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The Climate Change Bill, which is currently a subject of a nationwide public consultation process by the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, has received overwhelming support from the people of Mafikeng Local Municipality and surrounding areas.

Yesterday the committee held public hearings on the draft legislation in the North West provincial capital and a majority of the residents who made inputs were in support of the Bill.

The residents told the committee that the Bill must help municipalities to strengthen the enforcement of bylaws to discourage pollution and practices such as illegal sand mining which can cause soil erosion and floods. A call was also made for the provision of dumping sites in rural areas in order to avoid the current situation where residents burn their garbage.

Some suggested that the Bill must complement existing legislations such as the National Environmental Management Act, Water Act, Veld Fire laws and other related pieces of legislation. The Bill also came under criticism for being silent on what role the community can play, and instead refers only to the Minister and MECs.

Committee Chairperson Mr Pogiso Modise thanked the people of the province and took time to outline the importance of public hearings and dismissed criticism that there are some people who thick this is just a tick box exercise.

“We would like to thank the people of the North West province, all your views are valuable and important for this process, we also know that there are some people who think this is just a tick box exercise, this process is important and also a constitutional obligation,

“Whether people believe climate change does not exist we still need to hear their views, the rising sea levels, heat, floods and droughts are all effects of climate change and this Bill must help us establish adaptation and mitigation systems to respond to climate change,” said the Chairperson.

The Bill seeks to enable the development of an effective climate change response and a long-term, just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society for South Africa in the context of sustainable development.

Issued by the Parliamentary communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Pogiso Modise