Barry Streek The innovative Working for Water programme of removing invasive alien plants has, until now, been fighting a losing battle: although it cleared 112 333ha last year and did follow-up clearing on 121 310ha – a total of 238 823ha – invading alien plants are spreading and growing at a faster rate. If the programme is not stepped up – it cost R241,8-million in 1999/2000 and R867,4- million over the first five years – the number of aliens will double over 14 years and reduce the amount of run-off water in rivers by 36% within 20 years and by 74% within 40 years. Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Ronnie Kasrils this week said the situation was “very frightening” although “we have managed to hold the advancing hordes of alien vegetation”.
He said: “We need to increase the numbers – it is a tremendous threat. If you put all the aliens together they would fill Gauteng.” However, at the release of the annual report for the Working for Water programme programme leader Dr Guy Preston said he was confident this was about to change, and after the essential start-up work over the past five years the 20-year programme to remove aliens in South Africa was now being launched. The steps that could stem the tide include a greatly increased budget for Working for Water, expected to be in the region of R375- million in the 2000/2001 year; the introduction next month of regulations in terms of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act that will compel property owners to remove specified weeds and problem plants; and greater efforts to introduce biological controls, including seed-eating bugs.
Kasrils also announced a R200E000 partnership between the programme and three herbicide companies: Cyanamid, Dow AgroSciences SA and Zeneca Agrochemicals. Currently the programme has 290 projects in all nine provinces and the project employs 20E999 people, of whom 58% are women, 23% youth and 1% disabled. A total of 884 black-owned contractors are employed by the programme, of which 15% are collectives and 85% individual contractors.
Working for Water spent 92% of its R241- million budget, but floods this year in the northern provinces have detrimentally affected its projects. For Kasrils, the success of the programme is underlined by a statement from the Department of Finance in May: “The Working for Water programme is the most effective and efficient relief instrument of government.” But the overwhelming nature of the overall problem facing South Africa is demonstrated in the report. “Invading alien plants are spreading and growing at an average of 5% per year – a doubling period of about 14 years. “We already need to clear over 10-million hectares of invaded land, a land area greater than the size of KwaZulu-Natal.” At present, 472mm out of 1 200mm of rain runs off into rivers – and it costs R100 a hectare to clear. In 10 to 20 years, if the aliens are not cleared, the run-off will drop by 36% to 303mm and costs will increase to R1 000 a hectare to clear. In 20 to 40 years the run- off into rivers will drop by 74% to 123mm and the cost to clear will rise to R4 000 a hectare.
The objectives of the programme are to enhance water security, improve the ecological integrity of natural systems, invest in the most marginalised sectors by creating jobs, restore the productive potential of the land and develop economic benefits.
They are noble goals but the tough reality is that much more will have to be done and spent if the spread of aliens is to be stopped and the invasive plants destroyed.