Issued by: Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism,
NCOP, 26 June 2001
Introduction
When I addressed the National Assembly a few weeks ago I made a call that as South Africans we must act while we can to protect the environment. This requires decisive action and can only happen if all three spheres of government act together.
The NCOP has a special place in the governance of our country. This is where the three spheres of government interact to give real and practical meaning to co-operative governance on issues of pollution and waste, the growth of tourism and the management of our protected areas and our coastline. This unity in action is the best weapon to combat poverty with practical programmes.
I therefore wish to use this opportunity to highlight some of the practical ways we are working with provinces and local government to address environment and tourism issues, and raise some concerns that I believe we need to address in this relationship.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Constitutional role of provincial and local government in waste management is critical. Refuse removal, refuse dumps and solid waste disposal are Schedule 5B local government functions under exclusive provincial legislative competence. We cannot speak of an effective waste management system without talking about the role to be played by provincial and local government.
Currently 566 million tons of municipal waste is generated every year in our country. This is a mountain of waste. Only a fraction of this is recycled or reclaimed in any way. In preparing for this speech, most municipalities were unable to even give us accurate figures on waste and recycling.
Where is this mountain of waste going? There is a crisis pertaining to illegal landfill sites that happen unabated by municipal authorities. Of the 710 landfills in South Africa, 49% are illegal and do not comply with environmental legislation. Some municipalities are complicit in this, and are using these landfills illegally.
Proper refuse collection is an essential service and a basic right. At the moment, 40% of South Africa's people do not have a proper domestic refuse collection system, which means that waste piles up around their homes, degrades their environments and affects their health. We have a national obligation to ensure that minimum standards for waste management are met.
The actions taken by provinces to address these problems are clearly not adequate.
In this regard it is important that we do the basics right. A consistent refuse removal mechanism and strategy, provision of basic dust bins in previously neglected areas and the proper organization of land fill sites in a manner that facilitates effective recycling are things that can be done with the current resources that are at our disposal. This should be linked to environmentally friendly Integrated Development Plans of municipalities.
We have to act before it is too late.
The white paper on integrated pollution and waste provides us with a basis for action.
My department has actively supported waste management projects around the country, which aim to demonstrate that waste management can be improved on a sustainable basis, and that jobs and development can be delivered as part of this. I am proud to announce that this year we will spend an additional R32 million on waste projects linked to poverty alleviation targets, contributing to government's overall work on urban renewal and rural development.
On the 25-27 September 2001, my department will host a national waste summit whose key objective will be to engage all of government and its stakeholders in practical strategies to implement the national policy on integrated waste management. It will also be a golden opportunity to increase awareness of South Africans to act before it is too late.
The Socio-economic development of South Africa and the health of its people can no longer be affected by uncontrolled and uncoordinated waste management.
During World Environment Week, we announced that we will be running a competition to identify the cleanest town in our country. The response to this initiative, from ordinary people and local authorities has been overwhelming. We call on all sectors of society schools, the religious community and business to throw their full weight in ensuring that their city or town wins the R1 million prize. If anything, they must pull their weight to ensure that theirs is not named the dirtiest town.
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is another local government function that is inadequately performed. Only 131 municipalities do any form of air quality monitoring, and of these only 97 take any steps to ensure compliance. Most township areas still fall outside declared smoke control areas, and township residents are exposed to the most appalling levels of air pollution from coal smoke and adjacent industries. In parts of the Vaal triangle today, you will not be able to see your neighbour standing across the street from you because the air pollution is so bad.
The new published guidelines for SO2 emissions and the multipoint plan to tackle air pollution in Durban South industrial basin are examples of what cooperation between government at all levels can produce.
These guidelines, released for public comment until the end of June, will be rolled out in other localities as well. We hope for the same cooperation from the provinces and local government in other hotspots such as Milnerton, Rustenberg and the Vaal.
Another lesson from Durban is that while local government plays its role in pollution monitoring and control it is through vigilant actions by communities that strategies to keep our country clean can be sustained. Provinces and local government have to increase their role in handling pollution control.
The adoption of ambient air quality guidelines by the end of 2001 across the board will strengthen the new 'Clean Air Act', which is planned to be in place by the middle of 2002.
In the meantime, we have taken a decision to avail the Weather Bureau's aircraft in pollution hotspots to increase our capacity for random monitoring.
CONSERVATION
The bioregional approach to conservation in South Africa recently released by our department is an indication of the tremendous progress made in conservation in our country since 1994. Over 155 000 ha of land has been added to conservation. This is the biggest expansion in any comparable period in the history of conservation in South Africa. We hope to grow the current 6 percent of conservation land in South Africa up to 8% over the next 10 years to sustain this trend.
The provinces have a critical role to play in managing the conservation areas of our country, and improving the standard of our provincial parks. Much criticism has been levelled against the state of some of our provincial parks. We have a problem here. In every single province, there has been a steady decline in real terms in conservation budgets. We are spending less and less in Rands per hectare on managing provincial reserves. Income from provincial reserves has been declining, and in provinces where the income goes back into the central treasury, parks suffer.
My department has been working actively with provinces to address this crisis, and in many instances is intervening directly to protect biodiversity that is of national and international significance.
It is heartening to note that most provinces will in the next 3 years increase their budgets for conservation by up to 40%. I believe that this stated commitment needs to be monitored very carefully by the NCOP, and provinces should be called to report on the steps they are taking to protect biodiversity.
In three months, I will publish a draft biodiversity legislation which will set certain minimum standards for conservation and biodiversity management with the aim to ensure that the heritage of our beautiful country is protected for generations to come.
In some areas, progress is commendable. Since 1994 we have established a total of 26 new parks at national and provincial level, incorporating some 155 000 ha of new land for conservation. Other developments worth noting on the conservation front are:
TOURISM
Tourism is one of the key economic growth sectors identified by the President in his State of the Nation address, and is a major source of investment, job creation and local economic development. Many towns, townships and rural areas around our country have already taken advantage of the benefits of tourism, and are using their local heritage to create jobs and make development happen.
Local and provincial government's role in building our tourism economy is extremely important. The emergence of local tourism forums and initiatives around the country highlights the fact that many communities want to own the tourism dream. With this amount of support for our policies on tourism, we can conclude that the 'welcome' campaign is beginning to take shape.
Over the last year, we have spoken about changing the face of tourism. The role of provinces in making this a reality cannot be over-emphasised. The role of local government in promoting townships tourism is critical in ensuring that participation of black entrepreneurs in the tourism industry is enhanced.
We are encouraged by the interest that the South African Local Government Association has taken in co-operating with my department to make tourism everybody's business. SALGA has undertaken to discuss a whole range of issues within its structures in order to give practical effect to policy programmes to promote tourism growth.
Local councils need to be involved in supporting and sustaining tourism development projects, especially those within the Priority Areas for Tourism Infrastructure Investment and Spatial Development Initiatives. These are directly linked to the work of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development and Urban Renewal Strategies (ISRDS and URS).
A database on government funding available for SMMEs will be developed in partnership with the Department of Provincial and Local Government.
Local councils need to be involved in the collection of tourism information that would contribute towards the establishment of a central database of tourism products. Information centres at a local level need to be managed by local councils.
Our efforts to build a tourism economy are starting to pay off. The first round of investment sites in the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park have attracted enormous interest from local and international investors, who have made proposals for developments which will enormously enhance the value of the park as an international tourist destination.
The availability of the Department of Trade and Industry's incentives and their alignment with packages for investment from the IDC and DBSA is an enormous boost for further investment.
At a national level, we are working to bring more visitors to the country and boost tourism demand.
COASTAL MANAGEMENT
Addressing poverty is critical to sustaining a high quality coastal environment from which South Africa draws significant social and economic benefits. All spheres of government, including the private sector have a significant role to play in promoting the sustainable use of our coastal resources.
The Department has embarked on a number of initiatives in excess of R150 million through its partnership programme called 'CoastCARE'. This investment has been significantly bolstered by the recently concluded contribution of R50 million from Britain's Department for International Development over the next three years to support a 'Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Programme'. Key focus areas of the programme include piloting public and private sector strategies to create and promote sustainable coastal livelihoods for the poor and building national institutional capacity to support sustainable coastal development. Provision has been made to build the capacity at provincial level with the appointment of regional co-ordinators.
Despite these plans there are those in society who have taken to plundering our coastal resources through poaching, the destruction of our coastline through the building of illegal cottages or driving of vehicles on our beaches.
We have to act while we can.
Last week the directorate of public prosecution announced the seizure of approximately 25 tons of tooth fish and rock lobster that was allegedly being illegally fished and exported by a private company. We will see more arrests and confiscations in the next few months as a result of much improved cooperation with the law enforcement agencies in our country. However, the cooperation of coastal provinces and towns in compliance is critical.
The close working relationship between my department and KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife has meant that we are able to provide an effective policing and control of all fishing and coastal activities in the province. We are funding this activity through a contract with KZN Wildlife, paid for out of the revenues of the Marine Living Resources Fund.
This year we will negotiate similar contracts with the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape provinces and aim to establish a coast-to-coast comprehensive enforcement regime. The designation of posts in provincial and local authorities as fishery control officers is already in progress and these staff are assisting departmental law enforcement officials with compliance operations on a regular, co-ordinated and well-planned basis.
During my budget vote speech in the National Assembly, we have also announced the following measures to protect our coast and its resources:
Working for the Coast is a flagship programme of DEAT, financed through poverty relief funding. This capacity building programme is structured around developing participant's literacy levels, business skills and environmental knowledge. Currently 1350 people are employed, covering 60% of the coast. DEAT has committed R20 million to funding poverty relief projects along the coast this financial year.
By the year 2004 we plan to generate 5000 direct jobs per annum in support of the implementation of the White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development in South Africa, targeting priority areas, such as the Eastern Cape. (The projects will employ 10 000 people over three years, amounting to some 2 million worker days).
BLUE FLAG SOUTH AFRICA
The Blue Flag campaign is an international scheme that rewards local authorities for providing safe and clean beaches and marinas. A Blue Flag is awarded annually to beaches and marinas that meet environmental, amenity and safety criteria. Currently the Blue Flag campaign in South Africa is in its second and final pilot phase, with 14 participating locations. If this pilot phase is successful, South Africa will be the first country outside Europe to become a member of the scheme. DEAT has committed R1.2 million as seeding finance for the programme. Sustainability will be achieved through an operating fee for participating locations, the motivation for this coming from increased tourism revenue as a result for their association with the Blue Flag campaign.
SUBSISTENCE FISHERIES
This year has seen the Department moving forward with the implementation of the Marine Living Resources Act for Subsistence fishers in all four Coastal Provinces. Where a large number of fishers could be accommodated, such as in the subsistence fishery for west coast rock lobster in the Western and Northern Cape which had over 1500 entrants in 2001, the plight of poor coastal communities was eased significantly. In the Western Cape access to the abalone resource is currently going ahead for a further 200 applicants. In the Eastern Cape, permits to harvest abalone have been issued in two sites (Hamburg and the East London area) and access to other high value species such as east coast rock lobster and oysters has been granted to several hundred fishers in the Wild Coast. In KwaZulu-Natal, management of all subsistence fishing is currently being managed by the provincial authority supported financially by the department. In all areas and provinces, where harvesting is for direct consumption of the subsistence fisher and his or her family, the challenge facing the department is to ensure that continued access to resources remains sustainable.
Future developments include recognition of different requirements of subsistence fishers who catch to eat or only to meet the needs of food security, and those fishers who want sell their catches. In future, it is planned to manage many of the latter fisheries as micro-scale commercial fisheries. This means that catches can be sold more freely, and that catches will be controlled in terms of tonnage landed, and not daily bag limits. It is also recognised that the National Department and the Provincial Authorities have different levels of capacity to undertake management and compliance activities, and this has guided our approach in the Provinces. Finally, the Department is in the process of setting up a permanent "Subsistence Fisheries Management Unit" to manage subsistence fisheries into the future.
WORLD SUMMIT
The Johannesburg World Summit to be held in September next year presents us all with an enormous challenge but also a unique opportunity. The eyes of the world will be focused on us as we play host to over 100 Heads of State and at least 50 000 government and NGO delegates. We have to ensure that Johannesburg is not about empty promises but has concrete meaning for the poor of the world. It is our challenge to mobilise our communities to make an input in shaping the agenda of this summit.
Logistical preparations for the summit are at an advanced stage. Just 2 weeks ago the United Nations inspection team that visited Johannesburg expressed satisfaction at our level of preparation.
The imminent hosting of the International Conference of Local Issues in South Africa is an ideal opportunity to build up to the summit with a sense of the concrete discussions about Sustainable Development that must be at the core of the World Summit.
Involving our constituencies in preparations for the summit is the best way to honour the confidence shown by the United Nations in bestowing this responsibility on our country. I wish to call on the NCOP to assist us in this regard, and facilitate debates on the summit and its preparations, not only in this house, but also all the provincial legislatures and local councils.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the MECs of all nine provinces for the high degree of co-operation I have received from them in the past year. I also thank the select committee of the NCOP and its chairperson for its valuable contribution to this portfolio.