Question NW275 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs
13 March 2017 - NW275
Steenkamp, Ms J to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs
Is her Department aware that the traditional medicine market adjacent to the Faraday Taxi Rank in Johannesburg is selling animal remains that require specific permits to trade and sell; if not, (a) why not and (b) on what date will her Department conduct an investigation into this matter; if so, why has her Department allowed this illegal activity to be conducted?
Reply:
The Department is aware that the muti traders operating next to Faraday Taxi Rank are selling various anaimal remains and that there have been reports that some of these activities are illegal.
a) Not applicable.
(b) These types of markets are typically monitored and investigated by officials from the provincial conservation departments, both in terms of the requirements set out in provincial and national legislation. However, a decision was made at the beginning of 2016 that muti trade should be elevated to a national priority; and through MINTECH Working Group IV, the project should initially focus on compliance promotion and awareness campaigns for the “Traditional Healers”, “Muti-Traders” and “Muti-Collectors” operating at the “muti-markets” ahead of targeted compliance and enforcement activities.
The Environmental Management Inspectors (Green Scorpions) from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have visited Faraday Muti Market situated in Faraday Taxi Rank in Johannesburg. The reason of this particular visit was not to conduct inspections and identify endangered species yet. The purpose for the attendance at the market was to meet with the management of the Muti Markets with regard to the compliance promotion and awareness campaign being conducted by the Department. This type of campaign is critical to ensure that those working at the market are aware of the legal requirements for trade, as well as what trade is permitted. The effectiveness and ultimate success of our monitoring and enforcement activities are strengthened if they are preceded by these types of campaigns.
On 19 January 2017, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), together with Gauteng Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), hosted the first biodiversity compliance awareness workshop in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province. The main purpose of the workshop was to bring together all traditional healers and “muti-traders” operating at the Faraday and Mai Mai markets. Further events in other provinces and additional meetings are planned for the latter part of the financial year, ahead of the more targeted compliance and enforcement work that will take place as part of this project in the 2017/18 financial year.