Deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu: Local Government Environment Indaba

Keynote address by the Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Makhotso Sotyu, MP, during the Local Government Environment Indaba at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre, Kempton Park

Programme Director
President of South African Local Government Association, Cllr Stofile
District and Local Mayors, Councilors, Municipal Managers
Environmentalists
Waste Management Officers
Air Quality Officers
Government officials from all spheres
Members of the media
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to address you at this second instalment of the Local Government Environment Indaba taking place under the theme: “Working Towards Local Environmental Sustainability.”

This Local Government Environment Indaba also takes place in the same week as South Africans from all walks of life commemorated the Human Rights Day.

During the State of the Nation Address (SONA) last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa bemoaned the state of our local government, noting that “163 out of 257, are dysfunctional or in distress due to poor governance, ineffective and sometimes corrupt financial and administrative management and poor service delivery.’’

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, as we meet today, we would be failing in our duties if we did not reflect on how we, as the environment family, are doing in pursuit of our mandate to create a society that lives in harmony with its environment. The call by the President is for all of us to go back to basics and ensure that our communities are serviced as it is expected of us all.

In his Human Rights Day address on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa once again reminded us that “around two million indigent households receive free basic water, free basic electricity and free solid waste removal. In some municipalities, the provision of these services is unreliable. There are times when water is not provided or is of poor quality, or where refuse is not collected. The failure to provide adequate services consistently is a human rights issue. That is why we are working to improve the functioning of local government, which carries the greatest responsibility for the provision of these services.”

Section 24 of the Constitution, chapter 2 of the Bill of Rights which states that:

“Everyone has a right to an environment that is not harmful to their health and wealth being” and “to have the environment protected for the benefit of current and future generations.”

In reflection, are we doing enough to protect environmental human rights? Can we really say, yes, enough is being done with the illegal dumping and pollution that is plaguing our communities?

Although the legislative framework is there, you will agree that the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or well-being is under attack. StatsSA indicates that a quarter of South African households do not have access to refuse removal services provided by Municipalities. Consequently, illegal dumping is on the increase. Critical waste infrastructure, such as, buy-back centers, transfer stations and landfill sites and waste trucks are not safeguarded and are subjected to vandalism and are not maintained.

Some municipalities are running out of landfill space to dispose of their waste. Provincial Environment Departments have to address unprecedented levels of landfill non-compliances which imply that measures to prevent pollution are being compromised.

This Indaba is one of the Environmental Local Government Support Strategy’s key deliverables seeking to create a platform of engagement between the Environmental Sector and the Local Government Sector on key local government challenges regarding environmental management.

Our Local Government Support Strategy recognises that municipalities have been given a mandate to promote a safe and healthy environment in terms of Section 152 (d) of the Constitution. However, municipalities struggle to perform their environmental mandate and this calls for the National and Provincial spheres of government to support local government.

Ladies and Gentlemen, there are many Waste Management challenges often leading to protests in our communities. These range from lack of adequate staffing for waste management, development of Integrated Waste Management Plans, waste collection, management of waste disposal facilities, lack of programmes for waste diversion and inadequate funding of waste function, to mention a few.

We accept that waste management is a concurrent function and our interventions have always sought to assist municipalities by ensuring that they are able to develop or review their Integrated Waste Management Plans. Our mandate in the provision of waste management support programmes is anchored in the understanding that our people deserve a clean environment, in tandem with the Constitution of the Republic. It is also correct to reiterate a well-known fact that the provision of basic waste services is part of the responsibilities of local government, even though we have continued to support our municipalities over many years.

Our National Waste Management Strategy is a commitment made by all role players in the waste sector to improve waste management. One of the underlying principles in this Strategy is that of a circular economy. In line with the outcome-based planning approach of government, the strategy is premised on THREE pillars which will see a future South Africa with reduced waste destined for landfills; cleaner communities, well managed and financially stable waste services, and a culture of zero tolerance of pollution, litter and illegal dumping.

The targets of the National Waste Management Strategy will be achieved through three (3) supporting pillars, namely: Waste Minimisation; Effective and Sustainable Waste Services and Compliance, Enforcement and Awareness. Pillar 2 is largely centered on Local Government because waste collection and disposal is primarily a municipal function.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, we must ensure that enforcement of our by-laws is adhered to and that illegal dumping of waste in our communities is addressed as a matter of priority. This also means that all landfill sites where waste is disposed of should be licensed and operate according to their license conditions. If we are going to enforce environment laws of our country, we should also adhere to these laws and consequently expect our communities to equally comply with these laws.

The Department is supporting municipalities to include environmental priorities in Local Economic Development Plans, Disaster Management Plans and Integrated Development Plans. Project specific interventions have included assistance with the upgrade and refurbishment of landfill sites and issuing of landfill site licenses, applications by municipalities to Municipal Infrastructure Grant for waste fleet funding, as well as assisting with funding and resources for waste cooperatives and waste pickers.

To date, more than 10 000 work opportunities have been created in partnership with municipalities to clean and green our towns and cities. The Department appreciates this partnership as the municipalities make a meaningful contribution through their provision of protective clothing, tools of trade, collection of waste at designated points and supervision of the workers.

Our Department has introduced an Extended Producer Responsibility policy that is aimed at assisting municipalities with industry at the center partaking in the war against waste, littering and diverting waste away from landfill. This year is very critical as the producers and the Producer Responsibility Organisation need to engage with Local Government on the modalities on the use of infrastructure. Separate collection of waste is a key part of Extended Producer Responsibility, EPR, and if you as a municipality have not engaged a Producer Responsibility Organisation, then you are missing an opportunity to benefit from these EPR funds.

Ladies and gentlemen

We have also co-operated with National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to change the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) Policy so that municipalities can now access this grant to fund their yellow fleet.

To highlight and raise awareness on the amendments of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) Policy, the department has used R42.4 million of our own money to provide 22 vehicles to 19 municipalities across the country. The vehicles – or yellow fleet as we call them - include skip loader trucks, front end loaders, compactor trucks and other trucks required to transport waste within these areas.

Last week, in pursuit of this objective, we launched the Waste Management Intervention Cleaning & Green Project and also handed over FIVE trucks for waste collection and landfill management in Vryburg, North West. The MIG yellow fleet uptake has been very good so far with many municipalities taking up the opportunity, however, a significant improvement on the management of waste will require municipalities to prioritise waste by directing a significant portion of their funds towards waste management.

We continue to provide institutional support to various municipalities on the development of Integrated Waste Management Plans and on review of waste-related by-laws. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are hard at work in the implementation of the Working on Waste programme. We have participants that are raising awareness on waste management in various communities that are also part of the in-house model implemented in partnership with various municipalities. These participants are part of the Good Green Deeds programme clean-ups. But we should all accept that clean-ups cannot be the panacea to the problems of waste management our communities face.

This intervention is temporary and is meant to create awareness. For this intervention to be sustainable, Local Government as a distinct sphere needs to embrace the responsibility and takes accountability for taking all action that is necessary for keeping the environment clean.

I would like to encourage municipalities to use the available support interventions that the sector provides ranging from the technical support the department provides; e.g. the employment and deployment of 44 environmental officials for all district municipalities through it’s the departmental Local Government Support Programme and employment and deployment of 230 environmental graduates through the Youth Coordinators Programme.

The department through its Environment Programmes implement a wide range of programmes and projects which seek to support municipalities across all environmental management thematic areas aimed at bettering environmental management practices, job creation, SMME Support, skills development.

We implement these projects through focus areas such as Working for the Coast, Working on Waste, People & Parks, Biodiversity Economy, Greening & Open Space Management, Working for Land, Youth Employment & Development Programmes, Working for Water, Wetlands rehabilitation and Alien Invasive Species Eradication. These projects have a total investment of R2.5 billion, with 41 886 work opportunities created.

Programme Director,

Today, we also join the people of the world in commemorating World Meteorological Day. This day seeks to support the countries of the world in providing meteorological and hydrological services to protect lives and property from natural disasters related to weather, climate and water, to safeguard the environment, and to contribute to sustainable development.

Government’s ability to monitor the quality of air in the republic remains a national priority. Knowing what our problem pollutants are and where they are occurring is the first and foundational step in efficient and effective air quality management. Implementation of air quality management functions requires a capable state, especially at local government level, the frontline for implementation.

Furthermore, the Department has been charged with leading the Greening Programme for South Africa where 10 million trees will be planted over a five-year period. We need your support as our partners in ensuring that we green this country and not contribute to climate change, but it improves the lives of our people. I would like to encourage all Municipalities, led by SALGA to pledge their support to this Programme to assist in greening the country. The Department is available to provide the necessary support in terms of what tree species can be planted and in which areas.

In conclusion, it is critical that Local Government rise to the occasion and deliver on its environmental management mandated as outlined in the constitution and relevant legislative framework. It can’t be business as usual with the level of environmental degradation, illegal dumping and pollution that is being allowed to continue under our watch. I have shared the support to local government that National has provided.

It can’t be that even after this support, the poor performance continues. Consequence management has become necessary and the role of Provincial Government in periodic monitoring of performance and strategic intervention is necessary. The strengthening and visibility of enforcement actions has become necessary. Zero tolerance towards neglecting duty. Green Scorpions are hard at work dealing with offenders and polluters and upholding the environmental rights.

Let this Indaba’s deliberations be solution-oriented and take the realisation of environmental human rights forward. I kindly ask everyone attending the Local Government Indaba to make sure that the outcome of the Indaba will result in the synthesis of all environmental components and their initiatives to achieve the goals of sustainable development, facilitated by all spheres of government, with local government at the forefront.

I wish you well in your deliberations in the different commissions and I am confident that you will come up with progressive actions to improve the environmental sustainability where Local Government is concerned “Working Towards Local Environmental Sustainability.”

I thank you.

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