Ntabelanga Dam at Risk as Grassland Restoration Stalls

President Ramaphosa’s R10-Billion Project Faces Major Setback

In his recent State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted preparations for the Ntabelanga Dam construction in the Eastern Cape. However, this R10-billion infrastructure project may become wasted investment unless urgent action is taken to restore the degraded grasslands above the dam site.

Catchment Restoration Efforts Paralyzed

The critical catchment restoration work has effectively stalled due to government funding cuts and bureaucratic delays in tender processes. Without immediate intervention, the dam’s long-term viability is seriously threatened by ongoing soil erosion.

A Landscape in Distress

Satellite images of the Tina River banks reveal a landscape resembling a failed hair transplant. The aerial view shows hundreds of small, hand-dug ponds arranged in symmetrical patterns across the hardened earth. While some show faint signs of grass regeneration, most remain barren – failed attempts to create islands of vegetation that might help the veld recover.

Downstream Consequences

The success of grassland restoration directly impacts the Mount Fletcher weir, a R900-million downstream reservoir currently operating at just one-third capacity due to sedimentation. If vegetation recovers, it could stabilize riverbanks and reduce the torrent of topsoil and sand choking the water system.

As the situation develops, the weir itself has taken on symbolic significance in this unfolding environmental challenge…

Source: AllAfrica