The Tsitsa River ( af, Tsitsarivier; xh, iTsitsa) is a river in the
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha.
The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...
Province,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. It is a tributary of the
Mzimvubu River
Mzimvubu River or Umzimvubu River is one of the most important rivers in South Africa. It is located in the Eastern Cape Province.
Course
The river has its source in the northern region of the Eastern Cape, in the area of Matatiele and Mount Fle ...
and belongs to the
Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area Mzimvubu to Keiskamma WMA, or Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area (coded: 12), includes the following major rivers: the Swane River, Mntafufu River, Mzimvubu River, Mngazi River, Mthatha River, Xora River, Mbashe River, Nqabara River, ...
.
Course
The Tsitsa rises in the
Drakensberg 15 km to the SE of
Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...
, about 80 km west of
Mount Frere
Mount Frere, officially KwaBhaca, is a town located in the Eastern Cape province, previously known as the Transkei region, of South Africa. Its name in Xhosa is KwaBhaca, or "village of the Bhaca chiefdom", or "place of the Bhaca people", who set ...
, and flows eastwards. The Tsitsa Falls are located in its upper course, amidst a mountainous area of great beauty. Bending and flowing southwards for a few miles, the river passes east of
Maclear, before it bends eastwards again. Finally it empties into the
Mzimvubu River
Mzimvubu River or Umzimvubu River is one of the most important rivers in South Africa. It is located in the Eastern Cape Province.
Course
The river has its source in the northern region of the Eastern Cape, in the area of Matatiele and Mount Fle ...
while passing through deep river gorges about 36 km southeast of
Qumbu.
Its main tributaries are the
Mooi River,
Inxu River (Wildebeesrivier) and the
Pot River.
The Tsitsa River used to form part of the western border of the former
Transkei
Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ban ...
. Now the Tsitsa is a popular place for
whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is an adventure sport where a river is navigated in a decked kayak. Whitewater kayaking includes several styles. River running; where the paddler follows a river and paddles rapids as they travel. Creeking usually involving s ...
.
Dams in the basin
There are only relatively small dams in the Tsitsa River basin. The
Maclear Dam on the Mooi River supplies water to
Maclear town and the
Ugie Dam on the Wildebeest River supplies water to
Ugie town.
Elundini Local Municipality Spatial Development Framework
/ref>
See also
* List of rivers of South Africa
* List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa
The following is a partial list of dams in South Africa. __NOTOC__
In South African English (as well as Afrikaans), a dam refers to both the wall as well as the reservoir or lake that builds up as a consequence.
List of dams (reservoirs)
...
*Mzimvubu River
Mzimvubu River or Umzimvubu River is one of the most important rivers in South Africa. It is located in the Eastern Cape Province.
Course
The river has its source in the northern region of the Eastern Cape, in the area of Matatiele and Mount Fle ...
References
External links
Mooi River Forum
{Dead link, date=July 2018 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=no
Mzimvubu River
Rivers of the Eastern Cape