23 March 2000
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Minister Moosa, today announced plans to restructure the South African Weather Bureau into a statutory authority. Speaking at the World Meteorological Day Celebration in Pretoria, the Minister outlined Government’s vision on the agentisation of the weather bureau to enable it to be a world-class provider of weather information.
He said this new move to organise the bureau as a distinct legal person was based on sound business principles and will enhance its value to the South African public and the international community. By establishing the bureau at arm’s length from government it will enable to Weather Bureau to focus on its core business of weather information service delivery while developing specialist services for its various customers.
The legislative process has been started and the South African Weather Bureau Bill was published in the Government Gazette for public comment last week on the 17 March 2000. Both the public and various stakeholders are invited to comment.
Explaining the rationale behind the Bill, Minister Moosa said: "In preparing ourselves to deal with challenges of this century, Cabinet has approved an approach that will reposition the weather bureau as a key player in development".
Minister Moosa emphasised that one of the key challenges faced by the weather bureau is to increasingly make it relevant to lives of ordinary people. "Our people need to see the value of the weather bureau in the enhancement of the quality of their lives". He indicated that with an efficient service we will be better prepared as a country to deal with natural disasters and prompt preventative and urgent action. "It is for this reason" he emphasised " that government will continue to pay on behalf of the public, for the core services of the weather bureau".
Minister Moosa highlighted the fact that through this approach government seeks to ensure that those who use weather/ environmental information for commercial gain need to help in the maintenance of the weather bureau as a provider.
There are 11core services of the Weather Bureau indicated in the Bill. These include:
[The full list is published as Schedule 1 of the Bill.]
The following are examples of areas identified as Non-Core Services in the Bill:
[The full list is in Schedule 3 of the Bill.]
A Board of highly skilled representatives of areas such as disaster management, Water resource management, media, and the maritime industry will govern the bureau and be appointed by the Minister.
The public has until the 17 April to send their comments after which the Bill will be introduced to Parliament.
Didi Moyle: Special Adviser to the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
phone: +27 21 465 7240/1 or +27 12 310 3611
fax: + 27 21 465 3216 or +27 12 322 0082
moyle@mweb.co.za cell: 082 808 5108