Minister, ons weet dat ons Grondwet, wanneer dit by die opgewing kom, die versekering aan ons burgers gee dat hulle, volgens afdeling 24 van die Grondwet en die seksie wat oor die omgewing handel, afdeling 2, die reg het tot 'n opgewing wat nie
skadelik is vir hul gesondheid nie. U het nou oor die departement se betrokkeheid by plaaslike regering se gentegreerde afvalbestuurplan gepraat. My vraag aan u is: Daar is baie stortingsterreine wat naby informele nedersettings is, wat 'n negatiewe impak op die gemeenskap en veral die kinders het, wat is die Minister van plan om daaraan te doen? Ons weet dat afvalbestuur die plaaslike regering se mandaat is, maar wat is die Minister van plan om te doen in terme van dit, aangesien u ook ondersteuning daar bied? Dankie.
The MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Hon member, I
have explained that there are at least seven or eight different ways in which we support municipalities. However, if you are talking about how one must make sure that you remove the refuse that is on the outskirts of informal settlements, which I think is the fundamental objective that we want to achieve, there would be two things that we are doing.
In terms of solving the long-term problem, what I explained is that we are trying to amend the regulatory environment around the MIG so that municipalities can utilise the grant for the purchasing of refuse trucks and for the actual process of waste collection. So, that is the long-term solution that we are trying to effect.
In terms of solving the short-term problem, it is exactly those kinds of dumpsites that we would be targeting with our Good Green Deeds programme, so that we make sure that, on an ad hoc basis, we are cleaning up and removing that refuse, while we are implementing the longer-term programme. Thank you.