Question NW1032 to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesQUESTION
21 May 2018 - NW1032
Rawula, Mr T to ask the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesQUESTION
With reference to his reply to question 265 on 9 March 2018, wherein he indicated that part of his department’s obligation is to inspect on a regular basis that the Amathole Forestry Company complies with the terms of the lease agreement, (a) what (i) number of compliance visits were done by the department to the leased forests and (ii) are the names of the officials who conducted the (aa) inspection, (bb) compliance visits and (cc) were the findings and recommendations of their inspection and compliance visits and (b) will he provide Mr T Rawula with the original reports of the inspections?
Reply:
a) Lease compliance inspections on the Amathole Forestry Company were conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) officials on the 23 and 24 of February 2017. The main purpose of the inspections was to monitor whether the land use on the leased land is all authorised. On the 9 and 10 May 2017 the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) conducted an audit that covered a number of aspects including social issues. The original audit report is herewith attached to this response for your consideration.
a) (i) The DAFF conducted one (1) compliance and inspection visit in 2017.
(ii) The names of the officials who conducted the (aa) inspections, (bb) compliance and (cc) visits are Mr Simon Nkosi (Deputy Director: Forest Land Management) and Mr Dakalo Tshivhase (GIS Technician). During the inspection original Geographical Information System (GIS) and land use maps were overlaid on the current Geographical Information System (GIS) and land use maps to determine changes on the leased land that have taken place over time. Land use changes concerns picked up from the GIS maps were physically visited to verify the land use and boundaries.
(cc) The findings of the visit were that all the land use changes that took place on the leased land were done according to the lease agreement. Most of the land use changes that took place were as a result of planted areas being converted to conservation areas on the basis of the wetland delineation programme.
b) The DAFF is in a position to provide a report should it be required to do so.