Cape Town - The date for the new weed harvester to cut pond weeds at Zandvlei and also to remove algae has been set for late next year.
The City said it had awarded the tender for a new weed harvester and that if this went as planned, the harvester was expected to be delivered within nine months.
This comes after numerous delays in the procurement of the weed harvester, which was initially expected in August last year, then December, later postponed to early this year and then later in June.
It is also the second tender that the City has awarded to deliver the weed harvester.
In May, after failing to deliver the weed harvester as promised to the community, a replacement tender was advertised.
This delay was due to the initial service provider failing to deliver because of financial constraints. This happened while the old weed harvester was also on repairs, much to the residents’ outrage.
The City said the old weed harvester was still in for repairs.
Meanwhile, it said its environmental management department had employed Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) teams to remove the weed by hand.
It said about 15 EPWP workers were assisting Zandvlei Nature Reserve staff and that more teams would be deployed in the coming summer months.
This while the Fleet Management Department is in the process of applying for the extension of the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) certification for the old weed harvester.
It said the exemption was needed so that the old weed harvester could be used until the new weed harvester was delivered.
“Save the Zandvlei” petition co-author Mike Ryder described the nine months’ expected delivery of the weed harvester as “wildly optimistic” given the history so far.
However, Charles Whaley, another petitioner co-author, said during the AGM of the Zandvlei Trust on Wednesday night, PR Councillor Alex Lansdowne assured the residents that if the tender went through without challenges he would follow up on the construction regularly. Appeals regarding the awarded tender are expected until Tuesday next week.
“I am glad that, at last, the City seems to be devoting proper time, effort and budget to waterway-related issues. But the real test will be that they deliver the new weed harvester on schedule next year in October. I hope they will give regular reports on the progress of construction,” he said.