Thank you, Chair. Hon Minister, Deputy Minister, members of the portfolio committee, guests and the department, I greet you. Minister, I must say what a contrast there is between the two departments, Water Affairs and Environmental Affairs, as if they were not under one Ministry. One is doing extremely well and the other one is doing extremely bad. Maybe you need to take the environment part and plant it in the water so that it can also do better, like the environment! Speakers have alluded to the fact that the department is well run. I think we in Cope would also attest to that.
Having said that, let me say that every citizen in South Africa has the right to a clean and conducive environment, as enshrined in our Constitution, and therefore to the wellbeing of our people's being protected. With this budget of R2,8 billion, this department, alongside other stakeholders, has to ensure that this constitutional right becomes a reality for all South Africans.
We know, as a matter of fact, that much of our water is polluted, a number of our beaches have lost their Blue Flag status, and much of our top soil is now at the bottom of the Indian Ocean or Atlantic Ocean.
We are the third most megadiverse country worldwide. Despite this rich inheritance we still see the plundering and pillaging of our natural and wildlife resources on a daily basis.
Regarding fracking in the Karoo, I know that last week the Minister actually responded to this. She said that if Shell's fracking plans in the Karoo were found to have a negative impact on the region's water reserves, it would not be issued a water licence. I hope that the Minister will stick to that.
Smoke pollution is still a major problem and so are green house gas emissions. If someone were to take the matter to the Constitutional Court, I'm certain that the court would find that the government had been deficient in regard to its constitutional mandate.
One of the most shocking environmental issues since 2009 has been rhino poaching. In 2007 poachers killed 10 rhinos in the Kruger National Park. In 2010 an estimated 333 rhinos were killed, compared to the 122 rhinos killed in 2009. The police have arrested 133 people in the past two years. Two well-known veterinarians were arrested for being involved in a rhino poaching syndicate. It is unacceptable that the very people who are supposed to be saving these animals are the culprits! Education and awareness about rhino horn is one way in which a mystical belief in its medicinal value can be laid to rest. We welcome the integrated approach the Minister has referred to in her speech.
We have one planet and one environment. Therefore, we stand firm on the optimal protection of the environment. Solar heaters for heating water and solar ovens for cooking and baking should be universally employed in the rich and poor areas of South Africa. There can be no excuse for not resorting to the energy from solar radiation for heating and cooking.
The provision of sustainable and safe energy cannot be the sole mandate of the Department of Energy. It should be equally the mandate of the Department of Environmental Affairs. We therefore propose that biogas digesters be set up in the rural areas. Rural communities will get clean energy at little or no cost. The use of digesters will protect against deforestation and prevent groundwater contamination. They will also provide natural fertiliser and alleviate the drudgery of fetching firewood. The use of this technology is both affordable and user-friendly.
South Africa is hosting the Conference of the Parties, COP 17, at the end of the year. We will have to show progress in our green policy. The White Paper points out that if COP 17 negotiations do not succeed in decreasing the earth's temperature by 2, the impact on South Africa will be catastrophic. The time for change is now. Let COP 17 bear some tangible results, so that we can show the world that South Africa has what it takes. South Africa is known as a country of miracles. Let the Madiba magic work wonders for COP 17.
Chairperson, there is no excuse. The global renewable market has grown almost 60% per year over the last five years. People are migrating to cleaner energy technologies. Our citizens must be encouraged to do the same. Education is key. Biodiversity and conservation require a broad range of scientific skills that have to be provided through education.
Currently, only 2% of waste tyres and 44,5% of packaging are recycled. Germany, for example, produces 30 000 million tons of garbage annually. The introduction of the Green Dot system in Germany has reduced this garbage by one million tons annually.
We know that our water is worth much, but I want to leave you with this quote:
We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.
Planet Earth is under siege from climate change. Thailand was almost destroyed by a tidal wave just a few years ago. More recently we have seen Japan's people suffer at the unforgiving hands of nature. We do not need to see any more destruction to realise that climate change is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Let us not fail our future generations. History will judge us all. I thank you.