Local youth remove hyacinth from the city’s water bodies
The hyacinth removal project, started last November, saw more than 100 young people employed through the Expanded Public Works Programme.
Work to remove the invasive water hyacinth from the city’s lakes, dams and pans has started in earnest and has provided unemployed young people with a lifeline at the same time.
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The hyacinth removal project, started last November, saw more than 100 young people employed through the Expanded Public Works Programme.
When working with the hyacinth, these youngsters use integrated methods such as manual removal, spraying herbicide and biocontrol agents.
The project is set to run until June, with a prime focus on the Blesbokspruit, the Witfield and Bredell dams, and the Wattville pan.
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The work caught the attention of two women, Johanna Makoe (38) and Fikile Nkonyane (36), who saw the workers removing the invasive plant from the Blesbokspruit and decided to gather the plants, dry them and make furniture to sell.
“This is how we make a living of late.
“We gather and dry the hyacinth, then weave it into dry furniture.
“This is our daily bread. All you need is time and patience,” said Makoe.
The city’s wetlands management unit will work around the clock to remove the hyacinths on the water bodies beyond the end of the programme.
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