Seminar
14 February 2006
The Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism will be
conducting a seminar on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement on 9 March
2006 at Meropa Casino in Polokwane.
Objectives
The main purpose of the seminar is to promote a high degree of co-operation,
co-ordination and collaboration between provincial, municipalities and national
law enforcement agencies, to promote a change from illegal to legal use of
natural resources and to provide an opportunity for participants to consider
what has been achieved in the enforcement of legislation to date. The following
themes will be presented:
* Historical perceptions of conservation
* Enforcement of Environmental legislation with reference to section 24G of the
National Environmental Management Act
* Environmental law and development
* Treaties and conventions
* The role of traditional authorities in combating environmental crimes
* Waste and Pollution
In the past few years the province has stepped up enforcement and compliance
of environmental legislation in line with its goals of sustainable development.
This is to protect future development as much as it will ensure a balance
between built and natural environments and the protection of flora and
fauna.
In addition to initiatives like âGreening the Judiciaryâ, a programme to
sensitise and train prosecutors in the prosecution of environmental crimes ,
the most notable development is undoubtedly the establishment and roll-out of
an Environmental Management Inspectorate. This inspectorate is a radical
innovation that brings existing environmental enforcement officials in all
three spheres of government, plus agencies like the South African National
Parks (SANParks) and provincial parks boards, together in an inter-government
environmental enforcement network.
The Environmental Management Inspectorate only came in to being when the
amendment to National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) came in to effect on
1 May 2005 and the ranks of Environmental Management Inspectors are to increase
dramatically from November onwards. Specialised bridging training is intended
to commence in early 2006.
It is against this background that the Department of Economic Development ,
Environment and Tourism, Regulatory Enforcement directorate will be hosting a
seminar and therefore invites all stakeholders, the public, parastatals and the
media to be part of this initiate .
The Department will be ensuring that environmental management becomes a
central tenet of any development and offenders will henceforth find it
difficult to bypass or thwart efforts to comply with existing policies and
legislation in this regard as even the ordinary public will have the right to
report such actions that hamper sound management of the environment.
Enquiries:
Willy Chabane
Communication Services
Ms Mashego
Tel: (015) 291 8552
Ms Lentsoane
Tel: (015) 291 8552
Issued by: Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism,
Limpopo Provincial Government
14 February 2006
Source: Limpopo Provincial Government (http://www.limpopo.gov.za/)
