Sunday 16 January 2000
The Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism today announced that Horst Kleinschmidt has been appointed acting programme manager of the Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) chief directorate of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT).
In a joint statement Minister Mohammed Valli Moosa and Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said: “We are very lucky to have the services of Mr Kleinschmidt, who is an ideal manager for this programme. He has worked successfully in restructuring and transforming organisations in the past, and his expertise will be invaluable at MCM.
“MCM plays an important role in not only the conservation of our marine resources, but also in the regulation of the fishing industry. It is an industry that has a turnover of more than R2,5 billion a year and employs more than 200,000 people, and could play an important role in empowering historically disadvantaged communities,” the ministry said.
Mr Kleinschmidt is the former executive director of Mvula Trust. After he returned to South Africa in 1991 from exile (where he was the executive director of the International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa in London), he has been the executive director of Kagiso Trust, the director administration for Lawyers for Human Rights and the chairperson of Mvula Trust.
He has developed widely recognized expertise in change management, strategic planning, administration and finance through this experience.
Mr Kleinschmidt has been employed to implement the recommendations in the report of the “Investigation and Management Findings of an Internal Audit of the Chief Director: MCM” by the Acting Director General Dr Chippy Olver.
The report recommended urgent, immediate steps as well as long-term steps to establish sound management and internal controls in MCM. Other matters such as the running of fishing harbours, remuneration of the Fishing Transformation Council and a policy on research contracts are also to receive attention.
Mr Kleinschmidt said that the immediate challenge was to restore confidence in MCM and get on top of the financial situation. He said that the other major issue was to get an equitable solution to the long and on-going problems associated with the allocation of fishing quotas.
“I look forward to working in government to find sustainable solutions to problems in the fishing sector that will bring equity, jobs, stability and sustainable development to this important industry which could play an even more vital role in our economy,” he said.
Inquiries:
Office of the Deputy Minister:
(021) 462 2664 or (012) 321 9587 and
MCM Head Office:
(021) 402 3019