2017-w2581 - 12 September 2017

Xalisa, Mr Z R to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

When are the application dates (a) opening and (b) closing for the board positions of all entities and councils reporting to her?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 12 Sep 2017

(a) Boards

South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI): 24 August 2017

South African National Parks (SANParks): 01 September 2017.

iSimangaliso Wetlands Park Authority (iSimangaliso): Not Applicable

South African Weather Service (SAWS): Not Applicable

Councils

Not Applicable

(b) Boards

SANBI: 26 September 2017

SANParks: 03 October 2017

iSimangaliso: Not Applicable.

SAWS: Not Applicable

Councils

Not Applicable

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2017-w2386 - 31 August 2017

Ross Kriel Purdon to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

(1)With reference to her media release on 24 July 2017 (details furnished), wherein it is stated that 15 out of 35 rhinos that were translocated were poached, (a) where were the 35 rhinos translocated from and (b) which facility were they translocated to; (2) have there been any successful arrests regarding this specific incident; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) what steps have been taken by her department to protect the remaining 20 rhinos in the affected facility; (4) what is the size, translated in quantity in tonnes, of the rhino horn stockpile currently held by (a) her department and/or (b) other government agencies?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 31 Aug 2017

(1) (a) The rhinos were translocated from the Kruger National Park; and

(b) were translocated to Langgeluk Beleggings property in Kroonstad which comprises several farms across the Kroonstad district.

(2) The 20 rhinos are in private ownership and management.

(3) Private rhino owners authorised to possess rhinos are responsible for the security of their rhinos. Government supports such rhino owners, either upon request or ...

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2017-w2363 - 30 August 2017

Narend Singh to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

In respect of the biodiversity compliance workshop that her department hosted with muti traders and traditional leaders in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on 8 June 2017, what (a) were the outcomes of the workshop and (b) steps are being taken by her department to prevent the continuing trade in critical and endangered species at the Durban and other muti markets in operation around the country?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 30 Aug 2017

(a) The compliance promotion and awareness workshop held on 08 June 2017 produced positive outcomes in relation to the implementation of the department’s environmental legislation. The workshop provided:

i) the competent authorities (national Department of Environmental Affairs, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Ethekwini Municipality) with an opportunity to present to the traditional healers, muti traders and muti collectors all applicable environmental legislation and to promote ...

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2017-w2288 - 30 August 2017

Mogamad Nazier Paulsen to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

What efforts are being made to uncover, track and expeditiously bring to justice the main operators of the rhino horn organised trade syndicates within South Africa’s borders and those profiting most from it?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 30 Aug 2017

Significant efforts continue to be made to investigate and disrupt those syndicates responsible for rhino poaching and the trafficking of rhino horn. Due to the organised nature of these crimes the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (“the Hawks”) takes a lead role supported by other units within the South Africa Police Service, the South African Revenue Service, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the National Prosecuting ...

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2017-w2078 - 29 August 2017

Xalisa, Mr Z R to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entities reporting to her are funding, including by way of discretionary funding, any institution of research and development (i) domestically and/or (ii) internationally; if so, (aa)(aaa) what are the names of the specified institutions and (bbb) what are their functions, (bb) from what date has her department or any entity reporting to her been funding them and (cc) what amount has her department contributed towards such funding?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 29 Aug 2017

(a) No. The DEA does not provide funding to any institution for research and development either domestically or internationally

(i) N/A

(ii) N/A

(aa)(aaa) N/A

(bbb) N/A

(bb) N/A and

(cc) N/A

(b) Yes. SANBI does provide funding to the mentioned institution mentioned in the table below.

(i) Yes

(ii) Yes

(aa)(aaa) please note on table

(bbb) please note on table

(bb) please note ...

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2017-w2290 - 28 August 2017

Vuyokazi Ketabahle to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Whether (a) Eskom and (b) Sasol meet the latest minimum emission standards as prescribed in terms of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, Act 39 of 2004; if not, (i) why not in each case and (ii) what steps will be taken to ensure compliance with the specified standards in each case?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 28 Aug 2017

(a) and (b) First, let me state that the legislation to establish minimum emission standards was promulgated in 2010 and there were a lot of existing industries in the country already at that time.
As such, the legislation provided a transitional arrangement in the form of “postponement of compliance timeframes” to give industries time to invest towards the required compliance without major disruptions in ...

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2017-w2287 - 28 August 2017

Mogamad Nazier Paulsen to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Whether any (a) investigations and/or (b) steps have been taken by her department to ascertain the involvement of a certain person (name and details furnished) who is allegedly in collusion with individuals accused of rhino poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horns; if not, what steps does her department intend to take; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 28 Aug 2017

(a) It is the mandate of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to investigate organised crimes such as rhino poaching; and

(b) In line with point (a), officials from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) have communicated their concerns regarding the above matters to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (“the HAWKS”), and they also assist in coordinating efforts to investigate these matters through ...

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2017-w2292 - 28 August 2017

Ntombovuyo Veronica Mente to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

With reference to the SA Air Quality Monitoring System and the SA Atmospheric Emissions Inventory Portal, (a) what is her department doing to improve the online portals to ensure that air quality monitoring data and atmospheric emission licences are accessible to the public and (b) what are the reasons that the atmospheric emission licences of big polluters, such as Sasol and Eskom, are not available on the portals?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 28 Aug 2017

a) My Department has developed the South African Atmospheric Emission Licensing and Inventory Portal (SAAELIP). This portal consists two systems, one for the Inventory of National Atmospheric Emissions and the other is a Licensing System across the spheres of government responsible for the function of air quality management. The licensing system has public query tab that allows members of the public to view Atmospheric ...

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2017-w2293 - 28 August 2017

Hlengiwe Octavia Mkhaliphi to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

What steps has her department taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and (2) with regard to the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting Regulations published under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, Act 39 of 2004, (a) what steps have been taken to implement the regulations (b) will her department require companies operating more than one facility to submit separate greenhouse gas emission data for each of their facilities or will it accept one set of data for all the facilities?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 28 Aug 2017

(1) Over the past six years, extensive work has been done to translate the National Climate Change Responses Policy (NCCRP) into practical action:

(i) Implementation of the National Mitigation System

Section 6 of the NCCRP lists the key elements in the overall approach to mitigation. The National Mitigation System, comprises the following elements and is directly implemented by the Department of Environmental Affairs:

 (a) ...

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2017-w2114 - 25 August 2017

Sophie Suzan Thembekwayo to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs

Does her department have a policy to provide material and financial assistance to strengthen smallholder farmer capacity and practice in maintaining and building biodiversity; if not, why not?

Reply from the Minister of Environmental Affairs on 25 Aug 2017

Yes, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has several policies and strategies for supporting smallholder game farmers and indigenous plant producers/farmers that form an integral part of the Biodiversity Economy. The National Biodiversity Economy Strategy forms the basis for this support.

Furthermore, the Department has the Environmental Protection and Infrastructure Programme’s Policy and Procedures Manual, which guides the process of funding infrastructural projects to ...

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