The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Buyelwa Sonjica will officially launch the first annual Waste Management Khoro (Conference) taking place from 15 until 16 September 2010 at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg, Johannesburg.
500 waste management officials from across the various spheres of government will convene under the theme, “Shifting the emphasis higher up the waste management hierarchy.” The theme is pertinent as it focuses on South Africa’s move over the past ten years in terms of waste management towards promoting prevention, as well as minimisation of waste and disposal as a last resort. However efforts in South Africa need to be enhanced as a large amount of waste still ends up in landfill sites. South Africa is faced with a challenge in terms of sufficient landfill air space and the high costs of maintaining landfill sites. Recycling and minimisation therefore becomes the most important elements of the waste management hierarchy in reducing the amount of waste which ends at landfills for disposal.
In an attempt to address the challenges of waste management, government has engaged various players in the sector in the development of the White Paper on Integrated Pollution and Waste Management (2000), the National Waste Management Strategy (1999) and most importantly, the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act 59 of 2008). The Waste Act promotes the concept of integrated pollution and waste management which is a shift from fragmented and uncoordinated waste management approaches towards a holistic approach to waste management.
The conference intends to set the scene for the effective implementation of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act 59 of 2008) which came into effect on 1 July 2009. Other key conference objectives include the exchange of information and best practices between municipalities and provinces; creation of waste management awareness, discussion on dimension shift in promoting the waste management hierarchy approach and to re-emphasise the role of government authorities with regards to authorisation of waste activities and ensure consistency where applicable.
The six thematic areas for the conference are, legislative framework; governance and planning frameworks; waste reduction, re-use and recycling; capacity building and awareness; waste services and compliance and enforcement.
Media is invited to the opening session and the duration of the conference. Members of the media who would like to attend the conference are requested to register by clicking on the link below.
http://www.wastekhoro.co.za/conference/registration/registration.html
Minister Buyelwa Sonjica will address the Khoro on Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Conference details:
Date: 15 and 16 September 2010
Time: 09h00
Venue: Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre, Viewpoint Street, Bartlett, Boksburg
To confirm your attendance please contact:
Lucky Sindane
Tel: 012 310 3198
Cell: 072 188 9216
E-mail: lsindane@environment.gov.za
Ernest Mulibana
Tel: 012 310 3990
E-mail: emulibana@environment.gov.za
For media queries contact:
Albi Modise
Cell:083 490 2871
Roopa Singh
Cell: 082 225 3076
