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Date : 07/06/2005
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Mosunkutu: Gauteng Agriculture, Conservation and Environment Prov Budget Vote


    2005 Budget Vote speech of the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment (DACE), presented to the Provincial Legislature by MEC Khabisi Mosunkutu

Honourable Speaker: Comrade Mdakane
Deputy Speaker
Premier Shilowa
Members of the Executive Counci
l Members of the Provincial Legislature
Friends and colleagues
Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
INTRODUCTION

I am humbled to again have an opportunity to rise in this House and account on how we intend to expend the resources allocated to my Department for us to help further accelerate our people's drive to attain their collective aspirations - aspirations that they themselves encapsulated in their manifesto - the Freedom Charter as far back as 1955. These are the aspirations that we, as Provincial Government, are charged with ensuring their realisation.

Nineteen days from today, most of us will converge in meetings to audit and celebrate the enormous distance thus far traversed on this road map to a united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa that belongs to all who live in it.

In our appraisal of the road traversed thus far honest South Africans shall concur that a lot has been done to realise the historic mission enshrined in the Freedom Charter. A genuine audit shall also reveal that much still has to be done to ensure that our land and agrarian reform programmes truly accord with the injunction in our manifesto, that 'The land shall be shared amongst those who work it' to banish famine and land hunger. Our efforts to help those who work the land with 'seeds, tractors and dams to save the land and assist tillers' must still be multiplied manifold if our quest to halve poverty by 2014 is to succeed.

To again make clear their unwavering determination that our land should be shared to fight poverty and help build broad-based economic development, our people, led by their Government, have resolved to converge in a National Land Summit, scheduled for July this year. This summit will be preceded by Provincial Summits and marches in support of Government's agrarian reforms. Preparations for the march are fairly advanced.

Asked about the fruits of 11 years of democracy, the awakened people of our country will also say that much has been done to protect and promote their right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being. They will confirm that a lot has been done to ensure usage of natural resources for justifiable social and economic development, as demanded by our constitution.

However, much still needs to be done. My address to you thus far has taken approximately three minutes. During those three minutes

* Well over 360 000 tons of carbon has been released into the atmosphere; and
* More than 21 420 tons of toxic waste has been produced.

All of this in only three minutes.

This staggering report is a synopsis of what happens to 'The environment in 10 seconds', as reported by the United Nations' Environment Programme (UNEP).

South Africa's contribution to this is equally unflattering:

* 34 % of our terrestrial ecosystems are under threat, with 5% listed as critically endangered.

* 82% of our 120 rivers are under threat with 34% critically endangered.

* In 3 of our 13 estuaries, nationally, biodiversity is critically endangered.

This is what the sombre report by our National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment indicates.

This reality clearly suggests that our drive to realise strategic goals reflected in the historic manifesto will be delayed. At the international level, the report communicates a message that the Millennium Declaration, that our country is signatory to, may not be realised. We would recall that the Millennium Declaration seeks to, among other things, halve extreme poverty and ensure sustainable development by reversing loss of natural resources by the year 2015.

These challenges continue to spur the women and men in my Department to do their best to contribute to our noble goals. In this drive, we have set ourselves appropriate goals. I now want to emphasise a few of these goals, against the background of the Gauteng Provincial Government's priorities for the next five years.

1. Our contribution to fighting poverty, building secure and sustainable communities:

Similar to other Departments, we too are contributing towards extricating those of our communities trapped in extreme poverty by means of the following:

1.1 Firstly the Homestead Food Gardens programme: An amount of R6 475 600 has been budgeted for these projects. It is our intention to increase the number of beneficiaries to 9 000, with 6 000 additional beneficiaries benefiting from this allocation.

1.2 Secondly the Household Food Security Project: Working closely with our local municipalities, we identify communities hardest affected by poverty, and target them for enlistment as beneficiaries.

1.3 Thirdly the Community Food Garden Project: In relation to this project, we have set aside an amount of R2 840 000 for the establishment of 32 new community food garden projects for the financial year under review. These projects are expected to increase the number of beneficiaries to 640. An amount of R82 600 has also been allocated for the maintenance of similar existing projects.

Almost all of our poverty alleviation projects target the elderly, the unemployed, women, people with disabilities and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

1.4 Fourthly, the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)

You would recall that the EPWP is one of Government's strategies aimed at addressing unemployment and reducing poverty. The Department is the lead agent in the environmental and cultural sector of the EPWP and an amount of
R2 m, from our budget, has been set aside for this programme.

Our EPWP finds expression in the following projects, among others:

1.4.1 Community Based Natural Resources Management

These projects support the creation of land-based livelihoods and community based natural resource management (CBNRM) to create both short and long-term jobs. Our plan is to create about 1 900 jobs over the next five years. In addition, a further 9 600 beneficiaries will acquire various skills.

1.4.2 Water projects

We probably all recognise water as a vital natural resource that is inequitably distributed across the surface of South Africa. Its availability displays a high variability over times due to relatively low average rainfall. Gauteng is within the upper reaches of the three of the 19 catchments of South Africa, namely, the Crocodile West-Marico, Upper-Vaal and the Olifants River.

The success of the CBNR project includes the creation of 685 jobs, with about 1 600 who will benefit from the utilisation of fire wood from the eradication of alien invasive plants projects.

1.4.3 Land projects

Land is another important resource and Gauteng has a disproportionate share of high and moderate agricultural potential soils. It is important to note that unsuitable land use has implications for the condition of the land. Land degradation can limit the capacity of land and water resources to support human settlement and economic activity on the land.

This creates a major need for Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs), Environmental Management Frameworks (EMFs) and Spatial Development Frameworks (SDFs), if sustainable use is to be made of the land resources in Gauteng.

2. Stimulating faster economic growth and drastic education of unemployment In order to contribute to the stimulation of faster economic growth and to drastically reduce unemployment, we will concentrate on the following:

2.1. Development of urban agriculture:

Urban agriculture makes a significant contribution to the goal of stimulating economic growth. You would perhaps recall that South Africa produces most of our main staple foods, exports surplus food, and only imports what we need to meet domestic food requirements. We however need to bear in mind the disconcerting scientific predictions that our food production capacity will start declining by the year 2020.

In this permutation, we should bear in mind that Gauteng covers 1.4% of the total land surface of South Africa and is home to 20% of the country's population of which 96% is urbanised. We contribute 40% to the GDP and have an unemployment rate of between 25 and 30%.

It is in this scenario that urban agriculture has emerged. It makes a significant contribution to urban food security and to economic development.

This has generated a need to audit medium to high potential agricultural land and to update the Gauteng agricultural potential atlas. We intend to complete this task by September 2005.

With the high potential agricultural land map in place, we shall be able to present to the Legislature draft Provincial legislation aimed at zoning high potential agricultural land. This land would need to be strictly reserved for agricultural usage. This will not only ensure that 90% of agricultural land is utilised sustainably. It will also increase the percentage of viable farming enterprises in the Province, thereby further contributing to further growing our economy.

Not content with unused assets, we also plan to increase productivity on the 300 000 hectares of arable land through a programme of intensive group and individual extension support services. Furthermore, we also plan to provide support to 135 land reform projects involving 850 beneficiaries and the other 259 farmers that are leasing land from the Gauteng Provincial Government.

We have set aside a total of over R38m, (R38 644 00) for urban agriculture development. This is about 7% of our total budgetary allocation.

2.2 Other agricultural priorities for the financial year

Equally important, we will work with the Department of Land Affairs on further land reform projects to bring into production the 130 000 odd hectares not currently cultivated. The focus will be primarily on empowering women farmers and the programmes include the following:

2.2.1 Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP): In relation to this project, a conditional grant, funded by the National Department of Agriculture to the tune of just above R4.5m is already earmarked for emerging farmers.

Some amongst us will recall that President Mbeki, addressing the nation on the 11th February 2005, said that an amount of R1 billion has already been approved for the Agricultural Credit Scheme. Working with the Department of Agriculture, we already are making plans to facilitate and assist deserving emerging farmers to access the benefits of the scheme.

2.2.2 Co-operating with AgriSA and NAFU (Gauteng): We plan to provide agricultural information services to support their decisions in relations to choosing niche markets in profitable agricultural commodities.

2.2.3 High-value agricultural produce: Plans to institute new studies to identify creative methods of increasing labour absorption in high value agricultural commodities is also afoot.

2.2.4 Land reform programme: Equally important, we will work with the Department of Land Affairs on further land reform projects The Department of Land Affairs has set aside a budget of R 26 million for this purpose for the financial year under discussion.

2.2.5 Agricultural credit scheme: Addressing the nation on the 11th February 2005, President Mbeki said that an amount of R1 billion has already been approved for the Agricultural Credit Scheme. Working with the National Department of Agriculture, we intend to complete plans to access the scheme especially for the benefit of emerging farmers who are unable to raise collateral for a loan. This process is pursued through the Micro Agricultural Finance of South Africa (MAFISA) which we expect to see being launched within our Province.

2.3. Veterinary services:

The role of veterinary services both in terms of local economic development and in relation to our export market is not minimal. You would perhaps know that the risk of the spread of endemic and exotic diseases is high in Gauteng. This is because of, among others, our highly developed network of roads, railways and airports, which makes the flow of people, animals and animal products in and out of Gauteng easy. Johannesburg and Lanseria airports are particular source points of risks in this regard. This scenario, if not vigilantly attended to, could negatively impact on the contribution of veterinary services to economic development. In this regard we pay specific attention to:

2.3.1 International trade: The increasing occurrence of emerging diseases around the world put increasing pressure on the Department to carry out epidemiological surveys and risk assessments to ensure protection of both the human and animal populations. Surveys are also required to prove freedom from disease in order to facilitate exports from the country as required by the World Trade Organization's (WTO) agreements.

2.3.2 Measures to be instituted to combat diseases: To combat, control and eradicate, where possible, spread of animal diseases we intend to treat well over 100 000 cattle and pets during the financial year under discussion. We also plan to inspect and sterilise over 90% relevant rendering plants, evaluate 20% of abattoir plans to multiply fivefold inspection of abattoirs and provide pro-active abattoir hygiene services.

Very sadly though, eleven years into our democracy the abattoir industry still remains largely dominated by white males. This is a challenge that we are not going to lose sight of and I have all the intentions to change this absurd situation.

2.4. Environmental Planning and Impact Assessment (EIA) - a tool for stimulating faster economic growth

2.4.1 The Role of EPIA:

The work of our Environmental Planning and Impact Assessment (EPIA) component plays a pivotal role in social and economic development within the Province. Most social and economic infrastructure developments have to undergo the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. It is particularly heartening to remind us all here that President Mbeki, and the people of our country are the first recipients of the new 'Champions of the Earth' awards of the United Nations' "efforts towards achieving the goals and targets encapsulated in the 2000 Millennium Declaration and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Plan of Implementation, particularly in the area of clean water and sanitation" to quote the United Nations' statement.

The strategic priorities of the unit include:

* Implementation of the Environmental Implementation Plan (EIP) of the Province. This plan manages threats arising from development pressure and the burden of waste and pollution.
* Implementation, measurement and evaluation of a Gauteng Strategy for Sustainable Development (GSSD);
* Protection of the environment without compromising economic and social development; and
* Promoting sustainable land use and land use patterns.

We received, in the previous financial year, more than 12 000 applications for various approvals in the Conservation and Environment branch. About 3 000 of these were specifically for EIA endorsement. This represents annual doubling of applications received, while the number of staff members remained unchanged. Approval for doubling of the staff complement and for improving systems in the Environmental Planning and Impact Assessment component has however now been granted. We also intend to increase the budget allocation for this unit's regulatory functions in order to reduce turnaround times in the EIA administration.

2.4.2 Land use and challenges

One of the challenges that we face in Gauteng is the efficient use of land. Urban sprawl (that is building houses and developments on the ever growing fringes of our towns and cities) is neither desirable nor sustainable.

The reality is that the need for StrategicEnvironmental Assessments (SEAs)
Environmental Management Frameworks (EMFs)
and Spatial Development Frameworks (SDFs) is unparalleled if sustainable use is to be made of the limited available land in Gauteng.

In terms of strategic land use planning processes, we have been actively involved, and will continue to participate, in projects that seek to integrate land use planning with environmental issues. In this regard input into the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs') of Local Authorities is an area of critical importance that we shall continue focusing on during this financial year.

2.4.3 Developmental plans and policies:

We intend to, during this financial year, develop a strategy and plan for Sustainable Development in Gauteng. This plan will be informed by the commitments of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and by the National Plan for Sustainable Development, which is pending finalisation.

This, together with the recently completed State of the Environment Report, will serve as key inputs into the Gauteng Growth and Development Plan and will form the basis of the revised Provincial Environmental Implementation Plan. You would, perhaps, recall that this is a statutory requirement in terms of the National Environmental Management Act.

The Sustainable Development Plan will be used to refine and serve as an input to improve Departmental decision support tools, including the management of the EIA authorisation process.

3. OUR CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS DEEPENING DEMOCRACY, NATION BUILDING AND REALISATION OF OUR PEOPLE'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

Gauteng is characterised by a rich biodiversity and has many endemic species. Many of these are, however, on the Red Data List.

We have targeted some of these species for management plans that are linked to the National Biodiversity Threatened Species Programme. The strategic objective of building common citizenship and of deepening democracy finds expression in various projects whose aim is to promote sustainable utilisation and conservation of biological diversity and natural processes for the development of all our communities.

3.1 Conservation projects

Projects aimed at protecting our natural resources include implementing a conservation plan to manage biodiversity threats arising from development pressure, pollution, trade in medicinal plants, wildlife smuggling, importation of alien species and bio prospecting.

We have an important role in the development of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). In this plan, poorly conserved rocky highveld grassland, predominant in Gauteng, has been identified as one of the 15 priority threatened ecosystems in South Africa.

Gauteng also has its own Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance, on the Blesbokspruit, but this is heavily impacted on by mining and industry, and is the subject of an initiative driven by the Department to manage the area through a stakeholder process, as well as through infrastructure development in terms of water flow in the area.

Our 2005/6 target includes refining and spatially mapping the Conservation Plan for the Province. Through policy and legislation, which we hope to pilot during this period, we also plan to afford legal protection to irreplaceable areas and red data species within the Province.

We intend to also focus on conservation on private land, including reduction in degradation of ridges, riverine habitats and wetlands. Planning to increase community involvement in the stewardship of ecosystems, goods and services is also done. During the outgoing financial year, we officially opened one of our nature reserves (Alice Glockner) for the public after we had completed upgrading the infrastructure. Directly contributing to the goals of the Freedom Charter to 'open the doors of learning and culture', more of these facilities will be opened for the enjoyment of our public.

We also are pursuing a Public Private Partnership (PPP) in relation to the management of some of our nature reserves, such as in the Suikerbosrand. Developments on this issue will be announced soon.

3.2 Compliance and enforcement

The Department will simultaneously give renewed focus to compliance and enforcement programmes designed to prevent the illegal movement and trade in wildlife.

The regulatory responsibilities of the Department include the issuance of approximately 12,000 authorizations per annum which are an important prerequisite for economic growth and development.

The current status of compliance and enforcement in the Department does not adequately meet the legislative requirements. The Department will continue to progressively implement a more effective and holistic compliance and enforcement system. To this end the Department will be implementing legislative changes introduced by the National Environmental Management First Amendment Act (No.46 of 2003). This amendment provides for the designation of environmental management inspectors (EMI's). The functions of these inspectors will be to proactively monitor and enforce compliance with the relevant law and to investigate environmental offences.

To further encourage voluntary compliance, we have scheduled a Developers' Summit to take place within the next three weeks.

4. Developing healthy, appropriately skilled and productive people

South Africa is in the top 20 countries that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Of great concern is the fact that South Africans generate 10 tons of carbon dioxide per person per annum compared to the global average of 7 tons per person per annum.

Waste and pollution abatement significantly contributes to our strategic goal of building healthy and productive communities. In relation to this, we have set ourselves the following strategic objectives:

* Compliance with minimum standards in relation to air and water quality, waste management and waste minimization.
* Pollution prevention and control.
* Best practice use of cleaner technology and energy in all sectors.
* Reduction in the negative environmental impacts of mining.

In this regard, Sectoral Environmental Management Co-operative Agreements (EMCA) may be an important instrument to complement the compliance and enforcement programme. The National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism is currently developing guidelines for these EMCAs.

In addition, various policies have been developed contributing towards integrating environmental issues with strategic spatial planning and public health implications. These include the Gauteng health care risk waste management policy as well as the administrative guidelines on applications for the development of filling stations.

Our priority for the financial year under discussion includes ensuring that local authorities develop integrated waste management plans which are realistic and give priority attention to waste minimization, especially in view of the fact that Gauteng generates 80% of all waste generated in the country.

Our second priority for this period is the development of a strategy and plan for management of risk waste from the abattoir industry. This is a particularly high risk area in Gauteng due to a change in the regulatory environment which has resulted in the closure of the City Deep abattoir. Currently waste from the abattoir industry is disposed off illegally and/or inappropriately and is a source of biohazard which, if not given urgent attention, will generate pollution and a public health crisis.

It is projected that projects that address these issues will cost us R400 000 during the financial year under discussion.

5. Building an effective and caring government Being part of the provincial government that has prioritised effective and caring governance, all our projects also give precedence to those people most vulnerable in our society namely women, the youth and people with disabilities.

In addition, we also have developed departmental service delivery standards. These will be launched during the Public Service week in September. The public that we serve will be invited to contribute to these internal standards of service delivery and will also be invited to judge our performance against these standards.

Internally, we also focus on a number of projects aimed at the well-being and the development of our staff. The following constitute some of our programmes for the financial year under discussion:

5.1 Employment equity

We have achieved the targets set by the DPSA in terms of employment equity.

77% of the total staff complement comes from the disadvantaged communities.

67% of our managers are black. We, however still need to achieve the 50% target set for women in management ranks. Currently 38% of the management team are women.

Some occupational categories present more difficulties than others in terms of appointing candidates from the designated groups. The issue of recruitment and retention of scarce skills in the Public Service has also been receiving ongoing attention from both the Employer and Labour for some time and has led to the adoption, at Bargaining Council level, of an agreed framework for the Determination and Compensation for Scarce Skills Allowances in the Public Service.

To help achieve employment equity targets in the scarce skills category, we are also involved in career days at various secondary and tertiary institutions. We also award learnerships and internships in the relevant fields.

In terms of appointing people with disabilities, the Department can still do better. Currently we are working with employment agencies. The progress has however not been great but will be an area of more focused attention with the creation of the Department's Transformation unit.

5.2 Employee wellness programme:

An amount of R893 000 has been set aside for our HIV/AIDS programme. This programme specifically focuses on creating enabling structures, continuation of education and awareness projects, an outreach programme as well as prevention strategy.

Our employee assistance programme, instituted during December 2004, continues focusing on:

* Identification and resolution of worksite based problems that impact on productivity; and

* Personal problems including those that impact on health, marital, financial, alcohol and drug problems, among others.

It is common cause that such problems, if left unattended, could also contribute to delaying our people's march to a better South Africa that they deserve.

5.3 Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)

In relation to human capital development, our Department budgets, on a yearly basis, 4% of its allocation for skills development, are focusing particularly on those historically disadvantaged individuals.

A total of R480 000 has been allocated for ABET programmes for the financial year under review. 34 of our ABET learners, who passed their trial exams, will be sitting for national examinations during June 2005 and the rest will sit for examinations during November 2005.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to send a word of congratulations and gratitude to the youth of Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal who, during the second week of May 2005, won the Volvo/UNEP Adventure Award, and by so-doing once again placed our country and its youth on the international map.

The remarkable achievement of this group of youngsters, from the Ladysmith Enviro Club, comes from crafting low energy household bulbs that reduce energy consumption by 1, 584 000 Kilo-Watts (kWh). The group also, as reported by the UEP, 'planted trees to increase carbon dioxide absorption and thus reduce the global greenhouse effect'.

The accomplishment notched by these youth makes clear a statement to the effect that our business does not really lie dimly in the far away distance.

Their recognition by the United Nation's agency loudly pronounces that our business is clear and is aimed at addressing real challenges that confront our people now, to borrow from the words of Thomas Carlyle, an author.

I also wish to thank all my colleagues in the Executive Council and in the Standing Committee for continuously sharpening our resolve and capacity to serve our communities to the best of our abilities. My gratitude also goes to our Head of Department, Dr. Steven Cornelius, his team of managers and the entire staff for their contribution to this noble goal - the goal of further bettering the lives of all our people.

I thank you all.

Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Gauteng Provincial Government
7 June 2005
   

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