Department of Environmental Affairs Budget Speech

Department of Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, gave her Budget Vote Speech on the 17 July 2014

___________________________________________________________________

Honourable Chairperson of this session;
Honourable Deputy Minister, Ms Barbara Thompson, MP;
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Mr Jackson Mthembu, MP
Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee;
Honourable Members of Parliament;
Distinguished Chairpersons and Chief Executives of Public Entities;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Introduction

Today, we consider the budget, programmed and priorities of the Environmental Affairs vote for 2014/2015. This budget reflects the clear mandate given by South Africans to implement the ruling party’s policies.
As humanity continues to consume the earths’ resources at ever increasing and unsustainable rates, we are experiencing rapidly accelerating trends of environmental degradation and climate change globally.

The international responses to these threats are driven by a changing world order characterized by; the rise of emerging economies; rapidly changing patterns of international economic competitiveness; and a wide-spread shift towards green, climate resilient and low carbon development policies and strategies.
In response, environmental considerations are being mainstreamed in development policies across the economy, which demands that Environmental Affairs radically transform its approach: namely

• To coordinate, support and lead the environmental dimension of South Africa’s broader green and blue economy and sustainable development effort;
• To ensure the sustainable use and conservation of our biodiversity, natural heritage and ecosystem resources and services;
• And to protect and manage environmental degradation, environmental impacts and environmental health threats and risks for the benefit of current and future generations; and
• To optimize job creation, skills development, livelihood security and environmental sector socio-economic development co-benefits. \

Sustainable Development and the Green Economy

In response to our need for long-term solutions to the challenges we face, South Africa has developed a National Development Plan (or NDP).

It outlines the urgent need to transition our economy to an internationally competitive, job creating, sustainable, climate resilient and low carbon development path.  All the while recognizing that South Africa’s natural capital, in the form of ecosystems, biodiversity and other natural resources, is a critical foundation to unlocking and boosting socio-economic growth and ensuring the long-term wellbeing of society.

This requires a coherent and conducive policy, fiscal, regulatory and governance system to facilitate innovation and incentives to enable and support; including Investment in the development of new green and blue sectors/industries; Growing existing green and blue sectors/industries; Investing in the green and blue transition of existing sectors/industries;
Promoting consumer and societal behavior change to more sustainable patterns of consumption and production.

In order to facilitate and support accelerated implementation of sustainable development initiatives, the amendments to the National Environmental Management Act have been affected so as to develop an integrated environmental regulatory system that now includes environmental authorization for mining developments.

Accordingly, the Minister of Mineral Resources will now issue mining related environmental impact assessment and waste license authorizations – with the Minister of Environment being an Appeals Authority on mining as well.
The cooperative governance arrangement also aligns the simultaneous processing of air emission and water use licenses for mining activities.

This has necessitated amendments to the National Environmental Management, Waste, Air Quality Management and Water Services Acts. Further regulations to this effect are being developed and will be published in the next financial year.

Green Economy

Our strategy on green economy, guided by the NDP vision, is comprised of 8 key pillars, namely; green buildings and built environment; sustainable transport and infrastructure; clean energy and energy efficiency; resource conservation and management; sustainable waste management; water management; sustainable consumption and production as well as agriculture food production and forestry. 

The key challenge to implementation at economy-wide scale is financing. Our national Green Fund is one example of our innovative approach to catalyze this financing and investment. We have made great strides with the implementation of 22 multi-year green economy projects and 16 research and technology related projects valued at R572m.

These investments are bolstered by international efforts, such as with the Global Environment Facility, an international financing mechanism to support developing countries.  We are also pushing for the final operationalization of the Green Climate Fund, intended to mobilize significant financial investment support for low carbon and climate resilient development in developing countries.

I must acknowledge with appreciation the bilateral cooperation and partnership programmed in environmental and sustainable development that are being implemented by South Africa with our partners, particularly those with Germany, Norway and the USA.

We are working at growing existing green sectors or industries that at the same time maximize job creation co-benefits. Through the Expanded Public Works culture and environment programmed we are working one expanding job creation in the medium term. The Deputy Minister will discuss this in detail in her presentation.

I would now like to address efforts towards realizing our constitutional mandate to protect and manage environmental degradation, environmental impacts and environmental health threats and risks.

Air Quality and Climate Change

Air pollution is recognized as a very serious health hazard. Every effort must be made to protect peoples right to air quality. Industry must reduce its emissions. Government must enforce minimum emission standards, and monitor air quality. Activist organizations must continue to raise the alarm, when necessary.

In 2010 the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act came into full effect. Instead of controlling only what comes out of individual stacks, the Act represents a paradigm shift: it offers an integrated and outcomes-based approach to reduce the impact of multiple sources of pollution. We achieve this by setting minimum emission standards to control the amount of industrial pollution that enters the atmosphere.

Priority areas have been declared: including in the Vaal Triangle, the Highveld, and in the Waterberg, where ambient air quality standards are currently being exceeded or may be exceeded.

We are continuously measuring the quality of air through 102 government-owned air quality monitoring stations countrywide that measure compliance. They continuously send data to the South African Air Quality Information System, managed by the South African Whether Services.

We are cognizant that we are part of a global community and that greenhouse gas emissions are severely impacting the climate system.   Our continent is among the most vulnerable to these impacts, with future temperature increases of 4 degrees or more, predicted in some countries.

The Fifth Assessment Report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change confirms that global emissions have raised to unprecedented levels –with negative effects on agriculture, human health, ecosystems, water supplies and people’s livelihoods worldwide.

South Africa is actively participating in the international climate change negotiation towards a new multilateral legal agreement targeted for finalization at COP 21 in Paris, in December 2015.  This global agreement must be a legal, multilateral rules-based system that is inclusive, fair, effective, based on science, and adequate levels of ambitious climate action to keep the temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius.

Our National Climate Change Response Policy is aimed at building social, economic and environmental resilience to the impacts of climate change, and making a fair contribution to the global effort to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations.
South Africa’s emission-reduction approach is guided by a comprehensive analysis of the potential emission reduction opportunities in key economic sectors, including energy, industry, transport, agriculture and waste. We have found that almost 40 % of the total emission reduction estimated for 2020 can be achieved through implementing mitigation measures that provide big cost savings and energy efficiency.

The next step is to define desired emission reduction objectives and outcomes per sector, in order to meet our commitment to implement mitigation actions that will collectively result in a 34% deviation below business as usual emissions growth trajectory by 2020, and 42% by 2025.  South Africa is already hard at work, increasing renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and growing our public transport system.

To ensure our country’s food, water, energy and infrastructure security is not negatively impacted by climate change we have developed Long Term Adaptation Scenarios to inform adaptation planning and implementation.

These interventions involving all stakeholders will ensure water; food and health security and that infrastructure in coastal areas are protected from potential sea level rise.

Waste and chemicals

The National Waste Management Act and National Waste Management Strategy entrenches the universal waste management principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover.

Among the identified goals of our waste management strategy is the contribution of the waste sector to the green economy.

I am pleased to announce that the NEM: Waste Amendment Act, 2014 - in effect since the 2 June 2014 – establishes an economic basis for viable recycling. It apportions sufficient value to waste to facilitate demand for recyclables thereby producing more jobs and enterprise development from waste sector.

Recycling has been valued at a contribution of as much as R50 billion to the South African economy. In effect, waste will now be a renewable resource and not something to throw away.

In terms of prioritizing waste streams we began with plastic bags in 2002 and initiated a national waste tyre plan last year. Going forward, we will prioritize electronic waste, paper and packaging. The tyre plan alone will create more than 10000 jobs within the next 2 years.

The Act also now provides for a Pricing Strategy for waste management charges, the establishment of a Waste Management Bureau, and for mechanisms to oversee the disbursement of revenue collected from waste management charges.

We will also consult on the proposed development of regulations for separation of waste at source, the banning of plastic waste to landfill; a moratorium on new landfill sites; a prohibition of the burning of waste; a regional approach to waste management and disposal; a deposit-return charge on plastic bottles and on how the revenue will fund industry and community initiatives to recycle and recover waste streams.

We have seen a fundamental improvement in the provision of and access to waste collection services over the past 5 years. This positive trend will be sustained with more households being provided with waste collection services towards achieving 80% access to basic waste collection services for all households.

We continue our commitment to licensing all unlicensed landfill sites and am happy to announce that all 341 identified unlicensed sites will be finally regularized by the end of September this year.

I urge all South Africans across the country to heed to the call for action made by the President in his SONA to play our part in cleaning up the environment by committing 67 minutes on the 18 July being Mandela Day in the true legacy of Madiba. I am calling on all citizens to demonstrate their commitment.

The effects of mercury on the environment and human health have been widely documented. It accumulates globally in our food, water and environment - is hazardous, and can even be fatal. The international community has finalized a legally binding Treaty on Mercury known as the Minamata Convention, which we, signed in October 2013 . The Department has already begun work on our preparation for the convention’s entry into force.   I have also published the national Ozone Depleting Substances regulations and the Poly Chlorinated Biphenyl regulations – aimed at phasing out these harmful chemicals. We have also developed a public education and awareness strategy that among other things promotes safe use of chemicals as well as access to information on the sound management of chemicals. We will also commence this year with the training of customs officials on the import and export of chemicals.

I am pleased to announce that we will host our annual World Ozone Day event on the 16 September in the Eastern Cape.

I would now like to address the programmed to ensure the sustainable use and conservation of our biodiversity, natural heritage and ecosystem resources and services.

Conservation and Biodiversity Management

South Africa’s national botanical gardens, as ‘windows’ and ambassadors of our biodiversity, have been visited by more than 22. 7 million visitors, and generated over R400 million self-generated income, largely from admissions, rentals and sales, to supplement government grants and support garden-based operations.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute drives  important and policy relevant biodiversity and ecosystems research programmed- through an extensive international academic research network.

Poaching remains the biggest threat to South Africa’s rhino. There has been an alarming increase in rhino poaching countrywide.

Because it is part of a multi-billion dollar worldwide illicit wildlife trade, addressing the scourge is not simple. That is why we will continue to strengthen holistic and integrated interventions and explore new innovative options to ensure the long-term survival of the species.

Our conservation efforts have been working. Over the first six months of 2014, 136 suspects were arrested and charged for rhino poaching and related crimes. This represents an increase on the 134 arrests over the same period last year. An amount of R 8 million from the Asset Forfeiture Unit was handed over to SANParks, as part of criminal proceedings against a member of a poaching syndicate who was arrested during the course of the year.

An amount of R103 million for the period of 2014/15 to 2016/17 has been allocated to SANParks for the purpose of combating rhino poaching. This is in addition to other financial assistance that SANParks has and continues to receive from private sector organizations through its fundraising initiatives.

Our priority engagements with key African countries such as Mozambique will continue to receive high attention. An international agreement with the Mozambican authorities has been signed to strengthen the fight against rhino poaching. An implementation plan for the next 5 years is currently being jointly negotiated.

Further afield, our engagements with Far East countries including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong, and People’s Republic of China to address the demand for illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products are bearing fruit.

South Africa will host the 17th Conference of Parties to CITES in 2016 and the process to prepare for the CoP has been initiated. The hosting of the CoP will provide South Africa with an opportunity to demonstrate its conservation successes and to promote sustainable utilization as an integral part of conservation and economic growth. 

Considering the importance of some forms of legal international trade in wildlife products and the challenges posed by illegal wildlife trade, the CoP will present an opportunity to open rational discussions on potential solutions that will enable countries, communities and species to benefit from a sustainable use approach, including possible well-regulated trade regimes, while ensuring illegal activities are dealt with effectively and punitively.

The billon dollar illegal trade in fauna and flora (other than fisheries and timber) involves a wide range of species including insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals, all of which are of high values to national economies.
Last year Cabinet directed that we investigate the desirability and feasibility of the possibility of making a proposal on the legalizing of trade in rhino horn as a potential intervention to reduce the incidence of poaching at the 17th Conference of Parties to CITES in 2016.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) will first consider the report from the Panel of Experts appointed in January 2014. The Panel will also engage with various stakeholders during the process. No decision has been made on this issue, as the work is ongoing.

We would like to urge all stakeholders to work with us in ensuring that whatever position we adopt at CITES in 2016, is well researched and adheres to sustainable utilization principles.

We also welcome the decision of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO to approve a reduced buffer zone for the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site.

The Department of Environmental Affairs will now move into the next stage of consultations with a view to start implementing the new buffer zone through national legislation and other biodiversity and cultural heritage management instruments.

The critical issue of mining which has in the past led to a conflict between conservation and development will now be addressed through the implementation of the Mining and Biodiversity Guideline which was published by my department and the Department of Minerals Resources last year.

These guidelines also introduce an extremely important concept known as ‘biodiversity off-setting’, aimed at restoring the environment or development balance.  This tool is specifically designed to ensure that we leave subsequent generations with at least a biodiversity endowment of at least equal value.

However, biodiversity is not the only area where the offsetting concept may have extremely positive benefits.
Indeed, new thinking and developments around air quality, water quality and carbon offsetting appears to be indicating a potential radical and transformative approach to sustainable development.

To this end, the department will be exploring the exciting concept of environmental offsetting with all stakeholders over the next year and I encourage business, industry, consultants, NGOs and the academic community to actively engage with the department in exploring this potential missing link in sustainable development promotion.

Invasive alien species are now recognized, worldwide, as among the greatest threats to biological diversity and the ecological functioning of natural systems, to the productive potential of land and water, to the economy, and in terms of disease.

Environmental biosecurity will complement the internationally commended Working for Water programmed in preventing the introduction of potentially invasive species, and managing those already in the country. 

This will prevent impacts and losses that can be measured in hundreds of billions of Rands, apart from being the single biggest programmed to create jobs for the unemployed people in South Africa since democracy.

Oceans and Coast
Last year we published a Green Paper on the policy for the National Environmental Management of the Oceans – currently a White Paper approved by Cabinet.

This policy identified that South Africa has not fully exploited the economic, commercial, industrial or large-scale livelihood opportunities presented by the sustainable use and management of oceans surrounding our country.

We are coordinating a discussion between all relevant departments, public entities and stakeholders to examine and assess the socio-economic opportunities of sustainable ocean use and management for South Africa as a basis for developing a vibrant oceans economy.

Accordingly, the number of jobs linked to the ocean economy could rise to 0.8-1.0 million and possibly treble the current contribution of 316,000 jobs. 

We are developing a five- to ten-year strategic plan to unlock growth in these sectors adapting a methodology used by Malaysia.  We have have named this Malaysian approach Operation Phakisa, to emphasize its critical role in fast-tracking delivery on the priorities included in the NDP.President Jacob Zuma will launch this programmed this Saturday in Durban.

International Programme

South Africa is working to advance our national environmental interests through a global sustainable development agenda.

South Africa continues to play a positive and proactive role internationally in areas like biodiversity management, climate change, sound international chemicals and waste management, international environmental governance and in advancing the global sustainable development agenda.

With respect to our work in Africa and SADC, the SADC Ministers of Environment and Natural Resources approved the SADC Protocol on Environment for Sustainable Development at their meeting in Maputo late last year. The Protocol promotes equity and sustainable utilization of natural resources; the shared management of trans-boundary environmental impacts and natural resources; chemicals, waste and pollution; marine and in-land waters; and the effective management and response to impacts of climate change and variability.

It is anticipated that Heads of State will sign this Protocol at the upcoming SADC Summit in Zimbabwe in August 2014. The implementation of this Protocol will require adequate resources once it comes into force.

Honourable Members, we stand ready to work with all our communities to take South Africa forward.

We are committed to eradication of poverty, inclusive growth that creates jobs while also preserving the environment for future generations as we are enjoined by the Constitution of the Republic.

I thank you.

_________________________________________________________________

Deputy Minister of Environmnetal Affairs, Ms Barbara Thompson, gave her Budget Vote Speech on the 17 July 2014

Honourable Chairperson of this session;
Honourable Minister, Ms Edna Molewa,
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Mr Jackson Mthembu,
Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee;
Honourable Members of Parliament;
Distinguished Chairpersons and Chief Executives of Public Entities;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

INTRODUCTION

Angibonge sihlalo. Lomnyango wethu wezemvelo uye ubukeke sengathi uwumnyango okhetha iphela emasini. Kuyaphoqeka ukuthi siqonde ukuthi lomnyango usidinga sonke ngoba usithinta sonkana. Konke okusizungezile kumayelana nalomnyango. Kungaba umhlaba esiphila kuwo, umoya, amanzi, inhlabathi uqoo, yilanga, izitshalo, izihlahla, utshani, umkhathi, amahlathi, izilwane, ulwandle, imifula, ekugcineni abantu uqobo. Kubalulekile ke ukuthi siqaphele ukuthi singazitholi sesicekela phansi wona umhlaba sibe siphila kuwo. Uma siwucekela phansi pho siyophila kuphifuthi siyozinza kuphi? Bengithi angindlalele ngiphinde ngiqwashise.

Lolusuku lwanamuhla usuku lwethu singumnyango la sihlahla khona indlela esizohamba ngayo, ngamanye amazwi yiwona mkhombandlela wethu. Ukusebenza kwethu kuyabambandakanya o Hulumeni bezifundazwe kanye no Hulumeni basekhaya. Sinethemba ukuthi siyosebenzisana ngobuqotho ngoba phela inhloso yinye, “ukududula izwekazi lethu liye phambili”. Asisenakuphazamiseka ngoba abantu banga kithi, sibonile imiphumela yokhetho. Sebekusho konke bakwenza konke, the ANC stood up victorious.

U Minister uluthintile udaba lokubaluleka kwlokhu esithi Biodiversity. Yiyo phela abantu basemakhaya abazikhusela ngayo. Bayazingela, bayadoba, bayatshala, bamba amakhubalo okuziphilisa, bayatheza izinkuni zokubasa nezokwakha izindawo zokufihla amakhanda. Abantu basemakhaya basadla imbuya ngothi, kodwa sithi kulabo esingakafiki kubo  siyeza sizofika qathatha njengokufa.

Ake ngithinte kafuphi ngezolwandle. Ulwandle lungezinye zezibusiso esigidlabezwe ngalo u Mdali. Yebo ulwandle luhle, luyabukeka kodwa lo Hulumeni uthi phinde asingalibali ukubuka lobuhle kuphela.  Lolulwandle luphethe umnotho oyisikhondla kakhulu. Thina nozakwethu besilibele ubuhle bolwandle, kanti onkabi bayavuna. Siyonithinta uma sezidumela ngasemantsumpeni. Ngoba ulwandle lubalulekile, masiwanakekele amanzi alo, singawangcolisi. Izinga lokuhlanzeka kwalo libalulekile kakhulu. Siyakuqonda ukuthi kulomnotho wasolwandle kungahle kuphakame noma kuvuke izinsiba kwabanye abantu. Asazike ngoba konke lokhu engikhuluma ngakho kuzokwenzeka kuwona lo Hulumeni oholwa u “Maphuma Ephethe” sithi ulwandle luphethe okungaphezulu kokulibuka “umnotho”.

Sihlalo ngike ngaba nethuba lokuvakashela umkhumbi i SA Agulhas 2. Lona isikhondlakhondla somkhumbi esenza ucwaningo lwezeScience olwandle. Impela ngifunde engingakaze ngikucabange, lokhu kungenze ngakholwa ukuthi ngempela lo Hulumeni kukhulu osukwenzile futhi kukhulu osazokwenza. Sizinikele ukuthi sidlulele ngaphandle kwalokhu esithi I “Exclusive Economic Zone”.

Our commitment to Southern Oceans and Antarctica is evidenced by commissioning of the Sanae IV base in Antarctica in 1997 and the new Marion and Prince Edward base in 2011 by our Government.  These bases are serviced by our state of the art polar research and supply vessel, SA Agulhas 2 dedicated to Mirriam Makeba; commissioned by this Government in 2012.  Our presence in southern Oceans and  Antarctica enables us to better  understand among others, the process and impacts of climate change. 

Umthetho sisekelo welizwe lethu uyagcizelela ukuthi kubalulekile ukuthi siyihloniphe imvelo, ukuze thina nesizukulwane sethu sikwazi ukuzuza inthuthuko ezimele neqhubekayo.

Wildlife Economy

We have more than 10 000 game farms across the country. The wildlife economy is currently valued at 8 billion Rands and is growing at an annual rate of 20, 3% in terms of turnover. The wildlife industry attracts a large number of international visitors each year and creates more than 100 000 jobs across the country. Nakhona la kulengxenye yomnotho abantu bethu bahambela kude, kumele sibasondeze.

Another interesting programme is the Working for Wetlands Programme.The National Biodiversity Assessment of 2011 identifies wetlands as the most threatened ecosystem yet they provide valuable services for livelihoods. The department’s working for Wetlands Programme was formed in 2000 to champion the protection, rehabilitation and sustainable use of South Africa’s wetlands through co-operative governance and partnership. This programme has strong involvement with civil society. It is also labour intensive and contributes to skills development that contributes to Expanded Public Works Programme. There are fourteen EPWP programmes including the Working for Water programme which will ensure that over 750 000 hectares of land are cleared of invasive alien plants; the Working for Wetlands will rehabilitate 115 wetlands across the country; Working for Land will ensure that over 30 000 hectares of land are rehabilitated; and, Working for the Coast will ensure that conservation work is done along 2 113 kilometres of coastline.

These programmes are among the most successful initiatives of Government, as referred to by the President in his State of the Nation address.  The returns on investment are extremely high, as I have often highlighted, and exemplify the Government's commitment to sustainable development.  A budget of R2,83b has been allocated to these EPWP-aligned programmes for the financial year.  It is anticipated that this will lead to the creation of almost 70,000 Work Opportunities, and over 37,000 Full-Time Equivalent jobs.  In all programmes, we target the following percentages for designated groups, 55% of the work going to women, 60% to youth and 2% to people with disabilities. Lokhu kusinika ithemba ukuthi siphikelele khona kwisibophezelo sokwakha amathuba emisebenzi.

A particular priority for our green economy interventions is to address the challenge of youth unemployment. To this end, we have established a Youth Environmental Services programme aimed at providing training opportunities with a target to place at least 75% of them in long-term contracts or permanent employment.

The Youth Jobs in Waste programme currently provides 4 099 job opportunities across 8 Provinces for young people in the areas of waste management administration within municipalities managing landfill sites, environmental awareness campaigns, landfill staff and general workers-waste collection.

This effort focused on the youth has been expanded to the innovative Groen Sebenza programme we launched last year, aimed at rapidly overcoming the problem of needed skills in environmental sector while at the same time tackling unemployed graduates and matriculants. This is funded through the Presidential Jobs Fund Programme and to date 818 ‘pioneers’ have been appointed and placed within 43 biodiversity organisations.

I would like to congratulate the 50 young participants in this programme that have already been permanently placed in decent jobs.

People and Parks Programme

Traditionally people have always lived in harmony with nature and the philosophies of sustainability and conservation were inherent in their society. During the colonial period, the creation of parks often resulted in communities being forcibly relocated to new areas, or losing their land.

Reserves were fenced off and communities lost their access to resources within the reserves. Conservation became elitist and access to parks required social privileges. Communities were excluded from playing a role in protecting the environment; instead they were seen as threats to the environment. This is certainly a bad story of the past to tell. Ezingaxoxwa ke lezi.

We will be hosting the 6th National People and Parks programme this year to take stock of the progress made on the partnership between protected areas and local communities on issues of access to natural recourses, capacity building, awareness and most importantly reviewing South African progress and its commitment on the implementation of the 5th World Parks Congress.

Our parks serve as economic hubs especially in rural areas, where there is no conventional economic activity. SANParks has aligned its programmes to maximise job creation in response to the National Development Plan 2030. National parks are major contributors to local economic development, particularly in rural areas. At the end of 2013/14 financial year, SANParks employed over 4 740 full time employees and 1 930 jobs created through the SANParks Public Private Partnership Programme.

Education and Awareness

Biodiversity and the Green Economy have huge potential for decent jobs. Our legislative framework gives a range of environmental and natural resource management competencies to National, Provincial and Local levels, which are reflected in their structures. The problem is that there is a lack of skilled people in our sector, partly because of legacy issues and there is destructive competition for the few skilled human resources.

The Kids in Parks Programme which is an environmental education programme within the ambit of People and Parks Programme will also be rolled out this year, targeting 5000 learners and 200 educators from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Kids in Parks programme has been one of the most crucial means of making sure that all South Africans participate in the conservation and preservation of South Africa’s environment by providing access to protected areas.

During the 2013/14 financial year 215 232 learners participated in the SANParks environmental education programme.  In addition, a total of 42,330 community members had free access to the National Parks during the South Africa National Parks Week in 2013/14.

To heighten awareness about the ongoing poaching of rhino, a street parade was organised in Tshwane on World Rhino Day last year to highlight the efforts made to fight the scourge of rhino poaching, commencing with a march and ending with an address by the Minister.

Honourable members, SANBI continues to grow its highly successful Garden Based Programme focusing on primary and high school learners particularly from underprivileged schools, with over 44 000 beneficiaries reached in 2013/14.

In addition to that awareness raising initiatives such as celebration of environmental theme days, expos and holiday programmes has grown with over 8000 beneficiaries reached. The outreach bus has been used to transport senior citizens, youth and children from disadvantaged backgrounds with 6000 beneficiaries transported to the different botanical gardens.

The Fundisa for Change is another programme which encourages teachers to ‘teach for change’ through teacher education institutions to strengthen environmental learning and teacher education within the Curriculum and Assessment Policy framework of South Africa. It serves as a broader Education for Sustainable Development framework through a co-ordinated, participatory, national system of engagement.

The Fundisa for Change Partnership Programme rationale is based on a need for measures to strengthen the schooling system in ways that ensure capable teachers, a coherent curriculum, and high quality learning materials to resource the foundations of further learning and participation in the environment, global change and biodiversity Human Capacity Development pipeline.

Extended Public Works Programme

As we have said, the work of our Department and sector must support the ideas and vision espoused in the National Development Plan.

Through the Wildlife Economy and Eco Furniture Programmes, the aim is to venture into the space of sustainable employment and economic growth.

The Eco-Furniture Programme has been rapidly developed into a winning formula.  As an offshoot of the Working for Water programme, it seeks to add value to the invasive alien plants being cleared, by using the biomass for products needed by Government.  Its initial focus is on school desks, given the need to address significant shortages in our poorer schools.

Already we are targeting to put 300,000 learners behind a solid, well-crafted eco-desk in this financial year.  When fully established, the programme is targeting having 3,600 previously unemployed people as skilled workers in harvesting, milling and furniture making, including working in mutually beneficial partnership with the private sector.

While it is not the intention of the Eco Furniture programme to sell directly to private sector, eco-coffins are already being produced where the product is sold via faith-based organisations to the poor, to reduce the cost of bereavement.

The Working on Fire programme has grown from a modest programme in 2003 to one that is internationally recognised for its excellence and efficiency.

Compliance and Enforcement

The Environmental Management Inspectorate, commonly known as the Green Scorpions, was established in terms of an amendment to National Environment Management Act (NEMA), in 2005. Their key focus is on monitoring the environmental impact of projects and conducting follow-up assessments.

The Green Scorpions are tasked with, amongst others, holding businesses, institutions and individuals accountable for the negative impacts their actions or inactions have on the environment. The Green Scorpions deal with various incidents of illegal activities related to EIA legislation and considerable inroads into fighting these crimes have been made. There are numerous instances of successful prosecutions of those in contravention of environmental legislation. Offenders have been fined millions of Rands and ordered to implement various measures to ensure compliance.

Conclusion

I wish to thank our Minister for providing exceptional leadership as well as the chairperson and honourable members of the Portfolio Committee for the guidance in ensuring that we deliver on the mandate entrusted to us.

A big thanks to the Director General, the DDGs and Team Environment. The award the DG received last year is recognition of hard work. We are proud of you.

I also want to thank our public entities, sister departments and all sector stakeholders for their active participation on environmental issues and unconditional support.

Siyanikhumbuza ukuthi kusasa ngosuku lomhlaka 18th July, masibhukule sonke ngobuningi sihloniphe ikhwelo lika Mongameli wethu ukukhuculula amadolobha noma izindawo ezingahlanzekile lapho sihlala khona.  

Thank you.