.coli infestation. Pollution and contamination of a river is cleaned automatically if the ecosystem is performing optimally. Therefore, it is of essential importance that industrial timber plantations (ITPs) are strategically cleared in the Mariepskop Mountain range so that the water downstream flow can improve.
3. Water quantity
The quantity of water in the resources is not bad in the Sabie sub-catchment but the Sand is extremely stressed. The water downstream flow is generally better compared to few years back when it was raining enough. According to the IUCMA, the Injaka Dam is 80 % full, which is pretty good for this time of the year.
MPWC has always linked the shortage of water in our rivers in the Sabie and Sand sub-catchments to the large-scale ITPs because they have deep, strong root systems that can pierce through the water table and use huge amounts of water reserves, thus impacting on water downstream flow.
4. Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement
The IUCMA has no outstanding complaints about compliance currently as they have attended to all complaints reported.
The MPWC has requested the IUCMA to investigate compliance of the ITP industry in Sabie and Sand sub-catchments. That process is halted by the terms of reference attached to the [DWS] and Forest Stewardship Council South Africa (FSC-SA). That case was concluded late in 2021 but the DWS has appealed against the decision.
5. Revenue management
The MPWC network of organisations is still opposed and protesting the water user pricing because the domestic and industry is till charged less than forestry. The MPWC has always maintained that domestic and industry can be regulated during water scarcity or drought, but the same cannot be applied to plantations like pine and gum trees. The MPWC continues to advocates for the forestry sector to be charged more than domestic and industry water users.