CHAPTER 3 Working for Water

The Working for Water programme was launched in 1995 and is administered through the Depart- ment of Water Affairs and Forestry. The programme works in partnership with local communities which it provides with jobs, and also with government departments including the then Depart- ments of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Agriculture, and Trade and Industry, provincial de- partments of agriculture, conservation and en- vironment, research foundations and private companies. The programme aims to combat the devastating effects of alien species in different water bodies across the country, and at the same time create jobs and training for the unemployed.

Working for water

Number of people involved in the programme Thousands

Did you know?

• Since the establishment of the Working for Water programme an area of more than 1 million hectares has been cleared of invasive species.

• In the peak year of 1997–98, more than 40 000 people were em­ ployed by the programme.

• Half of the employees are women, and the target is to increase this number to 60 per cent.

• Working for Water runs over 300 projects in all nine of South Africa’s provinces.

• The annual budget of the programme amounts to more than R450 million (2007 estimates).

– Department of Water Affairs 2010

10 15 20 25 30 35 40

5 0

1995/6

1997/8 1996/7

1999/0 1998/9 Source: Working for Water Programme.

2001/2 2000/1

2003/4 2002/3

2005/6 2004/5 2006/7

(Photo: iStockphoto/Don Bayley) 12