Community members gather to clean-up Msuthinja River in commemoration of World Rivers Day 2025
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) partnered with uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) to gather community members and stakeholders to a river clean-up in commemoration of World Rivers Day at Msuthinja River in Mandeni Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal on 25 September 2025.
The event was supported by the officials from Mandeni Local Municipality, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) in KwaZulu-Natal, Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), and Msinsi Holdings.
World Rivers Day is an international event founded in 2005 to highlight the need for everyone to respect and protect rivers. This year, 2025, World Rivers Day is on Sunday, 28 September.
Both DWS and UUW sent a clear message during the river clean-up that it is wrong in all aspects to throw foreign objects into the river. Ms Dudu Duma from UUW, a Water Education Specialist, indicated to the community that they need to be cautious about polluting Msuthinja River as it contributes into uThukela River where water is extracted for purification. She therefore encouraged the community members to protect Msuthinja River from pollution.
The province of KwaZulu-Natal has experienced a lot of challenges in the past with regards to water supply disruption as well as water leaks due to vandalism of water infrastructure. The sub-standard treatment of effluence from some of the municipality’s Wastewater Treatment Works also contributes to the contamination of the water courses in the province. It is therefore imperative for the communities not to exacerbate the situation by polluting the water courses that runs through their areas.
The river clean-up activity was extended to a public education programme at Sundumbili Plaza Taxi Rank, where community members of different ages were educated about the disadvantages of polluting rivers. The team also visited Sundumbili Primary School, and the message of keeping rivers free from pollution was also reiterated.
The learners further engaged with the officials on the impact of river pollution and were encouraged to grasp the teachings on the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, which are beneficial in reducing pollution in the air and inside water.
For more information, please contact:
Ms Wisane Mavasa
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
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