Impumelelo Silver Award for Agriculture

One of the Department of Agriculture's Landcare projects, the Kleinrivier Environmental & Employment Project (KEEP), won a silver award at the annual Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust Awards ceremony on 17 February 2007.

In the Kleinrivier Catchment area of the Overberg, alien vegetation threatens the biodiversity of the area as well as limiting the flow of the river. This has serious consequences for the agricultural sector, where employment is seasonal and poverty and unemployment levels are high (60%). An evolution of the DWAF, Working for Water project, KEEP is about clearing alien vegetation and creating jobs.

The buy-in of farmers and landowners through their 50% contribution lie at the heart of KEEP's success. However, landowners personally contribute towards recruitment, supervision of labour, transport and equipment.

Since October 2004, R1 million has been spent clearing 500ha of alien vegetation and 80 jobs have been created. This is an improvement on the Working for Water model, which cost twice as much to clear the same piece of land.

Another of the Department's Landcare Projects, the Minwater Junior Landcare project in the Little Karoo, received a certificate.