The Nwanedi River is a watercourse in
Limpopo Province
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The capital and largest city in the province is Polokwane, while the provincial legislature is ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. It is a tributary of the
Limpopo River
The Limpopo River rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mountain ...
flowing east of the
Nzhelele, joining the right bank of the Limpopo 58 km east of
Musina
Musina (; formerly Messina) is the northernmost town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. It is located near the confluence of the Limpopo River with the Sand River and the border to Zimbabwe. It has a population of between 20,000 and 40, ...
at the South Africa/
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
border.
Course
The Nwanedi river collects part of the drainage of the northern slopes of the extensive rock formation of the
Soutpansberg
The Soutpansberg, (formerly ''Zoutpansberg'') meaning "Salt Pan Mountain" in Afrikaans, is a range of mountains in far northern South Africa. It is located in Vhembe District, Limpopo. It is named for the salt pan ( ve, Thavha ya muno, or "plac ...
. The upper Nwanedi is a perennial stream with twin dams where it is met by its tributary, the
Luphephe River, in a wooded area of the range. Leaving the mountainous Soutpansberg area, it
meander
A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex ba ...
s in a northeastward direction across the
Lowveld
Veld ( or ), also spelled veldt, is a type of wide open rural landscape in :Southern Africa. Particularly, it is a flat area covered in grass or low scrub, especially in the countries of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswa ...
. This lower part is subject to seasonal fluctuations, being mostly dry during periods of drought, with a few disconnected ponds in the riverbed. There have been problems of surface water contamination of the river in the recent past.
The Luphephe River, its main tributary, rises also in the Soutpansberg, further east from the sources of the Nwanedi.
The
Nwanedi Provincial Park is located about 35 km north of
Thohoyandou
Thohoyandou ( ve, Ṱhohoyanḓou) is a town in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Vhembe District Municipality and Thulamela Local Municipality. It is also known for being the former capital of the bantusta ...
, in a wooded area on the foothills of the
Soutpansberg
The Soutpansberg, (formerly ''Zoutpansberg'') meaning "Salt Pan Mountain" in Afrikaans, is a range of mountains in far northern South Africa. It is located in Vhembe District, Limpopo. It is named for the salt pan ( ve, Thavha ya muno, or "plac ...
. The protected area includes the confluence of the Nwanedi and its main tributary, the Luphephe River, where the dams are. The park's area is 11,170 ha and it is well stocked with game.
The Nwanedi river should not be confused with the
Nwanedzi, or Nwanedsi River a tributary of the
Letaba River.
Dams in the basin
*
Cross DamCross Dam, South Africa
/ref>
* Nwanedi Dam
* Luphephe Dam, in the Luphephe River, a tributary of the Nwanedi
See also
*Drainage basin A Drainage Basin A, is one of the drainage basins of South Africa. The main river in this system is the Limpopo River. It is subdivided into 9 sub-drainage basins.
* A1 is situated along the Botswana border, and is again divided into 3 river basins ...
* Limpopo Water Management Area
* List of rivers of South Africa
This is a list of rivers in South Africa.
It is quite common to find the Afrikaans word ''-rivier'' as part of the name. Another common suffix is "''-kamma''", from the Khoisan term for "river"
Meiring, Barbara"South African Toponymic Guideline ...
* Nwanedi Provincial Park
References
External links
Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs) - SoutpansbergLimpopo WMA1Spectres of hunger, cholera start haunting S. Africa
Rivers of Limpopo
Tributaries of the Limpopo River