"Dangerous": Workers Manually Removing Water Hyacinth From Roodeplaat Dam in Video Raises Concerns
- A video posted on 10 November 2026 showed workers physically clearing water hyacinth that had blanketed Roodeplaat Dam in Tshwane
- The footage, shared by NewsNexusOfficial on TikTok, linked the invasive plant's spread directly to sewage and effluent pollution entering the dam
- South Africans online were divided over who is to blame for the dam's deterioration, with the video sparking a heated debate
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Source: Getty Images
Workers were filmed hauling water hyacinth by hand from Roodeplaat Dam in Tshwane on 9 November 2026. The footage, shared a day later by TikTok account @newsnexussa, captured just how severely the invasive aquatic plant had taken over the dam's surface, leaving little open water visible.
The person behind the camera described it as gruelling, physical labour. Standing at the dam's edge, he pointed out the dense green mat stretching across the water and explained that the hyacinth thrives because of the sewage and effluent being discharged into the dam. Without stopping the source of the pollution, he argued, any manual clearing effort would only offer temporary relief.
Roodeplaat Dam was once regarded as a popular recreational destination, used for fishing and camping. Its current state has alarmed residents and environmental advocates who say years of unchecked pollution have transformed it.
Source: Getty Images
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Sewage pollution feeds the invasive plant
Water hyacinth is one of the most destructive invasive freshwater plants, known to flourish in nutrient-rich water, and sewage runoff creates exactly those conditions. As wastewater enters the dam, it feeds the plant's rapid growth, allowing it to spread across the surface and block sunlight from reaching aquatic life below. The result is an ecological disruption that affects both the environment and communities who rely on the dam.
The video underscored the scale of the problem. Workers could be seen pulling the dense vegetation from the water under an overcast sky, with no visible end to the plant cover stretching into the distance.
View the TikTok video below:
Mzansi debates who is responsible
The clip on the page drew hundreds of comments, with South Africans quick to share strong opinions about accountability:
@DonnyWalker said:
"Dangerous. Do the workers even know how to swim, no life jackets??? Don't put human lives at risk for PR."
@NTSAKO NZIYANA wrote:
"I blame the DA."
@CBD responded:
"I wish we could but this is years of ANC neglect."
@Matlou noted:
"He is creating jobs."
More Briefly News stories on dams
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Source: Briefly News
