The Gamtoos Irrigation Board (GIB) is calling on private landowners to take a vested interest in the fight against alien invasive plant species, which are robbing the Eastern Cape’s supply dams of critical run-off from rains. 

This comes as the Department of Environmental Affairs has renewed its contract with the irrigation board to roll out the province-wide “Working For” Natural Resource Management programmes.

Over the past five years, GIB contractors have cleared a total of 547 697 hectares of alien invasive plants. One hectare covers roughly the same area as an international rugby field.

“While funding for this is, in part, covered under the new contract, a lot more money is needed to have the desired impact,” said GIB financial and HR manager, Rienette Colesky.

“Should more [private] land owners come to the party to contribute to these costs, we would be able to clear more land, faster,” Colesky said, adding that where landowners contributed towards the cost of clearing, they were also more committed to keeping their land clear of these alien “invasives”.

She said the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Nemba) required landowners to keep their land free from alien invasive plants.

“The government can subsidise only so much.  We need clean catchments, but we can only do it with public-private partnerships,” said Colesky.