Slow demise — plea to end suffering of waterbirds in polluted Kimberley wetland

A victim of the avian botulism outbreak at Kamfers Dam. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

9 Jan 2025

‘The birds become paralysed. They stop swimming and flying. They can’t stand up on land and they are unable to eat. Their eyelids droop and, finally, they can’t even hold their heads up above the water. So, they drown. Or just stop breathing from respiratory failure.’

More than 150 waterbirds have died in the Kamfers Dam natural heritage site in the Northern Cape, due to another outbreak of avian botulism thought to be linked to sewage bacteria from the biggest wastewater treatment plant in the diamond city of Kimberley.

Now the avian conservation group Birdlife South Africa is calling on the Sol Plaatje Municipality to intervene and take immediate steps to improve conditions at the dam to halt further suffering by the birds.

Bennie Coetzer retrieves a dead waterbird from the edge of the dam. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

waterbirds kimberly shelduck Paralysed by botulism, a South African shelduck lies close to the water’s edge. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

Birdlife said in a statement that the current crisis came to light in late November when Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer, environmental specialist at the Ekapa Minerals diamond mine, reported numerous dead and dying birds.

She told Daily Maverick this week that at least 150 birds had now died or been euthanased by a local vet.

“University of Pretoria pathology lab findings suggest botulism as the cause, likely worsened by bacterial imbalance from sewage from the Homevale Wastewater Treatment Works,” Birdlife stated.

Avian botulism is a paralytic disease linked to toxic Clostridium bacteria and exacerbated by low oxygen levels in water and the proliferation of maggots feeding on dead birds.

Lesser flamingos

In addition to numerous species of ducks and waterbirds, Kamfers Dam historically hosted southern Africa’s largest permanent population of lesser flamingos, with more than 80,000 recorded there in 2006.

However, the flamingos have all but disappeared over more recent years due to rising water levels from the nearby sewage works which prevent these birds from building elevated nesting mounds on mudflats,

waterbirds coot A red knobbed coot. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

kimberly grey-headed gull A dead grey-headed gull. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

kimberly waterbirds One of at least 150 waterbirds that have died in the dam over recent weeks. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

Several dozen birds also died in an outbreak of botulism four years ago, while the Department of Water and Sanitation has also served several warning notices on the Sol Plaatje municipality to reduce flows of untreated or poorly treated effluent from the nearby Homevale sewage works.

Van der Westhuizen-Coetzer said in a phone interview that she visited the dam at the weekend and collected several more dying birds to be euthanased.

“We remove dead birds from the water and take the dying ones to be put down, to spare them from further suffering,” she said.

“The birds become paralysed. They stop swimming and flying. They can’t stand up on land and they are unable to eat. Their eyelids droop and, finally, they can’t even hold their heads up above the water. So, they drown. Or just stop breathing from respiratory failure.”

Van der Westhuizen-Coetzer said new water samples had been collected as previous samples could not be analysed in laboratories over the recent holiday season.

She said a resident sought a court order against the municipality last year to restrict untreated sewage flows into Kamfers Dam but the case had been postponed till next month.

egyption goose A paralysed Egyptian goose waits to die on the shoreline at Kamfers Dam. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

A victim of the avian botulism outbreak at Kamfers Dam. (Photo: Ester van der Westhuizen-Coetzer)

Birdlife noted that the Department of Water and Sanitation recently laid criminal charges against the municipality after previous government directives failed to improve the situation.

“As one of only four African breeding sites for lesser flamingos, supported by an artificial breeding island built in 2006, the site earned recognition as a Natural Heritage Site and Key Biodiversity Area.

“For the past four to five years, flamingos have been unable to breed due to artificially high water levels submerging the breeding island… The once-abundant flamingo population is sadly now only visible on local business signage.

‘Shocking deterioration’

BirdLife South Africa CEO Mark Anderson said: “It is shocking to see the extent to which the water quality has been permitted to deteriorate in Kamfers Dam… Birds are dying unnecessarily and in such numbers. We urge the Sol Plaatje Municipality to intervene without delay and take the required steps to improve conditions at Kamfers Dam for the sake of the birds, and the people of Kimberley.”

Responding to questions from Daily Maverick, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) confirmed it had “initiated administrative enforcement action to instruct the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality to correct its failure to maintain required standard of effluent discharges into Kamfers dam”.

“Due to non-compliance with administrative enforcement, the Department has opened a criminal case against the municipality for pollution. The case is currently under investigation.”

In an official presentation in September 2023, a senior official of the Department of Water and Sanitation further confirmed that inspections revealed poor operation and maintenance of water and sanitation by the municipality,

The first warning notices were issued as far back as August 2015, followed by a series of DWS directives in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

“Representations were received by DWS from the municipality for some of the issued directives in which the municipality indicated that they are having financial challenges to address the problems identified.”

Two further directives were issued in 2022 following a series of meetings with municipal officials to discuss action plans.

Sol Plaatje spokesperson Thabo Mothibi said in response to questions that the municipality “planned to provide a comprehensive response in relation to efforts that are to unfold”.

“Collaborative efforts with the likes of Transnet will also be spoken into, especially around the funding that has been secured for remedial work. Arresting overflow and addressing the serious concerns raised are of a high priority. Hence, we can assure the public that deliberations have unfolded and we are ready to take action.

“An assault on environmental sustainability and a threat to the wellbeing of bird species warrant action,” he concluded. DM.

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South Africa

Lesser flamingos

‘Shocking deterioration’