Day 10 Healing the Hennops River Campaign by Willem Snyman fresh.ngo
‘The Hennops River Spirit Day was a relaxing day on the banks of the river at the Royal Elephant Hotel. The aim of the day was to bless, focus energies and reconnect with the river, as a social, cultural and fun day. We started with a ceremony pouring micro-organisms into the the thick black sludge that has been deposited in this slow flowing area. Next, a yoga session led by Jade Morey to stretch and connect with our bodies. A beautiful lunch was served with a large spread of different cultural dishes. Afterwards various river ceremonies were held, prayers were conducted as well as a reading by Ebrahim from the Koran on Noah's Ark. Lewende Woord planted a cross in the river with a cornerstone and explained the symbolism for spiritual reconnection with the water. It was decided to continue holding these events every two months. This will allow for feedback to the public from the monthly restoration meetings that will be held at the Royal Elephant.
Praise for the miraculous resurrection of the river, coming back from a dead and pitch black state two weeks ago, to visibility that is now almost a metre deep and the best in years with the smell gone completely. The sludge bank of almost 50 metres long and more than a metre deep was again dosed with effective-microbacteria as an experimental site for its effectiveness. Samples were sent for analysis as the origin of this rotten matter is still not clear. This sludge is downstream in the Crocodile River and must be coating the bottom ot the Hartebeespoort Dam. It is hoped that the right symbiotic combination of organisms to break this up will be formed so as to multiply and then be washed downwards with the rain. The second phase of restoration will be continued after this 10 day campaign to banish the sludge, raw sewage and solid waste. The press are becoming involved helping spread the word, and with funding we can put the teams identified at source to work to remove rubbish. We'll keep up pressure on municipalities and government for proper waste disposal for riverside communities and education to prevent further dumping in the river. Restoration of the banks will start with tree planting and when the sludge is gone the correct species of fish and aquatics can be returned to migrate all along the river. The aim is to establish the proposed Birthplace of Humankind Wildlife Sanctuary in the lower half of the Hennops stretching up along protected corridors to source parks. Thanks and gratitude to all who contributed to the campaign, even if only in spirit. The battle for the Hennops River continues.’