Issued by: Office of the Premier
6 June 2001
MEC Metcalfe
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentleman,
Yesterday was the start of the environment week. In Gauteng we have decided to focus on both the environment and waste management. The two are key to any nation's well being. They are indicators as to what legacy we want toleave for future generations. They are key to sustainable development to which all of us should be committed.
As we grapple with how to ensure sustainable development, a question as to whether we are shaped by the environment in which we live or do we shape it arises. How we answer this question as well as the actions we take will have a direct bearing on how we should treat our environment and respond to the many global challenges of development we face today.
This year's environment week has a special significance for South Africa and Gauteng, as we prepare for the hosting of the World Summit for Sustainable Development to be held in Johannesburg in September 2002.
We must acknowledge that very little progress has been made with respect to the implementation of the resolutions taken at the last Earth Summit held in Rio. The candid acknowledgement must not be for the sake of self-righteousness, but rather it should help us develop genuine commitments to ensure sustainable resource usage with clear goals and objectives underpinned by realistic time frames to address some of our most visible environmental and waste management problems. This will allow us to ensure that in all aspects of development, public and private, the necessary environmental considerations play an important part.
In particular, every supply, industrial policy, traffic and town planning need to be managed with a view to the minimisation of adverse short, medium and long term environmental impacts. We call on the people of Gauteng, rich and poor, black and white, those who live in informal settlement and those who live in affluent areas, to dedicate ourselves to a provincial clean up that would make a major dent in the scale of our waste and pollution problems.
Through our collective action let us show that we do indeed want a clean province. In the same way that we dedicated our lives to the eradication of apartheid and its unjust policies let us dedicate our lives to the eradication of our litter problems. Let us together ensure that our waterways are clean and alien invasive plants polluting our rivers are removed. Let all industries in our province show that they care about our lives by ensuring that effluent is not released into watercourses. It is unacceptable and immoral for industries to pollute areas inhabited by working people, while calling on government to clean areas where they live.
We call on all municipalities in Gauteng to show their commitment to sustainable development and respect for our environment by prioritising waste management, setting time frames and budgets to eradicate service backlogs.
While environment is everyone's concern, I am of the view that through some of our actions we have made many people feel very cynical about environmental issues and waste management.
How do you explain to a Soweto child that those who have left her environment with mine dumps are the same people who are concerned about the butterfly in Heidelberg? How do you convince a child in Alex that the same people who refused her temporary shelter in state land in Leeuwkop are the same people who would be concerned about the impact of the Jukskei River on the environment?
How do you explain to a rural child that those who forcibly removed her parents, chopped down trees and caused runaway waters in her area are the same people who are concerned about soil erosion? How do you explain to me that the same people who forced us to use coal in the township by denying us electricity are the same people who are concerned about the impact of smog in people's lives?
Indeed how do you explain to a child in Vosloorus that the same people who denied her running water and sanitation are the same people who are concerned about spillage in Boksburg? How do you explain to anyone that doctors and hospital managers who look after their well being are the same people who dumped medical waste in a house in Roodepoort?
Difficult as it may sound, it can still be done. It will require that we all join hands in campaigns around issues such as the distribution of air pollution, the location of municipal landfills and incinerators, the location of abandoned toxic waste dumps and mine dumps which remain biased against poor black communities.
Mining houses will have to commit themselves to a visible process of rehabilitation of existing mine dumps as well as ensure that we do not have this similar problem in the future. While discussions with mine companies are important and should be supported we must refuse to be locked into endless workshops. All we want to know is what practical steps they plan to take to clean up the mess they have created.
The provincial government will have to be tough with those who dispose of health care waste outside agreed policies. The industrial nature of our province means that most trucks that transport hazardous materials or produce hazardous waste will be found here. Together with local government we must make them pay for any spillage or illegal dumping.
Together with local government, we need to ensure that bulk services are in place including waste management.
Together with schools and communities we should start a clean up campaign in schools and communities with prizes going to those that are clean while we shame those who pollute the most. To an extent that is possible and within our competence, we must draft policies and legislation that will give effect to the international accepted principle that the polluter must pay. We also need to look at what steps we can take to deal with congestion and pollution on our roads.
I am convinced that we can mobilise all citizens behind these campaigns.
The provincial government is ready to lead the campaign. What we require is a draft plan of action with clear goals and objectives as well as realisable timeframes.
Thank you.