"It is clear from our Working or Water programme that we have to act decisively in controlling invasive species, if we are to avoid massive damage
President Thabo Mbeki, South Africa

FOREWORD
"The Working for Water programme is the most effective and efficient poverty relief instrument of Government." (The South African Department of Finance, May 2000)
"The Working for Water programme is the world’s leading initiative to combat invading alien plants." (USA Secretary for the Interior, Mr Bruce Babbitt, to President Thabo Mbeki, February 2000)

These two statements are remarkable not only for their generous praise. Together they also capture the dual nature of the Working for Water programme.

• It is a technical initiative to combat the dire threats posed by invading alien plants - threats of a magnitude that few in our country understood until the launch of the programme in 1995. These threats are not simply to our biological diversity, as is often portrayed in the literature on invasive species. These are threats of massive economic and social consequences, in terms of our water security, the productive use of land, the intensity of fires and floods, and ultimately the ecological integrity of the natural systems upon which we all finally depend.

• It is a developmental initiative that seeks to optimise the full potential of the social interventions that the programme offers - initially in the labour-intensive nature of the work, and thereby in the training and empowerment that is then possible. Its work in addressing the social conditions that confront the poor and the marginalised in our country, is of critical importance in these still early days of democracy.

The Working for Water programme has had another remarkable year. It has maintained its record of spending virtually its entire budget within the financial year. It has reached further across line-function boundaries, in building stronger partnerships. It has slowed the relentless march of invading alien plants across our country. And it has made a genuine difference to the well-being of the lives of the most marginalised.

I would like to highlight four accomplishments:

• The first was the Best Management Practices for Preventing and Controlling Invasive Alien Species symposium, which was held at Kirstenbosch in February 2000. Run under the auspices of the South Africa / United States of America Bi-National Commission, the symposium attracted many of the world’s leading experts on invasive species, and a full spectrum of South African stakeholders. It was a marvelous success, and I look forward to seeing the progress in international partnerships that the symposium promised.

• The second was the launch of the Ukuvuka Campaign, begun in the wake of the devastating fires along the Table Mountain chain in January 2000. The campaign has attracted unprecedented private-sector funding (R20m from Santam, R5.4m from the Cape Argus, R5m from Nedbank and R4m from Total), and is set to become an important role-model to take forward the inspiring regulations coming out of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act.

• The third was the programme receiving the Impumelelo Award for innovation. What is more, its offshoot initiative, the Greater Hermanus Water Conservation Programme, also received an Impumelelo Award

• A crowning highlight was the award of the Stockholm Water Prize to my distinguished predecessor, Professor Kader Asmal. The Working for Water programme was integral to this award. Our congratulations to him.

For all the successes, there is still much to be done. I want to thank all involved, and wish them every strength in the future.

	< Minister Kasrils paid tribute to those who have died in the programme, at a tree planting ceremony in Moboloka village near Brits.
		Ronnie Kasrils Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Chairperson: Working for Water Board

PROGRAMME LEADER’S REPORT

Dr Guy Preston

The 1999/2000 financial year was an overall success. The quality of management in the programme continues to improve. The move to closed contracts has seen productivity being higher than it has ever been. However, three events have been of particular importance in the programme being in a position to take a massive leap forward:

• The political and institutional support is extremely strong, bolstered by an inspiring symposium on Best Management Practices for Controlling and Preventing Invasive Alien Species.

• The decision by the Department of Finance to increase our grant from the Poverty Relief Fund (from R120 million to R230 million, and rising in subsequent years), with the security of three-year funding, is a major boost. Equally empowering was their visionary decision to channel this funding through three core Departments: Water Affairs & Forestry, Environmental Affairs & Tourism, and Agriculture.

• The proposed regulations under the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act will at last give the programme and its partners the necessary scope to put in place a truly integrated programme that balances incentives and disincentives.

Tragically, five people in the programme died this year. Ms Lungiswa Elefu drowned whilst crossing a flooding river. Ms Lettie Smith died after falling from a cliff. Mr Willem Basson died in a motor-vehicle accident. Mr Andre Zimmery died after being hit by a falling tree. The programme also lost one of its chief stalwarts, with the untimely death of Dr Francois van der Heyden, a scientific advisor with the CSIR. His contribution to the programme was immense. The programme offers its most sincere condolences to the next-of-kin. We say goodbye to Mr Tseko Nell and Mr Sidwell Dingela, who are moving into new ventures, and express our gratitude for all that they brought to the programme. Mr Greg Todd was dismissed.

Notwithstanding daunting challenges facing the programme’s developmental aspirations, the prospects for the Working for Water programme are excellent. With the loyalty and passion that are so evident in the programme, and with the exceptional support from Minister Ronnie Kasrils and his Board, the programme can only improve. Our thanks to all who have made this year a success.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

The Working for Water programme is placing special emphasis on integrated control and is investing substantially in research on biological control. The current research initiative builds on a history of biological control research that dates back to 1913, and is executed by the Plant Protection Research Institute (PPRI) of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), and scientists at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

Historically, 103 bio-control agents have been released in South Africa against 46 weed species. Of these, 22 are now under complete or substantial bio-control. The programme has been expanded to include species, such as Australian wattles and pines from Europe and North America, historically excluded from bio-control research because of their commercial value. The total cost of the bio-control research initiative over the past 3 years was R19 million, of which the Working for Water programme invested R9 million.

With cutbacks in funding to the ARC, the Working for Water programme has increased its budget to over R7 million annually.

The species for which agents are being identified are as follows: Australian acacias; red water fern (Azolla), Mauritius thorn, triffid weed (Chromolaena), water hyacinth, Australian hakeas, lantana, cat’s claw, certain pine species, bugweed and parrot’s feather.

A key priority now is to establish greater co-ordination between researchers and those implementing bio-control initiatives in the Working for Water programme. The capacity to manage and implement bio-control initiatives in the field needs to be developed within the programme. Effective bio-control will be a key component in the sustainable management of invading alien plants.

Releasing a bugweed leaf-mining insect, Gargaphia, at a site near Sabie in Mpumalanga. This is the first such release on a species where, due to the generic similarity to commercial plants such as tomato, there have been conflicts of interests in the past. From left, Mr Tyl Willems (Regional Leader for the Western Cape Working for Water programme), Mr Zolile Zonke from the PPRI, Dr Brian van Wilgen (CSIR’s scientific advisor to the programme), and Mr William Nkozi from the Mpumalanga Working for Water project.

A number of international experts attended a two-day workshop on bio-control held in Stellenbosch in December 1999. As keynote speaker at the workshop, Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, estimated that there could be savings to the Working for Water programme of up to R2,8 billion over the next 20 years, should effective bio-control measures be used. Here she speaks to Mr Michael Jacobs, a disabled worker from the Kylemore Working for Water project.

The use of biological control has been very effective in the Kruger National Park with the release of cochineal (Dactylopius opuntiae) - one of the control agents - for Opuntia stricta (sour prickly pear).

EDUCATION

Education is one of the keys to the long-term success of the Working for Water programme. The levels of awareness amongst landowners, nursery wholesalers and retailers, and the general public around the threats and impacts posed by invading alien plants needs to be enhanced. Responsible land management will only stem from an understanding of the severity of the impacts of invading alien plants.

One prominent educational initiative was a National Hack Day was held on March 24th. The objective of Hack Day was to mobilise communities, schools, business, labour and Government to join forces in the fight against invading alien plants, and to increase awareness around the crisis. Political leaders, celebrities and the general public were encouraged to "hack" (or pull out) weeds on this day. A Hack-Attack Pack for schools was developed, which has proved immensely popular and successful in the classroom.

It has been decided that, in keeping with our partnership with Australia and the United States, the programme will rather now follow the Australian-led concept of Weedbuster Week from October 8 - 15 each year, in an effort to heighten levels of awareness around the threats of invasive alien plants.

Specific educational drives are planned:

• The programme is in the process of formulating a nursery accreditation initiative, whereby those nurseries not selling or propagating invading alien plants are recognised and given a "green stamp".

• The regulations coming out through the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (Act 43 of 1983) will be a significant educational focus for the 2000/1 financial year.

• It is hoped that South Africa will enter into formal agreements with Australia and the United States of America to prevent invasions by one-another’s species, and that this will have a particular educational drive. The key target audiences will be those engaging in tourism and trade.

However, the major educational thrust this year will be the development of an integrated environmental education initiative in schools, the ‘Green Schools Programme,’ with strong backing from the Department of Education. This is building upon various initiatives such as the successful 20/20 Vision project on water and energy conservation, the EduPlant greening of schools, and initiatives to manage waste. It is hoped that a combined Green Schools programme will ensure that all learners are informed about the threats of invasive species, and learn to identify (and control) those that are problematic in their areas.

Minister Moosa joined 30 Working for Water workers at Zeekoievlei on World Environment Day, 5th June. Gumboots and all, he hauled out plastic and other waste from the Lotus River, one of the main tributaries draining into the vlei.

The Adopt a River / Spot Programme, a joint venture between the Working for Water programme and the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, won the Green Trust Water Awareness Award for 2000. Here, Regional Programme Leader in Mpumalanga, Mr Tony Poulter, receives the award.

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LEGISLATION

Legislation has not been used appropriately in the control of invading alien plants in South Africa. The Working for Water programme has compounded this by effectively subsidizing those who have mismanaged their land.

Much will now change with the new regulations due to be promulgated by the Minister of Agriculture, Ms Thoko Didiza in terms of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 43 of 1983. The regulations will declare various species of plants to be "weeds" and "invader plants", and will strictly regulate the circumstances under which they may be grown. The regulations provide for powers to enter land without the permission of the landowner to clear weeds and invader plants.

The regulations will create a mechanism for preventing the sale, rezoning, subdivision or change in land-use practive of infested land. It is anticipated that certain of these powers will be delegated to Working for Water officials. The regulations will also restrict the transfer, re-zoning or subdivision of land, and departures and changes to land-use practices, unless weeds and invader plants are cleared, or financial provision is made for clearance.

The National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 101 of 1998 may be used to control the vegetation that creates a fire risk. To ensure an integrated management strategy for this vegetation, Working for Water will need to liaise with Fire Protection Associations.

Section 28 of the National Environmental Management Act 1998 authorises the Director General to issue directives to persons causing significant pollution or damage to the environment to remove the source of the pollution. These powers are likely to be supplemented by the future development of comprehensive legislation dealing with the control of alien invasive species generally.

The possibility of levying stream-flow reduction charges in terms of the National Water Act, 36 of 1998 on land owners who retain invading alien plants on their properties will need to be determined in the future.

Minister Didiza’s regulations on ‘weeds and invader plants’ are among the most important in the history of the war on weeds in our country.

A symposium on the Best Management Practices for Preventing and Controlling Invading Alien Species was hosted by the Working for Water programme at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town from 22-24 February, 2000. A milestone event for the emerging partnership between South Africa and the United States, the meeting also marked a commitment within the SADC countries to collaborate in this field. The importance of forging partnerships, effective communication and information-sharing between all participating nations and sectors, was a strong theme throughout the symposium.

Many leading experts in the field participated in the meeting, including key-note speaker Dr Jeff McNeely (IUCN), most of the senior participants in the Global Invasive Species Programme, and a very strong contingent of experts from various USA institutions.

Delegates from SADC countries, the US, Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland attended presentations and workshops on best management practices for terrestrial and aquatic invasive species.

The symposium produced the "Kirstenbosch Declaration" - the delegates’ vision for the management of invasive species, and an eloquent call to collaborative action.

There was widespread praise for the relevance of the symposium, which certainly helped to advance the cause of programmes to control and prevent invasive species.

Section of the impressive secondary industry display at the symposium held at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
The level of local and international political support at the symposium was high. From left, USA Under Secretary for Agriculture, Mr Mike Dunn, Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs, Ms Thoko Didiza, and Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Valli Moosa.

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PARTNERSHIPS

The programme has identified the critical need to address HIV/AIDS. In the year under review, 25 people were trained and a "peer-educators" programme was piloted in Mpumalanga. Condoms were distributed in every project. This, combined with our primary health-care programme, has provided an opportunity to link up with the Department of Health, whose clinics have been important partners.

Another challenge raised through our clearing programme is what is done with the biomass that is produced.

Here the Department of Trade and Industry has a critical role to play in helping us design and launch a secondary industry programme using the wood for productive purposes. The programme has joined hands with the Committee for Private/Public Partnerships under the Department and, based on its experience, has designed a Spatial Development Initiative support programme.

The programme is clearing land that could be put to more productive use. Here the lead of the Department of Agriculture is being followed. Working for Water has a joint project with Land Care, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and provincial and local government, through Mpumalanga, called the Save the Sand project. The private sector, in the form of the Sabi-Sand Wildtuin, has contributed R2,2 million to the project as well.

SANTAM/CAPE ARGUS UKUVUKA CAMPAIGN

Ukuvuka has had unprecedented coverage for a conservation programme in South Africa.

In January 2000, almost 10 000 hectares along the Table Mountain chain in Cape Town were burnt in a runaway fire. Mere luck in the intensity and direction of the wind prevented this from being possibly South Africa’s most expensive fire. Far more than any other cause, the presence of invading alien plants was what fuelled the intensity of the fire.

Out of the ashes of the fire grew the Santam/Cape Argus Ukuvuka Campaign. The principal goal of the campaign is to ensure that such intense fires never occur along the Table Mountain chain again. Allied to this is the goal to undertake rehabilitation work to prevent the mudslides and flooding that will otherwise follow such intense fires. A third goal is to provide training and capacity to deal with the threat of fires, particularly in poor communities. The campaign also offers much scope for poverty-relief employment opportunities.

The Ukuvuka Board has excellent support from Mr Gerald Morkel (Premier of the Western Cape), Mr Glen Adams (MEC for Environmental and Cultural Affairs), Ms Nomaindia Mfeketo (Mayor of Cape Town), Alderman Reverend William Bantom (Metropolitan Mayor) and Alderman JO Jacobs (Mayor of the South Peninsula Municipality).

Santam, the short-term insurance giant, donated R20 million (over four years) to the campaign - one of the biggest private-sector contribution to a conservation project in the history of the country. The Cape Argus pledged R5,4 in advertising coverage, and extensive editorial coverage. Nedbank weighed in with R5 million, and Total with R4 million (with a pledge to try to make it R5 million). The Cape Metropolitan Council is to make R30 million available over the four years. This is in addition to the high investment by the Global Environmental Facility in clearing invading alien plants along the mountain chain, and the support of the Working for Water programme.

Ukuvuka is well resourced, has clear goals, and has the capacity to be a crucial showcase of what is possible. Principal in this will be its pioneering work in implementing the regulations coming out of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act.

Planting an indigenous sapling to mark the launch of Ukuvuka, from left kneeling: Dr. Leon Vermaak (MD of Santam), Mr Ronnie Kasrils (Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry). Standing from left are Ms Cheryl Gillwald (Deputy Minister of Justice), Mr Jonathon Molapo (Total SA), Mr Moegsien Williams, (Editor of Cape Argus), Ms Nomaindia Mfeketo (Mayor of Cape Town) and Mr Mavuso Msimang (CEO of SA National Parks).

PROVISIONAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Professor Kadar Asmal Minister of Education

Minister Ronnie Kasrils and Ms Rhoda Kadalie (IDASA) hand the Impumelelo Award to the Councillor Wikus Coetsee (Mayor of Hermanus).

The inaugural Impumelelo Awards for innovation recognized the Working for Water programme (and one of its spin-off projects, the Greater Hermanus Water Conservation Project). The designers of Working for Water crafts made of alien invading wood won an FNB Vita Award in 1999. Of 300 entrants, Working for Water was a sector winner in both the Social Upliftment category (Government Sector) and the Environmental Care category (Government Sector) of the 1999 EmPower Awards. Minister Kader Asmal, under whose leadership Working for Water was begun, has been honoured with the Stockholm Water Prize for 2000 - the "Nobel Prize" for water. The Working for Water programme was a core component of his nomination.

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