Weed control is a critical component of the City’s infrastructure maintenance strategy.

• Roads, sidewalks, stormwater infrastructure
  Uncontrolled weed growth poses a serious threat to road infrastructure, including pavements, sidewalks, kerb and channel and central medians. The root systems of weeds penetrate and fracture asphalt and concrete stormwater channels, allowing water ingress during rainfall, which in turn undermines foundational layers of the road or surface.
  
  Over time, this results in significant deterioration of road surfaces, leading to exponentially higher maintenance and reconstruction costs.
• Parks and public open spaces
  Weeds on public open spaces and sport fields grow three to five times quicker than the turf grass. This not only drastically require more frequent mowing, but also increases the overall maintenance cost.
  
  Sport fields and parks are in essence not a natural environment and nature will continually transform it back to natural veld. To maintain a turf grass environment, broad leaf weeds need to be controlled systemically.
• Safety, aesthetic appearance
  Weed management is not a discretionary activity but an essential, ongoing maintenance practice within the urban environment. Beyond infrastructure damage, unchecked weed growth also reduces visibility of roads and signage, presents fire hazards and security risks, and negatively impacts the aesthetic appearance of Cape Town.

Manual or mechanical removal of weeds typically only addresses the above-ground foliage and does not eliminate the root systems. As a result, weeds regrow rapidly if they are only removed above ground.

To ensure long-term control, the City employs systemic herbicides that target and destroy the root systems. The use of pre-emergence herbicides further extends control by preventing the germination of new weeds, keeping treated areas clear for more than three months. This integrated chemical approach ensures both immediate and residual weed suppression.

The City is committed to safety and International Standards
The City adheres strictly to international and national safety regulations in its weed control programme.

• All herbicides in use comply with the most current global standards and are approved for use in public environments. This includes alignment with the Global Harmonized System (GHS) for hazard communication and the Rotterdam Convention, which guides the phasing out of high-risk pesticides.
• Importantly, in accordance with the Rotterdam Convention, no herbicides categorized globally as substances of concern – such as those that are highly Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reproductive toxins (CMRs) and have been flagged for global phase-out – are used in the City’s weed control operations.

Also, all vendors administering weed control measures must be registered with the National Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development as an operator.

In terms of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act (Act 36 of 1947) vendors must have a current and valid Pest Control Operator (PCO) certificate in weed control.