Speech by the Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Barbara Thomson on the occasion of the tabling of the Budget Vote of the Department Of Environmental Affairs in the Old Assembly Chamber
Honourable Chairperson of the session;
Our Honourable Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ma Edna Molewa,
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs, Mr Jackson Mthembu,
Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee;
Honourable Members of Parliament;
Distinguished Chairpersons and Chief Executives of Public Entities;
DEA officials, private sector
Distinguished guests;
In 1990, Dr Albie Sachs, a veteran of the ANC and former Constitutional Court Judge wrote “It is not just playing with metaphors to say that we are fighting to free the land, the sky, the waters as well as the people. Apartheid not only degrades the inhabitants of our country, it degrades the earth, the air and the streams. When we say Mayibuye i-Africa we are not only calling for the return of legal title, but also for the restoration of the land, the forest and the atmosphere. The greening of our country is basic to this healing.”
Wildlife economy
Akengithi qaphu-qaphu ngomnotho wasendle lokhu esikubiza nge-wildlife economy. Sizokhumbula ukuthi izwekazi lethu linonile kakhulu ngalokhu esikubiza nge-Biodiversity. La sikhuluma ngempilo yezilwane nezitshalo ikakhulukazi ezimila nezihlala endle. Lezilwane nezitshalo zinomtho ongasukumi phansi. We have more than 10 000 game farms across the country. This wild life economy is currently valued at 8 billion rands and most of this economy is currently in the hands of white ownership. Our challenge is to take this huge economy and spread its benefit in an equal manner so that all our people stand to benefit as informed by the Freedom Charter’s call that the people shall share in the country’s wealth.
Kubalulekile ukuthi sikhumbuzane ukuthi lomnotho sasingawazi, sasingasondeli kuwo ngoba wawuqhoqhobalwe yibona laba ontabakayikhonjwa, bengafuni lutho okusondela ngakuwo. Ngamanye amazwi bona babewogombela kwesabo. Lokhu ke kwakwi yinto embi kakhulu. Wafika uHulumeni ka-African National Congress siyazama ukuyivula iminyango yalomnotho.
We have worked closely with the Department of Rural Development as well as Land Restitution as well as the private sector towards identification and mobilisation of new landowners and emerging wildlife farmers to participate in this lucrative sector. We have received requests from traditional authorities and many farmers across the country to assist with the improvement of their land and establishment of linkages with private partners. Together with the Chief lands claim Commission we have also agreed to restore and develop a minimum of 18 currently redistributed game farms and unproductive communal land into well operated commercial game reserves. Leligatsha liholwa u-Acting DDG Skumsa Mancotywa nethimba lakhe.
Thina siwumnyango sithi kubalulekile ukuthi siwuphule lomgogodla walo mnotho ukuze abantu abamnyama bahlomule nabo. Siyaqhuba siyasembenza.
Waste management
Ake ngithinte kancane kulokhu esikubiza nge-waste management. La sikhuluma ngemfucuza yohlobo lonke. Ontabakayikhonjwa laba bakhela abantu izindlu ezifulelwe nge-asbestos. Basidalela inyakanyaka ongakaze uyibone. Loluhlobo lophahla luyinkinga enkulu ezimpilweni zabantu. Lokhu sikubona ikakhulukazi e-Northern Cape, Limpopo as well and KwaZulu-Natal. Sinohlelo ke siwumnyango wokukhuculula le nyakanyaka eyadalwa yilabo ababedla izambane likapondo. Lolu uhlelo lizodla imali enkulu kakhulu, yingakho sihlanganisa yonke iminyango enthintekayo. Sizokhothama laphaya kwiGreen Fund ukuze sikwazi ukwenza lomsembenzi. Siyazibuza mihla namalanga ukuthi ingabe abantu ikakhulukazi abamnyanma babeyogula kuze kube nini ukube uHulumeni kaKhongolose akazange ahole, ingabe kwakuyoshabalala abantu abangakanani leligatsha liholwa uDDG Mark Gordon nethimba lakhe. Siyaqhuba siyasembenza siwuHulumeni kaKhongolose.
Extended Public Works Programme
Ngenkathi uMongameli wezwe uMaphuma Ephethe ememezela ukuthi uHulumeni uzokwakha amathuba emsebenzi awu 6 million, wayengasho ukuthi yena qobo lwakhe uyophuma engena ezama ukwakha lemisebenzi qobo lwakhe. Wayeqonde ukuthi sonke siyiminyango siyozinikela ekwakheni lamathuba. Iningi lalamathuba, umnyango wethu usebenzisa uhlelo lwe-extended public works programe. Loluhlelo luhle kakhulu ngoba sisebenzisa abantu kunokuthi sisebenzise imishini.
Nazi ezinye zezinhlelo zethu siwumnyango.
- Working for the Coast
- Working on Waste
- Working on Land
- Working on Fire
- People and Parks
- Kids and Parks, njalo-njalo. Sinolunye uhlelo oluhle kakhulu esilubiza nge-Eco-furniture Programme. Ngaloluhlelo sakha ama-desks namabhokisi omngcwabo amahle kakhulu. Sesakhe ama-desk angu-169 000 okwamanje. Siphikelele ekwakheni angu-200 000 kuwona lonyaka. A further 550 000 are planned for 2015/16 financial year. Sisembenzisana nomnyango we-Basic Education. Ngaloluhlelo sizama wona amathuba emisebenzi.
Kuloluhlelo sisembenzisa izihlahla lezi esithi ngoma bonabulawe ama Allien trees phela. Sithi ke siwuHulumeni kaKhongolose “ziyofa izinsizwa kuyosala izibongo”. This branch is led by DDG Dr Guy Preston and his team. Siyaqhuba siyasembenza.
In the previous financial year and in response to the objectives of the NDP and Government, through the EPWP, our department also created 50 281 work opportunities, 16 878 are full time equivalent of work opportunities. 50% of these work opportunities were created for women, 66% for youth and 1,2% for people with disability. Just to add Chairperson, 2,395 fires were fought by the Working on Fire Programme during 2013/2014 financial year and up to October 2014/2015 a further 2,692 were attended to.
Lokhu ngikuchaza ngononina ngoba sike sizwe abanye bemi la ngaphambili bekrolota besifundekela bebuza uMongameli bethi “Mongameli iphi imisembenzi owayithembisa?” uMongameli uthuma thina neminyango yethu kaHulumeni ukuthi sakhe amathuba emisembenzi. Ke asingaphuphi emini sithi uHulumeni akawakhi amathuba emisebenzi. Yebo siyavuma ukuthi bakhona abaningi abantu bethu abangasekasembenzi abasakhungethwe ubuphofu nendlala.
Olunye uhlelo lwethu i-People and Parks Programme kunye ne-Kids in Parks Programme.
Nizokhumbula ukuthi amapaki lawa sasiwabukela kude, siconsa amathe sibukela bona ontabakayikhonjwa bengcebeleka bodwa nabathandwa babo. Baze bafake imibhalo ethi “abamhlophe bodwa”, besibukela kude sakuthi sasingebantu abafana nabo. Namhlanje ngoba befuna abakufunayo sebethi bamele abantu abamnyama.
Wafika uHulumeni ka-ANC wathi phinde lama-Paki ayovulelwa bonke abantu black and white.
On the Kids and Parks Programme
Last year, this programme was successfully implemented affording 4,873 learners and 189 educators the opportunity into 11 of our National Parks. In collaboration with SANBI, Pick ‘n Pay, Department of Basic Education and SANParks, eholwa ngumnumzana Fundisile Mkhetheni nethimba lakhe. SANBI is our South African National Biodiversity Institute Education Programme which has reached 52,486 beneficiaries in the 2014/2015 financial year. uSANBI uholwa ngumama Dr Tanya Abrahams nethimba lakhe.
Honourable Minister Edna Molewa officially launched the Groen Sebenza Programme in June 2013. The Groen Sebenza is an important programme aimed at developing priority skills in the Biodiversity sector to create sustainable job opportunities for unemployed youth.
Significant highlights of the contribution of Groen Sebenza thus far, include recruitment of 946 pioneers into the Biodiversity sector and the placing of 203 pioneers into permanent jobs. This programme has made an immense contribution to transformation in the Biodiversity sector through the closing of the skills shortage gap in the sector. It is impacting on lives of youth on multiple levels through exposure to work place experience and contributions to the livelihoods of families.
Sengizoyiphetha imbenge, olunye lo phiko lwethu i-South African Wheather Services. Over a period of four years the South African Wheather Service has invested R6.4 million towards bursaries in meteo-rology, this is the scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on wheather processes and forecasting, bursaries in Climatology labake bona bafunda nge-climate. Phela kubalulekile ukuthi sazi ukuthi i-climate yakuleyo ndawo injani ukuze sikwazi ukuhlela kahle yonke imisebenzi yethu. Lastly, bursaries in the Atmospheric Sciences as well – this one is the study of the wheather and climate and how it affects human activity and earth in general.
Nakhona la kuthathwe abantwana abaphuma emakhaya, abahlwempu akakhulukazi abesifazane.
120 scientists were trained and 60% of them were absorbed whilst the rest were made available to the country to contribute towards capacity building in areas that are traditionally scarce and critical disciplines.
Awulalele la yona u-South African Wheather Services uqophe umlando, we produced about 250 scientists and 86 forecasters have been trained since the forecasting course became formal. Loluhlelo luholwa ngumama Dr Linda Makuleni nethimba lakhe. Bayaqhuba oomama bayasebenza.
Sengiphetha izinselelo zemvelo ziyimpicabadala, zidinga uHulumeni, private sector, ama-NGOs, nemiphakathi yethu ukuthi sibumbane sibe yinkatha noma yimbumba ukuze sisebenzisane. Success in our pursuit of a sustainable future will only be realised when we all work together.
Angidlulise ukubonga ngingananazi kuMinister wethu uMama Molewa, uDG wethu Nosipho Ngcaba, ama-officials wonke ngobuningi bawo ngokuzikhandla kangaka. Ngithi asiqhube sisebenze, ukwanda kwaliwa umthakathi, ngoba yena akathandi abantu bande ngoba bazosizana.
Thank you very much Chair
