Cape Town - In a novel spin-off from South Africa's strategic defence procurement programme, Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Ronnie Kasrils on Sunday launched a Saab-BAE SYSTEMS investment project in the local production of a new device for safely eradicating unwanted invasive vegetation and for culling trees for timber products.

The project involves a revolutionary Swedish invention, known as Ecoplug, which is now being produced for export at Cape Towns's Guguletu township's Vukuhambe Centre for disabled people, Saab-BAE spokesperson Linden Birns said in a statement.

It had already attracted local and export orders, he added.

"This initiative forms part of Saab-BAE SYSTEMS US7,2-billion portfolio of national industrial participation projects tied to the purchase of new aircraft for the SA Air Force."

It brought the Vukuhambe Centre together with Swedish company, Clean Injection Systems AB (CiS), Swedfund (a Swedish risk capital company), Cape Town-based plastics producer Mouldex and agri-products distributors, UAP of Paarl.

Kasrils said: "This project is about growing our economy. By bringing in foreign investment and ensuring exports worth millions of rands in the next few years, projects like this are creating and securing jobs where they are needed most in the communities.

"It is another example of government's carefully-planned strategic defence procurement at work."

Saab-BAE SYSTEMS SANIP director Bernard Collier described the project as "another clear demonstration of our commitment to fulfill our obligations. It also highlights our broad-based approach to identifying and exploiting new export opportunities for South Africa". 

With acknowledgement to Sapa and News24.