Aliens meet their match
2005-04-21
THE days of aliens in Drakenstein are numbered. Or, more correctly, alien plants on the river banks.
The Drakenstein Municipality has awarded tenders to five contractors to clean up the river banks and rid them of alien plants.
Teams are working in Saron and on the banks of the Palmiet, Berg, Krom and Spruit Rivers.
The project has a multitude of goals.
It is part of poverty alleviation through job creation, it will beautify the community, create recreational areas and make the areas safer.
To that end, two of the contractors are women and at least 30% of the workers are also women. Some of the teams, with between ten and fifteen members each, have an even better ratio, with up to sixty percent women.
Deputy Mayor Anthea Sheldon emphasised that they would strive to get the ratio of females on fifty percent all over.
Several of the workers formerly worked on the Work for Water project, like Gertrude Ntlebi and Nomsa Ndumuse of Mbekweni.
Gertrude said the knowledge she obtained that way, gave her the self-confidence to tender for this project.
The teams received training beforehand in identifying alien vegetation and also in destroying it.
One member per team will also be trained in using a chain saw. This will be done by an outside company and the workers will receive certificates.
Rory Phelan of the Drakenstein parks department said the municipality is interested in partnerships with the private sector to further the project.
“We need soil, compost, trees and indigenous shrubs to develop the banks.
“The river banks can be lovely for recreational purposes, but then we also need park benches. Donations are welcome.”
Anyone interested in helping, can phone Rory at 807-4500.
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