The Msunduzi Duct pollution monitoring, maintenance and community education project had four key purposes
Data gathered by the project team and reflected throughout the print report and most notably in the ‘Stories of change” section suggest that not only have the outcomes been met but in many cases these have been exceeded.
Education and infrastructure development together have been integral to the success of the project.
We can base the success of the project on calm, thoughtful and clear leadership. The ability to work with a diversity of role players, personal and community capacity development. Accessing, generating and using information, ownership and recognition
Mpophomeni Enviro-Champs explain the project and work they are involved in.
This project is supported by UMDM and EPWP
News
While the army has been called in to help clean the heavily polluted Vaal River, water quality in the dirty Duzi continues to deteriorate. And while the Vaal River is seeing E...
Read moreNews
Burst and blocked sewer pipes combined with illegally discharged factory effluent are decimating wildlife in some of the city’s rivers and streams. The Mkondeni Spruit, which runs through Hayfields and the...
Read moreNews
Concerns over humans and wildlife being affected have been raised following the major oil spill in the Dorpsruit on Tuesday. On Tuesday, the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust (Duct) received reports of a...
Read moreNews
This week is National Water Week and to mark the fact, Umgeni Water teamed up with the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust (Duct) and schools in Edendale to clean up streams in...
Read moreNews
Concerns over humans and wildlife being affected have been raised following the major oil spill in the Dorpsruit on Tuesday. On Tuesday, the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust (Duct) received reports of a...
Read moreNews
An intensive investigation is under way to determine the reason for scores of dead fish being found floating in the Msunduzi River on Wednesday. Msunduzi Municipality, the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust (Duct)...
Read moreNews
KEEPING rivers clean is everyone’s responsibility as dirty rivers have a negative impact on the lives of many. Some people are under the impression that because they have taps with clean...
Read moreNews
Pollution is everyone’s problem. It requires all hands on deck instead of everyone looking to a few to keep our rivers free of the rivers of waste that compromise water quality. This...
Read moreNews
Rivers don’t lie. An array of litter and other assorted objects are among the flotsam flowing down tributaries to the uMsunduzi River every day. The Witness recently accompanied Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust (Duct)...
Read moreThe current water quality in the Duzi River is at its worst ever. Environmentalists have raised alarm bells saying “it has been one of the worst summers for water quality”, with…
Read moreThe Msunduzi municipality is partnering with the Duzi Msunduzi Conservation Trust (Duct) to monitor the health of the city’s rivers. Municipal manager Mxolisi Nkosi said they decided to partner with Duct…
Read moreWATER hyacinth blockages along the Msunduzi and uMngeni rivers is an ongoing problem for the organisers of the Dusi Canoe Marathon and this year is no different as the rapidly…
Read moreA PASSION for nature and the environment has kept the new general manager of Duzi Umngeni Conservation Trust (Duct), Doug Burden, working hard to achieve his goals. Burden started working for…
Read moreDUCT OFFICE HAS MOVED! After being well established in Popes Canoe Centre at 4 Edmond Place, Camps Drift, the DUCT office has moved to 240 West Street. Although we are no…
Read moreIt is always such an honour to see someone who is dedicated and passionate about nature to receive such recognition. The Duzi Umngeni Conservation Trust Operations Manager Sithembiso Sangweni received…
Read moreDUCT Education participated in the Happy Earth Hall, a project of the Happy Earth Forum during the Witness Garden show from 23rd to the 25th of September. With regards to…
Read moreOur AGM in December rounded off 2015 with a good attendance and an extremely interesting talk by our Guest Speaker, Paolo Candotti, Chairman of Kloof Conservancy. We said goodbye to Steve…
Read moreTO FRACK OR NOT TO FRACK? Submitted by David Still, Chair of the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust, writing in his personal capacity This article was published in the Witness on Tuesday, 3 November…
Read moreAfter a lengthy break, our newsletter is back in production! Hopefully, you have all been keeping up to date via our website: www.duct.org.za Snake awareness training: by Sithembiso Sangweni The DUCT snake…
Read moreSand Mining Rehab Guidelines The relationship between man and the resources that water courses possess can be described as one sided, with human beings being accused of over exploiting river resources…
Read moreIntorduction All EMP reports require a vegetation assessment; this involves a site investigation of all plant material present on the site. This assists the developer/rehabilitator to identify those plants with conservation…
Read more
The DUCT Story"Rivers do not lie. If your city does not have a functional waste management system and if too many people do not care what happens to their waste, then far too much of that waste is going to end up in the river. If your city is not spending enough on the construction, operation and management of its sewage systems, then too much sewage is going to end up in the river. If your landowners – public and private – do not make an active effort to stem and defeat the tide of alien vegetation invading their land, then fairly soon the indigenous vegetation will disappear, with all the attendant consequences......" |
The uMsunduzi and Umgeni River systems have become badly degraded through neglect and over exploitation. With increasing demands on resources, poor governance and external threats such as global climate change these river systems will be increasingly unable to support the range of aquatic, riverine and human life which is dependent on a healthy river system.
DUCT’s vision is an ecologically healthy and biologically diverse uMngeni-uMsunduzi river system that provides sustained ecological goods and services for the communities that depend on them for their survival. We envisage that our communities will show respect for the rivers and will take ownership and responsibility for the condition of the rivers, seeking to preserve their natural function and beauty.
We envisage rivers where water quality and quantity are maintained at acceptable norms with healthy natural riparian zones and where the biological diversity is preserved. We have a vision of a community where all residents possess a basic understanding and appreciation of their river ecosystems. We see government, business, the scientific community and civil society cooperating in providing the resources to effectively manage the river systems.
We recognise that the problems with the health of the rivers are large and have not developed overnight. Our vision is ambitious and will only be achieved through progressive, combined and sustained actions by government and civil society.
Our role is to:
To champion the environmental health of the uMngeni and uMsunduzi Rivers
![]() |
Dusi Race WQ Canoeing version 1999-2017 with morbidity history |