Hya Matla has brought in a third machine to speed up hyacinth removal.

Magalies Water said an investigation will be launched into reports that the hyacinth on Hartbeespoort was sprayed with herbicide.
Magalies Water, the implementing agent for the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Hartbeespoort remediation project, said during a stakeholder meeting on Friday that they had received reports of “something happening” and that the hyacinth might have been sprayed. “We have done tests and we take this very seriously. We said no spraying.”
Prof Julie Coetzee of the Centre of Biological Control of Rhodes University, however, said the browning of the hyacinth is all the bugs’ work. “We have seen no evidence of herbicides,” she said.
The meeting allowed stakeholders to give updates on progress so far.
Hya Matla, which was awarded the tender to remove hyacinth manually said it has added another machine on the dam and more workers to increase removal of the plants.
Dr Kelby English of the CBS said the Megamellus bugs on the hyacinth have assisted in stabilising hyacinth coverage on the dam at 30%. “Currently there is about 10% coverage and all the plants are brown.
The proposed nets in the catchment areas have not yet been installed and Harties Foundation said it had a meeting with Magalies Water the previous week and could not discuss progress yet.
It was concurred during the meeting that an official stakeholders forum would be established during the next meeting in April.