Date: 12/02/2004
Source: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Title: V Moosa: Parliamentary Media Briefing, February 2004
PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING BY MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, VALLI MOOSA, 12 February 2004
REVIEW OF THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM (DEAT) IN THE TEN YEARS OF DEMOCRACY
BRANCH - TOURISM
* We have developed our tourism infrastructure and fundamentally repositioned the tourism industry. South African has become a tourist nation proudly nurturing its rich history, culture and environment as key economic resources.
* We achieved a remarkable growth of 70 631 additional overseas tourists in the first nine months of 2003 compared to the same period in 2002. This is a growth rate of 5,7%.
* In May 2003, Cabinet approved the International Tourism Growth Strategy, which aims to bring about greater synergy in the work of tourism stakeholders (government, labour, communities and business). We are already reaping results of the strategy as stakeholders jointly tackle issues such as aviation, marketing, logistics management, transformation and investment, and seek to remove blockages to tourism growth to and in South Africa.
* The tourism sector is an area of our economy in which we have been able to make very rapid progress in economic transformation. This was evident at the annual Tourism Indaba in 2003, when a total of 263 black-owned small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) exhibited at this year's Indaba - up from a mere 34 in 2000.
* A public private-partnership with the Tourism Enterprise Programme (TEP) has created more than 10 000 jobs and provided assistance to a total 1731 tourism enterprises, of which approximately 1200 are black economic empowerment (BEE), to obtain business transactions totalling to R351 000 000.
* Since the inception of the Poverty Relief Program, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) has funded tourism projects to the value of R335,463,875. This in turn has resulted in 762 611 job days being created.
* 400 black South Africans are currently being trained as tourist guides through the learnership programme.
* SATI (South African Tourism Institute), through its partnership with DEAT, is currently conducting teacher-training programmes to schools undertaking tourism as a subject.
BRANCH - FISHING
* Of all the current fishing rights allocated, 60% have gone to companies which are majority black owned and managed. In addition, the number of subsistence fishing permits have increased to 1 780 with the beneficiaries of these being families.
* Building a stable and investor friendly environment for the fishing industry is part of allocating long-term rights and growth and new jobs are planned for with the development of new fisheries with increased BEE targets from 60% to 70% plus.
* Development, empowerment and job creation in the fishing sector have contributed to the war against poverty and inequality, with the transformation of the fishing industry through reallocation of fishing rights and permits having drastically reduced the levels of poverty in fishing communities around the coast. We have in these sectors deliberately introduced a new generation of black owned companies and communities into the mainstream economy as part of the transformation efforts.
* The past year has seen Government taking compliance in the fishing sector head-on. The Hermanus Environmental Court vastly increased fines for poaching and the prosecution of key syndicates in abalone poaching have shown our resolve to beat illegality and crime in this sector.
* We will again this year be intensifying the war against those bent on squandering our fishing resources when DEAT and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development launch the country's second environmental court on 24 February in the Eastern Cape's city of Port Elizabeth.
BRANCH - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
* With our understanding of the environment as our national and global life support system, government is committed to the efficient and effective protection, enhancement and maintenance of environmental quality. As an example, the recent crackdown on illegal hazardous waste dumpers is a typical initiative aimed at reducing the incidence of environmental crime.
* When it comes to sustainable development safeguards, South Africa now has environmental protection legislation comparable to the best in the world.
* We are also effectively accelerating growth of a significant new economic sector and potential employer, the environmental service sector; reducing the health burden of pollution - a burden most often borne by the poor; and ensuring that we can all hold our heads high as responsible global citizens.
* We have started to make arrests of those who do not share in our belief in the protection of the constitutional rights to a healthy environment. Our Enforcement Directorate (the "Green Scorpions"), together with the South African Police Service will ensure that more are arrested and successfully prosecuted.
BRANCH - BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
* Biodiversity plays a critical role in sustainable development and poverty eradication. Fundamental changes to the legislative, policy and institutional framework for natural resource management have resulted in a shift in focus over the last ten years, from an elitist conservationist approach to a management approach based on our recognition of the contribution of biological resources to food security, science, economy, cultural integrity and well being.
* We have ensured that conservation and economic development go hand in hand. Our conservation areas contribute to job creation and socio-economic upliftment, and continue to serve as a foundation of the tourism industry.
* Along with our national and provincial parks, the country's four World Heritage Sites based in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are amongst the major tourist attractions.
* Mapungubwe in Limpopo has just been declared as our fifth World Heritage site. The other sites that have been submitted include the Vredefort Dome in the Free State, Cape Floristic Region in the Western Cape and Makapan's Valley in Limpopo.
PROMOTING A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
* In 2002, South Africa's facilitation skills enabled the world to adopt the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
* The Summit produced consensus on a global path towards sustainable development. In 2003, our country once again showed its leadership skills, in successfully chairing the 11th Session on the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. The meeting adopted a programme of work for the implementation of WSSD outcomes.
* Our leadership role now is that of ACTION, in demonstrating to the world the remarkable work that is, and will be done in achieving sustainable development.
* To this end, a response strategy for meeting our country's commitments to the Johannesburg decisions has been prepared, committing government, in partnership with business and civil society, to achieving the Johannesburg targets and the Millennium Development Goals.
* In ensuring that we are equal to the challenges outlined at the Johannesburg Summit, a key priority is the strengthening of institutional arrangements and partnerships for integrated service delivery and sustainable development. In strengthening our contract with the people, we shall continue to build strong partnerships with civil society and development agencies for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of progress made.
Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
12 February 2004
Source: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Title: V Moosa: Parliamentary Media Briefing, February 2004
PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING BY MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, VALLI MOOSA, 12 February 2004
REVIEW OF THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM (DEAT) IN THE TEN YEARS OF DEMOCRACY
BRANCH - TOURISM
* We have developed our tourism infrastructure and fundamentally repositioned the tourism industry. South African has become a tourist nation proudly nurturing its rich history, culture and environment as key economic resources.
* We achieved a remarkable growth of 70 631 additional overseas tourists in the first nine months of 2003 compared to the same period in 2002. This is a growth rate of 5,7%.
* In May 2003, Cabinet approved the International Tourism Growth Strategy, which aims to bring about greater synergy in the work of tourism stakeholders (government, labour, communities and business). We are already reaping results of the strategy as stakeholders jointly tackle issues such as aviation, marketing, logistics management, transformation and investment, and seek to remove blockages to tourism growth to and in South Africa.
* The tourism sector is an area of our economy in which we have been able to make very rapid progress in economic transformation. This was evident at the annual Tourism Indaba in 2003, when a total of 263 black-owned small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) exhibited at this year's Indaba - up from a mere 34 in 2000.
* A public private-partnership with the Tourism Enterprise Programme (TEP) has created more than 10 000 jobs and provided assistance to a total 1731 tourism enterprises, of which approximately 1200 are black economic empowerment (BEE), to obtain business transactions totalling to R351 000 000.
* Since the inception of the Poverty Relief Program, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) has funded tourism projects to the value of R335,463,875. This in turn has resulted in 762 611 job days being created.
* 400 black South Africans are currently being trained as tourist guides through the learnership programme.
* SATI (South African Tourism Institute), through its partnership with DEAT, is currently conducting teacher-training programmes to schools undertaking tourism as a subject.
BRANCH - FISHING
* Of all the current fishing rights allocated, 60% have gone to companies which are majority black owned and managed. In addition, the number of subsistence fishing permits have increased to 1 780 with the beneficiaries of these being families.
* Building a stable and investor friendly environment for the fishing industry is part of allocating long-term rights and growth and new jobs are planned for with the development of new fisheries with increased BEE targets from 60% to 70% plus.
* Development, empowerment and job creation in the fishing sector have contributed to the war against poverty and inequality, with the transformation of the fishing industry through reallocation of fishing rights and permits having drastically reduced the levels of poverty in fishing communities around the coast. We have in these sectors deliberately introduced a new generation of black owned companies and communities into the mainstream economy as part of the transformation efforts.
* The past year has seen Government taking compliance in the fishing sector head-on. The Hermanus Environmental Court vastly increased fines for poaching and the prosecution of key syndicates in abalone poaching have shown our resolve to beat illegality and crime in this sector.
* We will again this year be intensifying the war against those bent on squandering our fishing resources when DEAT and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development launch the country's second environmental court on 24 February in the Eastern Cape's city of Port Elizabeth.
BRANCH - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
* With our understanding of the environment as our national and global life support system, government is committed to the efficient and effective protection, enhancement and maintenance of environmental quality. As an example, the recent crackdown on illegal hazardous waste dumpers is a typical initiative aimed at reducing the incidence of environmental crime.
* When it comes to sustainable development safeguards, South Africa now has environmental protection legislation comparable to the best in the world.
* We are also effectively accelerating growth of a significant new economic sector and potential employer, the environmental service sector; reducing the health burden of pollution - a burden most often borne by the poor; and ensuring that we can all hold our heads high as responsible global citizens.
* We have started to make arrests of those who do not share in our belief in the protection of the constitutional rights to a healthy environment. Our Enforcement Directorate (the "Green Scorpions"), together with the South African Police Service will ensure that more are arrested and successfully prosecuted.
BRANCH - BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
* Biodiversity plays a critical role in sustainable development and poverty eradication. Fundamental changes to the legislative, policy and institutional framework for natural resource management have resulted in a shift in focus over the last ten years, from an elitist conservationist approach to a management approach based on our recognition of the contribution of biological resources to food security, science, economy, cultural integrity and well being.
* We have ensured that conservation and economic development go hand in hand. Our conservation areas contribute to job creation and socio-economic upliftment, and continue to serve as a foundation of the tourism industry.
* Along with our national and provincial parks, the country's four World Heritage Sites based in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal are amongst the major tourist attractions.
* Mapungubwe in Limpopo has just been declared as our fifth World Heritage site. The other sites that have been submitted include the Vredefort Dome in the Free State, Cape Floristic Region in the Western Cape and Makapan's Valley in Limpopo.
PROMOTING A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
* In 2002, South Africa's facilitation skills enabled the world to adopt the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
* The Summit produced consensus on a global path towards sustainable development. In 2003, our country once again showed its leadership skills, in successfully chairing the 11th Session on the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. The meeting adopted a programme of work for the implementation of WSSD outcomes.
* Our leadership role now is that of ACTION, in demonstrating to the world the remarkable work that is, and will be done in achieving sustainable development.
* To this end, a response strategy for meeting our country's commitments to the Johannesburg decisions has been prepared, committing government, in partnership with business and civil society, to achieving the Johannesburg targets and the Millennium Development Goals.
* In ensuring that we are equal to the challenges outlined at the Johannesburg Summit, a key priority is the strengthening of institutional arrangements and partnerships for integrated service delivery and sustainable development. In strengthening our contract with the people, we shall continue to build strong partnerships with civil society and development agencies for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of progress made.
Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
12 February 2004
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
