**Acknowledgements**

I would like to express my gratitude to Prof Luke Chimuka of the University of the Witwatersrand, Isabel Weiersbye, Innocent Rabohale, Sashnee Raja, Ike Rampedi, Maxine Joubert, and the entire Ecological Engineering and Phytoremediation Programme, for the tireless effort efforts and contributions that they have made in this study. I also send my sincere gratitude to Ms. Isabel Weiersbye for assisting with funding from DTI-THRIP.
