Msunduzi River

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Msunduzi
Dusi, Umsinduzi
Duzi3.jpg
The weir creating the Camps Drift section of the Msunduzi, in Pietermaritzburg. This dammed section is used for canoe and rowing practice, and is the starting point of the Dusi Canoe Marathon.
Location
Country South Africa
Province KwaZulu-Natal
City Pietermaritzburg
Physical characteristics
Mouth Mngeni River Coordinates: 29°37′14″S30°40′36″E / 29.62056°S 30.67667°E / -29.62056; 30.67667 (Mngeni Msundusi confluence)

The Msunduzi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is also known by its anglicised name, the Dusi River. The original name, Msunduzi, is isiZulu.

Contents

The Msunduzi is a tributary of the Mngeni River.

In Pietermaritzburg

The Msunduzi passes through the centre of Pietermaritzburg, the provincial capital. A portion of the river within the city has been dammed by weirs, and is used for canoeing and rowing practice. This section, known as Camp's Drift, has also been proposed for potential development of a sporting and office complex, including an olympic standard canoe slalom course. [1]

The Msunduzi Municipality, to which Pietermaritzburg belongs, takes its name from the river.

Dusi Canoe Marathon

The Dusi Canoe Marathon is an annual canoe marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, which starts on the Msunduzi, and ends on the Mngeni. The race attracts around 2000 paddlers, and receives national media coverage in South Africa. The race first began in 1951. [2] :1

Problems with water quality

In the Pietermaritzburg region, the river occasionally contains counts of E. coli bacteria as high as 50 000 per 100 ml. This results in a fairly high incidence (64% of respondents in one survey) of health issues in canoeists using the river. These include diarrhea (colloquially known as "Dusi guts"), as well as eye and ear infections, and septic cuts. The poor quality of water is believed to be caused by sewers near the river overflowing during heavy rains, and illegal dumping. [3] These health risks threaten the annual canoe marathon. [4] In effective terms, the water quality of the Msunduzi river is undesirable and can pose as a serious health threat for those who brave its waters.

An NGO, the Duzi-Umgeni Conservation Trust (DUCT), has been set up to coordinate projects aimed at improving water quality, and conserving the regions around the river. (DUCT were responsible for the above-mentioned figures). Following DUCT lobbying, the Msunduzi District Municipality has commenced on a 10 million rand (SA currency) program to repair and improve the sewage system in 2016. DUCT is also testing trash nets as a means of catching and removing illegally dumped trash.

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Pietermaritzburg Place in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838 and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its Zulu name umGungundlovu is the name used for the district municipality. Pietermaritzburg is popularly called Maritzburg in Afrikaans, English and Zulu alike, and often informally abbreviated to PMB. It is a regionally important industrial hub, producing aluminium, timber and dairy products, as well as the main economic hub of Umgungundlovu District Municipality. The public sector is a major employer in the city due to local, district and provincial governments located here.

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The following lists events that happened during 1951 in South Africa.

Dusi Canoe Marathon

The Dusi Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race held over three days between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South Africa. It is run along the Msunduzi and Mgeni Rivers over a total distance of 120 kilometres (75 mi). The race attracts between 1600 and 2000 paddlers each year, making it the biggest canoeing event on the African continent. It is organised by the Natal Canoe Club. The clubhouse is located on the banks of the Msunduzi River, at the exact start point of the race.

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Canoe marathon

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Berg River Canoe Marathon

The Berg River Canoe Marathon takes place annually in South Africa's Western Cape Province over a distance of some 240 km from Paarl to the small harbour of Velddrif on the West Coast. The three other notable South African canoe races are the Dusi Canoe Marathon, the Breede River Canoe Marathon and the Fish River Canoe Marathon.

Fish River Canoe Marathon

The Fish River Canoe Marathon is a two-day event taking place on the Fish River in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It covers a total distance of 81.8 kilometres (50.8 mi), from Grassridge Dam southward to Cradock. The two other notable South African canoe marathons are the Dusi Canoe Marathon and the Berg River Canoe Marathon.

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ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships is an International Canoe Federation competitions in canoe marathon in which athletes compete over long distances. The race usually starts and ends at the same place, and includes portages. Race categories vary by the number of athletes in the boat, the length of the course, and whether the boat is a canoe or kayak. In a kayak, the paddler is seated in the direction of travel, and uses a double-bladed paddle. In a canoe the paddler kneels on one knee with the other leg forward and foot flat on the floor inside the boat, and paddles a single-bladed paddle on one side only. The World Championships were held every two years from 1988, becoming annual in 1998.

Graeme "Pope" Pope-Ellis is a South African canoeist best known for his 46 consecutive year Dusi Canoe Marathon career, having won the race a record 15 times.

The Yukon River Quest is the world's longest annual canoe and kayak race. The Yukon River Quest's stated mission is, "To challenge paddlers in a world class wilderness event – a race to the midnight sun." The race takes place in late June / early July.

Canoeing South Africa

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The following is a timeline of the history of Pietermaritzburg. It is part of the Msunduzi Local Municipality in the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

References

  1. ↑ Zondi, M. (2004), Pietermaritzburg to get R1 billion waterfront, Daily News (South Africa), retrieved 24 June 2006
  2. ↑ de Villiers, Hugo (April 1975). Internet Archive. "Duzi Marathon". Panorama. Information Service of South Africa. 20 (4).
  3. ↑ DUCT staff (2006), DUCT NEWS (April 2006) Archived 2006-06-01 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved 24 June 2006
  4. ↑ Robinson, K. (2001), 'Dusi Guts' threatens annual canoe race, IOL, retrieved 24 June 2006
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