Whether she can provide all the applications, refusals and/or permits granted in relation to the international export of (a) live rhinoceros and (b) lion bones from South Africa for the period from 01 January 2016 to 30 March 2017 in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004), the Threatened or Protected Species Regulations of 2007 and/or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Regulations of 2010?
a) Yes.
b) Yes.
However, the information will have to be sourced from all the different provinces, which will require sufficient time. I do however, advise that such information be sourced directly from the responsible authorities/implementors, who are provincial governments.
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(1)With reference to the approval of 800 lion bone carcasses for export, will the exporters be (a) registered and (b) vetted on a database with her department; if not, in each case, why not; if so, what are the relevant details in each case;
(2) what are the requirements to become an exporter of lion bone?
(1) (a) and (b)
The export of carcasses is managed through the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as well as the CITES regulations (Government Notice No. R. 173 of 5 March 2010 refers) that were promulgated in terms of section 97 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of ...
(1)Has there been any improvement in air quality since the declaration of the three air quality priority areas in the Vaal Triangle, Highveld and Waterberg-Bojanala in terms of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004); if not, what steps will the National Air Quality Officer take (a) to address the matter and (b) by what date;
(2) what are the details in relation to each (a) of the three priority areas from the date of the area’s declaration up until the latest specified date and (b) pollutant measured in each of the three priority areas from the date of the area’s declaration up until the latest specified date?
1. (a) and (b)
I have declared 3 National Priority Areas to address the problem of air pollution where there is a clear threat to the well-being of our people. The first in this regard is the Vaal Triangle-Airshed Priority Area (VTAPA), which was declared in 2006. There have been improvements in the ambient air quality over the years, even though these improvements have not ...
(1)With reference to the first live auction of rhino horns to take place on 21 August 2017, will local buyers of rhino horn be registered on a database with her department; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) (a) what are the requirements to become a buyer of local horns and (b) what steps will her department take to restrict the buyers from (i) reselling the horns onto the black market and (ii) exporting the horns overseas through backchannels?
(1) The buyers must only be local buyers as this is a domestic trade and international trade is not permitted. The buyers will have to apply for a permit authorising such buying during the auction in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (ACT 10 0F 2004): Threatened or Protected Species Regulations (TOPS). Only buyers who are in possession of a permit ...
What is the total number of illegal dumping sites in each province?
In accordance with a survey carried out last year, in collaboration with provincial departments dealing with environmental affairs, the number of unlicensed landfill sites in the country is 12. They are located as follows:
KwaZulu-Natal 4 sites
Free State 4 sites
Northern Cape 2 sites
Eastern Cape 2 sites
These sites will be undergoing the licensing process in the 2017/18 financial year.
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With reference to compliance and enforcement of the Integrated Coastal Management Act, Act 24 of 2008, what are the details of the plans put in place by her department with regard to (a) launch site licencing, monitoring and compliance, (b) encroachments into the Admiralty Reserves, (c) beach driving, (d) International Coastal Clean-up and (e) the coastal resource monitoring?
(a)
Launch site licencing, monitoring and compliance
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) had on 27 June 2014 promulgated regulations under section 83 of the National environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008
(Act No. 24 of 2008) for the management of the Public Launch Sites (PLS) in the Coastal Zone. These regulations empower the Members of the Executive Committees (MECs) to list public ...
Whether any staff of (a) her department and (b) each entity reporting to her were awarded any contracts or agreements to conduct business with any state entity in the (i) 2014-15, (ii) 2015-16 and (iii) 2016-17 financial years; if so, what are the (aa)(aaa) names and (bbb) professional designations of the staff members and (bb)(aaa) details of the contract(s) and/or agreement(s) awarded and (bbb) amounts in each case?
(a) No
1. iSimangaliso Wetland Park
(b) No
(i) 2014-2015 No
(ii) 2015-2016 No
(iii) 2016-2017 No
(aa)(aaa) Not applicable
(bbb) Not applicable
(bb)(aaa) Not applicable
(bbb) Not applicable
(2) South Africa National Parks (SANParks)
(b) No
(i) 2014-2015 No
(ii) 2015-2016 No
(iii) 2016-2017 No
(aa)(aaa) Not applicable
(bbb) Not applicable
(bb)(aaa) Not applicable
(bbb) Not applicable
3. South African National ...
(1)With regard to illegal land invasion in the green belt of the Magaliesberg in Tshwane, what (a) was the allocated budget for the Environmental Managements Inspectorate (EMI)-Green Scorpions unit in the (i) 2014-15, (ii) 2015-16, (iii) 2016-17 and (iv) 2017-18 financial years, and (b) amount of the allocated budget was spent in each of the specified financial years;
(2) what is (a) the current vacancy rate in the EMI-Green Scorpions-unit in Gauteng and (b) the total number of vacant positions in the unit;
(3) whether the inspection unit at OR Tambo International Airport is still operational; if not, why not; if so, what amount of own revenue was received from fines imposed by the unit in the (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17 financial years?
1. (a) The Environmental Management Inspectorate did not allocate any budget for the illegal land invasion in the green belt of the Magaliesberg in Tshwane for the (i) 2014-15, (ii) 2015-16, (ii) 2016-17 and (iv) 2017-18 financial years. The Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMIs) did not budget for the financial years stated above because they are not mandated to deal with any illegal land invasions. ...
(1)Which entities reporting to her (a) have a board in place and (b) do not have a board in place, (i) of those that have a board, (aa) when was each individual board member appointed and (bb) when is the term for each board lapsing and (ii) how many (aa) board members are there in each board and (bb) of those board members of each entity are female;
2) With reference to entities that do not have boards in place, (a) who is responsible for appointing the board and (b) when will a board be appointed?
(1) (a)
iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority (iSimangaliso)
South Africa National Parks (SANparks)
South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)
South African Weather Service (SAWS)
(b) None.
(i) iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority
(aa) 01 September 2015.
(bb) Will lapse on 31 August 2018.
(ii) (aa) Nine.
(bb) Five females.
(2) (a) and (b)
Not applicable.
(i) South Africa National Parks
(aa) 1 April 2015.
(bb) Will ...
(1) What is the total number of (a) complaints received and handled and (b) cases investigated by the Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI) Green Scorpions in the (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17 financial years;
(2) how many Environmental Management Inspectors were (a) trained by her department and (b) received their official designation in the (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17 financial years;
(3) what are the (a) dates and (b) details of any EMI Green Scorpions (i) Blitzes and (ii) Operation Enforcement weeks held in the (aa) 2015-16 and (bb) 2016-17 financial years?
Complaints
The national Department is responsible for the management of the national Environmental Crimes and Incidents hotline, which provides an avenue for members of the public to report non-compliances with environmental legislation. Once a complaint is registered, it is then categorised and referred to the appropriate national, provincial or local sphere of government to undertake the necessary follow-up actions. Some complaints may be made ...
