Honourable Chairperson, allow me to touch on some issues of public importance, which have a direct bearing on the performance and integrity of the Department of Environment Affairs.

Firstly, there is the issue raised by concerned South African Weather Service (SAWS) employees who reported to the Public Protector about financial irregularities by the service’s current acting general manager.  These allegations have led to the public protector investigating the entity.  As matter of fact Chairperson, it’s a second investigation by the Public Protector into this state entity. In 2009, the Public Protector investigated seven tenders that were given to companies without following proper tender procedures.  The Public Protector ‘s report was tabled in 2012. Through you Chairperson, I would like to know from the Minister if the Public Protectors’ remedial actions were implemented?  If not, why? This is not acceptable and it diminishes the reputation of SAWS and the department. The DA calls on the minister to urgently and swiftly get rid of this rot before it spreads throughout the department. DA also calls on the minister to conduct a transparent and independent investigation on the latest employees’ complaints.

Let me touch on another critical issue. Chairperson, there is definitely no doubt that the country faces economic challenges like the rest of world. We need secure and sustainable energy in order to meet our developmental demands.

At the same time we need to meet our legally binding targets as per the Paris agreement on climate change that was formally signed by the South African Government on the 22nd April 2016.  South Africa committed itself, in front of the International community, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Unless a truly integrated approach to environmental management is entrenched across all spheres of government and society, there is unlikely to be any improvement in acquiring clean energy and emissions reductions. The DA does not agree with the unique legal framework for mines whereby the Minister of Mineral Resources is the competent authority for granting environmental authorization for mines. The DA believes that there should be a single competent authority to manage environmental authorisations that supports legislative amendments to bring in environmental authorizations under the sole competency of the Minister of Environmental Affairs. The ANC government departments lack cohesion and an integrated approach when it comes to dealing with environmental issues.

With such a high level of incoordination it would be a gamble to entrust the ANC with the responsibility of regulating fracking or reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the country. The current government has shown on every front that environment protection is an extremely low priority. The various government departments work in silos and are highly fragmented.

The following classic example will illustrate this point.  While Minister Molewa was abroad on the 22nd  April 2016, signing the Paris agreement and announcing that the country had already begun taking steps to implement the agreement, Eskom was busy preparing a feasibility study for prolonging the life span of the coal powered power stations. This is really a slap in Minister Molewa’s face.

In early 2015, the Minister granted Eskom a postponement to comply with Minimum Emissions Standards based on the Eskom’s original plan to start decommissioning 10,000MW of power from aging power stations from 2020. All of a sudden Eskom is shifting the goal posts and proposing to prolong the lifespan of the aging power stations. To complicate the issue, is the admission by Eskom that there’s no budget set aside for that function.  This is deliberately done with the full knowledge that the lives of the people living in Vaal Triangle and Highveld areas are adversely affected by emissions from these old power stations. Eskom must comply with their original plan to reduce the health hazard from aging power stations by 2020.

Then it begs the question why revive ageing power stations when we can produce gas by anaerobic digestion, convert organic bio fuels and waste into gas to meet our energy needs. Countries like Sweden have shown that it can be done. Sweden uses waste to generate power to drive the economy. That country imports waste from the neighboring countries and uses it to generate power as they have run out of waste. They have done so with the realization that fossil fuels are harmful to its citizens and the environment. The preferred replacement for coal in this era of industrial revolution is renewable energy. That’s why we need to shape an economy that works for our citizens.

Chairperson, clearly the focus in modern age is on sustainable use and renewable energy. Money should be spent on preserving our scarce water resources, developing renewable infrastructure and protecting the environment. The money could be used in erecting giant solar farms in the Karoo desert and conducting research on tidal barrages. Imagine the number of specialized skills and employment opportunities that can be created on these projects.

Chairperson, let me give an example of a country that is putting massive investment into renewable energy.  India’s government has freed up the renewable energy sector. It plans to build power plants comprising of 175,000MW of solar, wind, hydro and biomass power by 2022.

This more than four times SA’s electricity-generation capacity. About 100,000MW of this will be solar and 60,000MW wind. That is a whopping $200bn of investment just for solar.  The good thing is that mainly private companies and foreign investors drive the investment.  Government’s role is to attract investors and to give them very good (tax and land) concessions. This is a very sensible investment and a safety conscious policy to implement.

Chairperson we are only the custodians of this “Earth” for a short time. If we continue to destroy it, then your children or your children’s children will eventually be without a home. That’s why we have a duty to use this world gently and sustainably. That’s why we must strive to create a green economy, to generate cleaner energy.