2017-w3152 - 30 October 2017

Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

With reference to the fracking activity which is taking place in Matatiele, why has her department approved the environmental impact assessment when the surrounding communities opposed the specified activity on the grounds of pollution (details furnished) and (b) whether the principle of public participation has been applied to give the surrounding communities a chance to voice their opinions and input and assist the executive in making the decision?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 30 Oct 2017

(a) The Department of Environmental Affairs did not approve the environmental impact assessment in this instance, as it is not the Competent Authority for this type of activity/ies under the current regulatory regime. If the application was lodged under the 2014 Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, the application may have been processed and approved by the Department of Mineral Resources, in which case the Department ...

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2017-w2727 - 11 October 2017

Thomas Zwelakhe Hadebe to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

What number of (a)(i) poachers and (ii) illegal immigrants were arrested by the (aa) SA National Defence Force and (bb) SA Police Service members deployed in the Kruger National Park (aaa) in each of the past seven financial years and (bbb) since 1 April 2017 and (b) the specified arrests resulted in successful prosecutions in each case?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 11 Oct 2017

(a)(i) From 2011 to the end of 2016, 935 poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park. The numbers are as follows:

2011 = 82

2012 = 73

2013 = 123

2014 = 174

2015 = 202

2016 = 281

From 1 January to 30 September 2017, 206 poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park.

(a)((ii)(aa) The number of illegal immigrants ...

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2017-w2881 - 10 October 2017

Anchen Margaretha Dreyer to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

What is the detailed (a) breakdown of and (b) valuation for current and non-current assets and investments held by (i) her department and (ii) each entity reporting to her according to (aa) listed assets (aaa) directly held and (bbb) indirectly held and (bb) unlisted investments (aaa) directly held and (bbb) indirectly held by each of the entities, in each case breaking the current assets and investments down by 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months and beyond 12 months?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 10 Oct 2017

(i) DEA (Data as at 20 September 2017)

Details

Current

Non-Current

Total

 

0-3 months

3-6 months

6-12 months

12months+

 

CASH & CASH EQIVALENTS

 

 

 

 

R 689 984 295.42

CONSOLIDATED BANK ACC

689 753 092.94

 

 

 

R 689 753 092.94

PETTY CASH

222 000.00

 

 

 

R 222 000.00

CASH WITH LOCAL BANK:ABSA

9 202.48

  ...

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2017-w2688 - 10 October 2017

Narend Singh to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

(a) What is the total number of (i) registered breeders of tigers, (ii) tigers in captivity and (iii) tigers that have been hunted in South Africa since 1 January 2017 and (b) what is the breakdown of the numbers for each province?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 10 Oct 2017

a) 

(i) Tigers are alien in South Africa and are kept for among others zoological and breeding purposes. Tigers are not regulated in terms National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (Act No. 10 of 2004) or Threatened & Protected Species Regulations(TOPS). The national Department of Environmental Affairs , therefore, does not keep statistics on numbers of registered breeders, tigers in captivity, and hunting in South ...

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2017-w2726 - 06 October 2017

Thomas Zwelakhe Hadebe to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Whether she (a) received, (b) considered, (c) approved and/or (d) rejected any (i) applications, (ii) requests and/or (iii) proposals to withdraw the national parks declaration of any portion(s) of the West Coast National Park; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 6 Oct 2017

(a) No, I did not receive any (i) applications, (ii) requests and/or (iii) proposals to withdraw the national parks declaration of any portion(s) of the West Coast National Park.

(b) No, I did not consider any (i) applications, (ii) requests and/or (iii) proposals to withdraw the national parks declaration of any portion(s) of the West Coast National Park.

(c) No, I did not approve ...

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2017-w2564 - 19 September 2017

Narend Singh to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

What are the full details of (a) the exact scientific rationale that informed the South African National Biodiversity Institute’s decision, justification and recommendation for the quota of 800 lion bone export per annum and (b) the steps that her department has put in place to ensure that the quota does not in fact exacerbate the tiger and lion poaching in South Africa?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 19 Sep 2017

(a)

1. African lion (Panthera leo) is included on Appendix II to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In 2016 at the 17th Conference of the Parties to CITES, the Parties adopted an annotation to this listing in relation to the growing international trade in lion bones:

“A zero annual export quota is established ...

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2017-w2343 - 12 September 2017

Johanna Steenkamp to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

(1)(a) How many permits have been signed off for local rhino horn trading and (b) to whom have they been awarded; (2) is there a quota for the number of permits to be issued; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) do the permit holders have a limitation on how many tonnes of horn they can trade in a year; if not, why not; if so, what is the total amount?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 12 Sep 2017

(1) (a) and ((b)

The Department has issued a permit for the selling of rhino horn, ordinary permit number: O28640 was issued for 264 horns. Seven (7) permits were issued authorising the buying of rhino horn (Ordinary permit numbers: O29851; O29852; O29854; O29855; O29856; O29859; O29860).

(2) No. This is due to the nature of any domestic trade where no limits have been placed. ...

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2017-w2291 - 12 September 2017

Hlengiwe Octavia Mkhaliphi to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

What steps is her department taking towards the decommissioning of Eskom’s oldest plants which are due for decommissioning in the next three years?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 12 Sep 2017

Eskom’s plans to decommission some of its power stations first came to the Department’s attention during its applications for postponement of compliance timeframes with minimum emission standards (MES). In its applications for postponement, Eskom indicated the life-span of each of the power stations, and this information was factored in the postponement decisions. Since the life-span of the power stations was factored in the postponement ...

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2017-w2438 - 12 September 2017

Russel Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Whether, with reference to the oceanic tidal pools established along the country’s coastline, in particular those under the direct control and maintenance of SANPARKS, research studies have been conducted into alternative means to clean the tidal pools, other than draining, lime-washing and the addition of chemicals as this method is known to be highly destructive to the existing fragile marine eco-systems found in and around the tidal pools which are safe havens for many marine breeding species; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 12 Sep 2017

No, the South African National Parks (SANParks) has not conducted any research into alternative means to clean tidal pools because no negative impacts have been observed yet in the way the two tidal pools are being cleaned. The City of Cape Town is responsible for cleaning most of the tidal pools on the False Bay coast line and it has its own cleaning and ...

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2017-w2387 - 12 September 2017

Ross Kriel Purdon to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

(1)With reference to recent media reports (details furnished) relating to the arrest and detention of a certain person at the Kruger National Park (KNP) (name and details furnished) who has been linked to a rhino poaching syndicate, (a) what is the current status of the specified person’s employment at the KNP, (b) what position(s) has the specified person held at the KNP and (c) which access gates was the specified person assigned to; (2) has the specified person been linked to any incidents or cases of rhino poaching or any other type of poaching; if so, what are the relevant details in this regard; (3) has the specified person been formally charged; if so, on what grounds; if not, why not; (4) is the specified person still living at the KNP; if so, why?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 12 Sep 2017

1. (a) The employee is currently suspended from work pending an investigation related to the theft and unauthorised possession of the South African National Parks’ (SANParks) property;

(b) The employee held the position of Security Supervisor since 1999; and

(c) The employee was assigned to both Phabeni and Numbi Gates.

2. The investigation is still on-going but has not as yet established or confirmed ...

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