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The invasive alien plant, believed to be from South America, was first recorded at Hartbeespoort Dam in 2011.
The Water and Sanitation Department has released Weevil insects to help eradicate the invasive alien water plant in the Hartebeespoort dam water system.
The insects were brought in from America as part of a collaboration between the National Research Foundation and Rhodes University.
The insects will target Salvinia minima – an invasive alien water plant, native to South America that presents a substantial threat to South Africa’s freshwater ecosystems.
Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, Sello Seitlholo explains, “You will recall that in the Hartees dam in early January there was plenty of fish that actually died. That is because of the inability of the water resource to produce oxygen. Because what these alien invasive species do is that they do suck out the oxygen. This has obviously led to us as the Department of Water and Sanitation, having to come up with remedial processes that involve biological control.”
Deputy Minister @seitlholo and Rhodes University’s Centre for Biological Control released the Salvinia weevil insect, a biological control agent known as Cyrtobagous salviniae, to manage the Salvinia minima, an invasive floating alien aquatic weed at the Hartbeespoort Dam today. pic.twitter.com/Y4TT1PSVCA
— Water&SanitationRSA (@DWS_RSA) March 17, 2025
The invasive alien plant said to be from South America was first recorded at Hartbeespoort Dam in 2011, and has since spread through areas of the North West and Gauteng provinces, and has reached the Limpopo River, which marks the border with our neighbour Botswana. pic.twitter.com/xFiZKCq0wj
— Water&SanitationRSA (@DWS_RSA) March 17, 2025
