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Date: 04/02/2010
Source: The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs
Title: SA: Mabudafhasi: Speech by the Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, on National Policy imperatives facing waste management in South Africa, at the Free State Waste Summit

Program Director: Me Mamosa Afrika
MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs: Mr
Mxolisi Dukwana
Mangaung Local Municipality Executive Mayor: Councillor Playfair
Morule, Mayor of Tswelopele local Municipality: Mayor K. Phukutsi,
DDG for Economic Development in the Department of Tourism, Environment
and Economic Affairs: Mr T Lioma,
Chief Executive Officer of SALGA: Mr X George, CEO of Pikitup: Mr Zami
Nkosi and CEO of Buyisa-e-Bag: Mr S Strydom,
All Protocol Observed,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

INTRODUCTION
This year has been declared by the United Nations as the International
Year of Biodiversity. At a recent AU Summit in Addis Ababa the Heads of
States have declared 2010 as the Africa Year. This declaration of 2010
gives us much needed opportunity to focus on biodiversity. The
challenges and opportunities presented to us all is how do we translate
this as the Free State Province, South Africa, SADC and Africa?
Yesterday globally we celebrated World Wetlands Day and in South Africa
we celebrated at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, a unique wetland which is a
Pietland wetland. We have only a few in South Africa. They assist to
absorb Carbon dioxide, however, when degraded they release it as
greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Taking care of the
environment could be through conservation, rehabilitation, keeping our
environment clean, waste management, to name but few. I*m happy to be
part of this forum that seeks to discuss an issue that is close to my
heart and one of my priorities * waste management.

Dear participants, if waste management is left unlegislated,
unregulated, it will work against our efforts to build an
environmentally healthy society. The Constitution of our country binds
us to keep the environment clean for our benefit and for the future
generation. It is with those authoritative and legally-binding
constitutional requirements that we locate our efforts to promote the
concept of waste minimisation and we must assist our communities to
reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Yesterday*s Daily Sun had a picture
of youth that matriculated but due to poverty they cannot continue with
their studies. They decided to start a waste management project,
collecting waste from households, businesses and functions with a little
fee paid to them. They are now making money while cleaning the
environment. Those are initiatives that we must support.

LEGISLATIVE INTERVENTIONS
We have anchored our responsibilities as a department in these
constitutional obligations. We dare not fail in our quest, for it is the
objective of my party * the ruling party * to ensure that we build a
healthy South Africa. A healthy South Africa will be realised not only
by the number of hospitals we build or the amount of medicine we
distribute to our hospitals but through our collective efforts and
initiatives. We need to go back to basics to keep our environment clean
that will result in a healthy nation. As a department, we have been at
the forefront of strengthening our regulatory muscle through the
development of legislation, regulations, norms and standards to
facilitate better management of the environment. It is estimated that
South Africa generates millions of tonnes of waste from household,
commerce and industry. Much of this ends up in landfill sites where it
degrades and generates methane which contributes to our total greenhouse
gas emissions which are causes of climate change. In addition there are
more resources lost and extra emissions created when those products
dumped in landfill are replaced. Some of our waste ends up in rivers,
lakes, dams and oceans contaminating and killing fish, plants, and other
aquatic species. These species and water end up being consumed by human
beings and affect their health. It*s a vicious cycle that must be
stopped. Traditional ways of dealing with waste have a considerable
environmental footprint, not only from landfill methane emissions but
also from the energy and raw materials needed to collect and move it
around; hence I indicated earlier that our new approach is
groundbreaking.

It is estimated that 45% of South Africans, mainly living in informal
settlements and rural areas do not have access to domestic waste
collection services. In addition the country has about 1 292 waste
disposal sites, of which about 442 are unauthorized, and must be
formally closed. This situation clearly has a significant negative
effect on human health and the environment, thus defeating
government*s drive to build healthy and safe communities where our
people can live dignified and normal lives. That sums up where we*ve
been for some time and why things have to change. Though it*s not a
good picture, we however have a reason to be optimistic. We have to work
hard and change the mindset of our people to see waste as wealth when
properly handled. We must give them support to achieve that goal.

We have however made some progress lately. In July last year, the
Waste Act came into effect. This landmark legislation seeks to address
the problems we have over our waste by instituting mechanisms of waste
avoidance, minimisation, reuse, recycling, recovery, appropriate
collection and transport services and environmentally sound treatment
and disposal. The legislation presents us with an opportunity to adopt
a new approach in managing waste in our country. It is our intention to
break new ground in the implementation of our waste management policies
and legislation through this Act. I want to highlight a few imperatives
that come from the Waste Act.

Firstly, in terms of the Act the Minister is required to establish a
National Waste Management Strategy within two years of the Act coming
into effect. The Department has already developed a draft strategy
which:

* establishes the socio-economic and legislative context within
which the Strategy must be located;

* sets out the overall goals and approach to implementing the
waste hierarchy, and the strategies to be followed in addressing each
stage of the waste hierarchy;

* describes each of the regulatory, economic and fiscal
instruments that will be used to give effect to the strategy;

* responds to the challenges we face in relation to specific
categories of waste, and describes how the different instruments
described in the Waste Act in relation to each waste category will be
applied and

* deals with the various mechanisms for implementing the NWMS, and
sets out the roles, responsibilities, coordination and review
mechanisms.

Secondly, we have to provide the waste removal service to all South
Africans. Waste services delivery, including the storage, collection and
transportation of waste, is the main point of interface between the
public and government. The extent and form of provision of waste
services to households and businesses also impacts directly on all
stages of the waste hierarchy. The Waste Act requires municipalities to
ensure access to and sustainability of waste services, to provide waste
services at affordable prices.

The Strategy sets out a programme for universal provision of waste
services according to standards developed in terms of the Waste Act. In
order to achieve this, coordinated action by different spheres of
government is required to address the fiscal and capacity problems faced
in waste service provision, for it is only when we, as different
spheres of government, that we can do more.

Thirdly, we have to reduce, reuse and recycle. Education and awareness
campaigns regarding the importance of waste minimization and ways in
which the industry, households and consumers can achieve this, are
vital. There is also a need for government to run an overarching public
awareness campaign for waste minimization. This campaign would be run
and coordinated by the Department, and should be aligned with other
campaigns related to waste management.

Finally we have to sort out our institutional arrangements. The Waste
Act creates a specialized system of officials, referred to as Waste
Management Officers, who are charged with the broad responsibility of
coordinating waste management matters at each level of government. This
system addresses the historical fragmentation of waste management
functions within government by ensuring that a dedicated authority is
responsible for implementing policy and regulations in terms of the
Waste Act. An important public sector implementation mechanism
established by the Waste Act is the provision for an interlocking set of
national, provincial and local Integrated Waste Management Plans
(IWMPs). National and provincial departments responsible for waste
management and all municipalities must prepare Integrated Waste
Management Plans in terms of section 11 of the Waste Act.

IWMPs must be developed in a consultative manner, and municipalities
are required to follow the prescriptions of Section 29 of the Municipal
Systems Act. There is a tiered system for approving IWMPs, with
national and provincial IWMPs being submitted to the Minister for
approval, and municipal IWMPs to the MEC for approval, whose
responsibility it is to ensure alignment with other relevant plans. The
MEC may also request amendments to an IWMP and enforce adherence to the
planning procedures set out in the Waste Act.

It is in this context that municipalities must have a dedicated
councillor responsible for environmental matters. Today we see our
country full of litter dumped at most open spaces, especially in
townships, informal settlements, next to rivers and dams. How do we
hope to have a healthy nation and environment without commitment and
dedication? There must be a dedicated budget at municipal level for
waste management. Some municipalities already include this in their
Integrated Development Plans. However, it is not only the three spheres
of government that can achieve success but, partners and business.

We are lucky that we now have dedicated partners which are Buyisa e Bag
and Indalo Yethu who assist us with awareness and initiatives of
recycling and putting up Buy-Back Centres. These partners are adding to
communities* entrepreneurial skills by educating them to separate
waste at source for effective recycling and greater benefit to the
environment for us and future generations. In conclusion, together,
with you as our valued partners, I know we can build stronger, healthier
communities, a cleaner environment and a more prosperous and successful
life for everyone in the Free State and South Africa in general.

I thank you.

 

 

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