This was achieved through a partnership involving the Vaal community, Rand Water, Rhodes University’s Centre for Biological Control, the water and sanitation department and the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment
The tiny planthoppers are biological control agents and natural enemies of the world’s worst aquatic weed
The team ‘has to be in it for the long haul’ and the sewage in the water, which feeds the alien aquatic plants, must be dealt with
Water specialists have said the use of glyphosate is in contravention of the National Water Act and is a risk for humans and toxic for aquatic life
If allowed to pass the Vaal River Barrage, the plant has access to a journey of about 1 000km of the middle and lower Vaal river, the Bloemhof Dam and then into the Orange river
Desperate residents have removed the alien plant by hand, but a scientist says this is like treating a brain tumour with Panado