Tourism, Honourable Rejoice Mabudafhasi, Budget Vote debate at NCOP
8 June 2006
Better Environment, Better Tourism
Building the Age of Hope in South Africa
Chairperson
Chairperson of the Portfolio committee of Environment and Tourism and your
committee
Honourable MECs
Members of parliament
Distinguished guest
Ladies and gentlemen
Women and environment
âThroughout Africa women are the primary caretakers, holding significant
responsibility for tilling the land and feeding their families. As a result
they are often the first to become aware of the environmental damage as
resources become scarce and incapable of sustaining their familiesâ, these were
the inspiring remarks by Professor Wangari Mathaai. Over many decades, women
learned to manage their resources to preserve them for future generations.
Despite their valuable knowledge, women have been sidelined in policy and
decision-making processes. The consequence of this has been unsustainable
development practices associated with massive depletion of natural
resources.
Chairperson, although we will no longer march against the oppressive laws as
heroic women did some 50 years ago, todayâs women are faced with unprecedented
environmental problems that result in high levels of joblessness, and poverty
within our communities.
In order to empower women to resolve these problems with courage and
determination, our department will hold its second Women and Environment
conference in Mpumalanga in August this year in commemoration of the 50th
Anniversary of womenâs protest in 1956.
This conference will be an ideal opportunity to follow-up on decisions made
at the first conference and provide feedback on our international engagements
under the umbrella of the Network of Women Ministers of Environment which we
co-chair with Sweden.
Waste management
Chairperson, waste management remains one of the serious challenges faced by
our society. In response to this problem, our department has signed Memorandums
of Understanding (MoUs) on voluntary recycling targets with the plastic and
glass industries. We also hope to sign another MoU with the tyre industry later
this year. We are continuously engaging these industries in order to monitor
and review progress on the achievements of recycling targets set in the MoUs.
To this end, a study to assess the impact of plastic bags regulations will be
undertaken during this financial year.
While there is remarkable progress achieved on recycling of waste, our
departmentâs future programs will also focus on the reduction and reuse of
waste. We have already attended a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) Ministerial
conference in Japan last year which was followed by a study visit by MECs and
senior officials from the national, provincial and local government
departments. We will now be making follow ups to ensure that our learning
experience is put into practice for the benefit of our communities.
During the current financial year, we will in consultation with the
Department of Local Government conduct comprehensive studies to determine the
state of waste services and assess capacity and skills challenges facing the
local government. These studies will form the basis of a programme of action
aimed at improving waste management services by local authorities.
Chairperson, I am happy to announce that the responsibility for the
recording and permitting of landfill sites has now been formally handed over
from Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) to Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). This arrangement will further assist
the process of recording and permitting of landfill sites; our department has
already developed a comprehensive system for this purpose. We are currently in
discussion with all the nine provinces regarding handing over of pertinent
responsibilities once we are sure that there is adequate human and financial
capacity to do so.
The harmful effects of hazardous waste such as obsolete pesticides and Thor
chemicals on the lives of people, plants and animals cannot be emphasised
enough. Honourable members will recall that, during our budget speech last
year, we undertook to establish a comprehensive inventory of the quantities and
types of Thor chemicals stored in Cato Ridge. I am pleased to report this task
has now been successfully accomplished.
Our future work will entail the implementation of the recommended methods of
disposing-off these chemicals after consultation with interested and affected
parties.
Chairperson, our efforts to remove the obsolete or unwanted and harmful
stocks of pesticides has been boosted by a grant agreement which we signed with
the World Bank to the tune of 1,7 Million US Dollar. We are now in the process
of calling upon all members of the public to declare their obsolete stocks for
disposal using this funding.
Provision of reliable weather information
Chairperson, allow me to remind honourable members that the fundamental
reason for providing weather and climate forecasting by the South African
Weather Service (SAWS) is to facilitate planning of daily lives and economic
activities as well as for protection of life and property of the citizens of
the country.
Last year SAWS issued over 150 adverse weather warnings. These warnings were
often accompanied by advisories for vulnerable communities to heed.
To increase its now-casting capability, SAWS will spend in excess of R6
million this year to expand its weather radar network to cover existing gaps in
areas of our country prone to adverse weather phenomena. This is in addition to
a huge infrastructure recapitalisation programme which we used to install the
state of the art Lightning Detection Network (LDN) which provides real time
data on electrical storms occurring all over the length and breath of our
country. This new network will be used in conjunction with other meteorological
tools to improve the quality of forecasting services. The service rendered by
SAWS to society is invaluable as lightning is a major threat to the lives of
our people and their valuable belongings. We make sure that information reaches
all communities by using local radio stations.
Social responsibility in and around protected areas
Honourable members will agree with me that unless communities living in and
around protected areas derive tangible benefits from natural resources, our
government will be failing to discharge its responsibilities to its people. One
of our key challenges is that there needs to be a fundamental shift from the
current management style of âconservation at the expense of the poorâ to
people-centred approaches that build on poor peopleâs priorities and
capabilities. Meeting this challenge calls for a broad-based commitment to
integrating concerns of poor and vulnerable groups into mainstream conservation
and development processes at all levels of society.
As an important step to ensure that we turn differences between conservation
goals and peopleâs aspirations from a problem to an asset, we established a
People and Parks Forum which met for the first time in 2004. An important
outcome of this meeting was the development of a comprehensive and ambitious
action plan to address issues such as access and benefit sharing, co-management
and establishment of partnerships. A second meeting of the People and Parks
Forum will be held in October this year.
South African National Parks (SANParks), through the People and Conservation
Division (P&C) is playing a significant role in strengthening relations
with communities neighbouring our parks. Activities in this regard include
public consultation and participation through Park Forums and implementing
cultural and biodiversity conservation projects benefiting local
communities.
Chairperson, noting that 2006 has been declared the International Year for
Deserts and Desertification (IYDD), it will be appropriate for me to reflect on
our work in some of the arid areas of our country. Over the past financial year
SANParks has partnered with communities in the Northern Cape to launch
Community Water Efficiency Projects (COWEP) at Augrabies National Park and
Kamieskroon and Hondeklipbaai near Namaqua National Parks. The second phase of
the project which entails a water-wise community gardening project, is planned
to take place during this financial year.
Chairperson, one of the key focus areas for the Greater St Lucia Wetland
Park this year will be the creation of alternatives to unsustainable uses of
wetlands for communities. This includes an R8 million programme for the
development of community gardens.
In addition the Park will continue with the roll out of related Community
Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) activities such as Ncema Harvesting
where approximately 4 500 women collect ncema every year in May. They then use
this in the production of craft and other by products which they sell to
generate income.
Boosting tourism through cleaner and safer beaches
Chairperson, through one of our flagship projects called the Coast Care
programme, our country is participating in the Blue Flag campaign. This is an
international award given to beaches that achieve excellent standards of
service to tourists in the areas of safety, amenities, cleanliness and
environmental protection. As we enter the forth season of Blue Flag campaign we
can proudly say that our beaches are maintained in excellent standards and
rated amongst the best in the world. During the past season we had 34 beaches
which were awarded the Blue Flag status.
I am optimistic that this number will increase during this season. In
addition to the Blue Flag campaign we are also implementing the WIO-Lab project
that deals with ensuring that untreated Municipal sewage does not end up on our
seas and oceans.
Conclusion
Allow me to conclude by thanking our Minister for his leadership, the Select
Committee for the support and political leadership as well as their oversight
role played during sometimes difficult conditions. I must extend my gratitude
to the MECs for their support. I also wish to thank the Director General and
her officials for their tireless efforts in finding better and innovative
solutions to ensure a healthier and a safer environment for all.
Professor Wangari Mathaai also said âIn the course of history, there comes a
time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach
a higher moral ground, a time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to
each otherâ. Chairperson that time is now.
I thank you
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
8 August 20006
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (http://www.deat.gov.za)
