Working-for-Water creates 181,000 jobs says Molewa

Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa the annual Weed-buster Campaign is effective in removing invasive plants from South Africa. Image: GCIS

The department's Working-for-Water Programme was launched 19 years ago by former Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Kader Asmal, in the Western Cape.

The programme forms part of an overall integrated weed management programme, where bio-control is seen working alongside traditional chemical and mechanical control methods.

Launching the Weed-buster Awareness Campaign at Nooitgedacht Dam in North West, Molewa said the Working-for-Water Programme is one of government's flagship projects and the world's largest public-funded initiative aimed at managing invasive alien plants.

"It is an example of integrating environmental conservation and poverty eradication," said Molewa.

Weed-buster Month is an annual campaign to raise awareness and increase public understanding of the problems alien plants cause. The campaign is led by the Department of Environmental Affairs and supported by various partners and stakeholders.

The South African campaign is linked to invasive plant control initiatives by countries such as Australia and New Zealand, as well as to the broader Global Invasive Species Programme.

Molewa said the focus of this year's campaign is the clearing of water weeds, specifically water hyacinth in the Nooitgedacht dam and other water systems in the country.

"It is important to note that this year marks the centenary of biological control research and implementation in South Africa. This milestone was showcased at an international symposium held in the Kruger National Park earlier this year. The department is a major contributor to the management of biological control in the country," Molewa said.