The Camps Drift canal has finally been de-silted, which not only helps Msunduzi retain its status as a top canoeing centre, but also reduces the risk of flooding.
The task was undertaken by the KwaZulu-Natal Canoeing Union (KZNCU) using a R1 million payment it received from the national lottery.
This was more than a year after the municipality cancelled a R12,8 million tender which it had awarded to a politically-connected contractor, Planet Waves, which failed to complete the job in the requisite time.
The canoe union took just a month to complete the work started by Planet Waves.
There was an outcry when the municipality awarded the tender to Planet Waves, owned by former KZN Agriculture Department head Dr Jabulani Mjwara, whose department was mired in allegations of maladministration during his tenure.
When the municipality developed the Camps Drift canal, it recognised that regular de-silting would have to be done every eight or more years as a flood control measure.
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Dredging Today Staff, December 23, 2011;