SANRAL is in the process of conducting plant search-and-rescue activities and establishing nurseries along the Mtentu and Msikaba Bridge sections of the N2WC Road route.

Local unskilled labourers employed to assist in the search, rescue and rehabilitation programme are currently receiving on-site skills training and mentorship while working closely with the horticulturalists and botanists involved in the project.

To date, all local workers have been trained in the identification of various plant species, including species of special concern (SSC) and invasive alien plants. This has helped to ensure the right species are found and rescued.

They are also being trained in propagation methods, which include making cuttings, sowing seeds, dividing plants and making veld sods. Moreover, training in horticultural techniques is being provided to ensure proper understanding of these processes and to achieve a high success rate in all horticultural tasks, some of which include: irrigation principles, fertilising, weed and disease identification and control, and the handling of SSC plants.

Seed identification and harvesting techniques also form part of the training programme. Local contractors are being trained to distinguish between SSC, grass, woody plant, herbaceous plant, geophyte and wetland seeds. In addition, they are being trained in seed harvesting, handling and selection.

Finally, training on the best practices related to the identification of SSC plants, the identification of other suitable plants, the identification of wetland plants, the harvesting techniques of SSC and other rehabilitation practices is being provided.

This skills-transfer programme, together with related nursery operations and management training, not only helps to ensure that the plant search-and-rescue process is as efficient and successful as possible, it also assists with the development and upskilling of unskilled labourers working on the project.