| Hennops River | |
|---|---|
 The Wierda Bridge over the Hennops River | |
  Location of the Hennops River mouth | |
| Location | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Province | Gauteng |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Kempton Park |
| Mouth | Crocodile River |
• coordinates | 25°50′37″S27°55′56″E / 25.84361°S 27.93222°E /-25.84361; 27.93222 |
• elevation | 1,212 m (3,976 ft) |
| Length | 94 km (58 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Crocodile River (Limpopo) |
| Tributaries | |
| • right | Rietvlei River |
TheHennops River is one of the larger rivers that drainsGauteng,South Africa. It has its source nearKempton Park, east ofJohannesburg and meets theCrocodile River shortly beforeHartbeespoort Dam. It is one ofGauteng's most polluted rivers.[1]
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The Hennops River starts inTerenure,Kempton Park, and flows in a northerly direction towardsTembisa township. It then flows pastOlifantsfontein and meets theSesmyl Spruit which flows out of theRietvlei Dam. The river then turns north-west flowing through the centre ofCenturion. The river continues in this direction flowing through the foothills of theMagaliesberg before flowing into theCrocodile River on its right bank near theHartbeespoort Dam.
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TheRietvlei Dam, which provides water toCity of Tshwane, as well as numerous farm dams are situated in the Hennops River Basin. Lake Centurion as well as numerous weirs are situated on the river.
The Hennops River is one ofGauteng's heavily polluted rivers. Insufficient and poorly maintained sanitation facilities inTembisa,Ivory Park,Olifantsfontein andErasmia have turned the river into an open sewer.AfriForum gathered water samples from the Hennops River and according to the results‚ more than 1 000 000 units of the indicator microbeEscherichia coli were present per 100 ml of water. The health risk is high for people coming into full or partial contact with water having more than 2000 colony forming units per 100 ml.[2]
Untreated or partially treated sewage also contains high concentrations of phosphate and nitrate, which contribute to theeutrophication problems inHartbeespoort Dam. In 2020 the FRESHNGO installed litter traps at Clayville township inTembisa, and locals were employed to remove the waste which soon accumulated.[3]
In April 2025, three constables who went missing were discovered at the Hennops River along theN1 in Centurion.[4] They have been missing for a week and were reportedly on their way fromBloemfontein in theFree State toLimpopo province, where they were deployed.[5]Police also discovered two more bodies, one of that of the South African Police Services groundsman from Lyttleton police station and one of a civilian.[6][7]
The valley of the river is a weekend and holiday destination for residents of the nearby cities. The banks of the Hennops are a popular location forhiking,[8] fishing,camping,[9] andpicnicking. It is crossed by two smallsuspension bridges, one at Centurion Mall, and the other at Hennops Pride[1]. There are alsoresorts and a 4x4 trail.[10]
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