Chairperson, as the custodians of the fourth democratically elected government, we are humbled by the achievements we have made over the past 15 years in improving the lives of our people. As part of a broader process of democratising and transforming government and its institutions, we have been very successful in developing pro-poor policies and pieces of legislation within the environmental sector. Our department's proactive and swift response in implementing new policies and legislation resulted in significant progress in safeguarding our people's constitutional right to an environment that is safe and healthy.
As we look forward to 20 years of democracy in our country, we will not only consolidate our gains, but we will also be well prepared and committed to the improvement of our environmental services to the nation. Working together with communities, the civil society, the private sector and nongovernmental organisations, our department is committed to creating a safe environment, sustainable jobs, eradicate poverty and contribute to rural development and economic growth in the next five years. Our nation must look forward to improved levels of service delivery on waste management; air quality; adaptation to the impacts of climate change; biodiversity and conservation; as well as transversal programmes focusing on empowering vulnerable women, youth, children, the elderly and people with disabilities in relation to improving their environmental quality. We are committed to creating sustainable jobs and eradicating poverty through waste management. Our department intends to break new ground in the implementation of its waste management policies and legislation through the implementation of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act. Our approach to waste management is holistic and begins with the implementation of programmes aimed at promoting a waste minimisation approach and ensuring that the waste avoidance, waste reduction and waste recycling approach underpins waste management. Waste streams will include chemical waste, medical waste and e-waste. In order to create further awareness of these waste streams, as well as link environmentally responsible waste management to job creation, we will be taking our partners, who are Buyisa-e-Bag and Indalo Yethu, forward.
Our clean-up campaigns aimed at educating communities about the benefits of a clean environment will be intensified to include the cleaning of border posts that we share with our neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Botswana. We will promote the concept of waste minimisation and remind people to do everything possible to reduce, re-use and recycle. We will also continue with the cleanest town competition with the aim to include rural villages and townships so that they are not left out of our campaigns. We will also investigate the possibility of introducing this competition at local municipality level to reinforce the role of government in waste management. We would like for all citizens of this country to become ambassadors of the environment. [Applause.]
With the 2010 Fifa World Cup around the corner, we have an obligation to ensure that our cities, towns, townships and villages are clean for our own benefit as well as for that of the many soccer fans who will be visiting the country. Our aim is to leave a lasting legacy of sound environmental management practices for 2010 and beyond. This will also boost tourism development, as visitors who are satisfied with our environmental services will surely return to our country in the near future. To earn this, we have been working in partnership with a number of host cities to support their efforts to green the 2010 World Cup.
The establishment of buy-back centres to facilitate the growth of a sustainable recycling industry is an essential element of ensuring that cleanups and competitions are not substitutes for ongoing and sustained sound waste management practices. The recycling of waste will provide much needed opportunities for job creation, poverty eradication and business development necessary for our government to achieve its rural and urban development objectives. In addition, our regulatory responsibility will be boosted by the National Environmental Management: Waste Act which comes into effect in July this year. Through the implementation of this Act, our country will steadily move away from being a "throw away" society that focuses on the end-of-pipe waste management solution to one which is more responsible and cognisant of the need to avoid and minimise waste at its source.
Concerning the pollution that the member has just mentioned, we have achieved tremendous progress in establishing an effective legislative framework to compare the scourge of air pollution in this country effectively. Our department will take forward its implementation of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act and step up its enforcement measures to ensure that polluters comply with the legislation. We, as citizens of this country, must also contribute to minimising air pollution through our activities at home, and not only through projects. What are we doing? Are we doing something that contributes to climate change? We have projects for instance like extracting methane from landfills. But what about our daily activities at home. Are we saving on electricity and on many other things? Are we using alternate energy?
It is unacceptable that communities residing adjacent to industrial developments continue to suffer from the negative effects of inhaling polluted air whilst companies are making profit. All companies which do not comply with our emission standards will be dealt with without fear or favour. We commend companies that are already investing in appropriate technology to reduce emission. But there are not enough of them; most of them are not doing it.
We will also tackle the health impacts of indoor air pollution resulting from domestic use of dirty fluids, especially coal used extensively during winter by people residing in townships and informal settlements. We will continue to roll out the Clean Fires Campaign which is called "Basa njego Magogo" in an effort to bring down the levels of air pollution and save the lives of our people in these areas.
On biodiversity we just want to say that our communities must guard zealously against the depletion of their natural resources because of unscrupulous people who are taking away some of the species to make medicines or other things. Communities are the best ones to police this.
Our work on climate change will continue to prioritise the need to identify negative impacts, especially on women, the youth and people with disabilities. We know now that we have a spread of desertification that will impact on our livelihoods and food security. We need to make sure that our people are able to adapt to this, especially the women out there and our people in the rural areas.
On climate change we are again saying that we need to step up the implementation of the adaptation programmes which my Minister has already mentioned. We are working in partnership with the SA Weather Service to ensure that communities are forewarned of impending disasters such as floods and droughts. This information is communicated in their own languages through local radio stations so that they will understand and assist. If there is going to be a hurricane, they must stay indoors and understand how we are going to move them from there, and understand that the fishermen must not go to sea because the sea is going to be rough. In addition, we will prioritise environmentally sustainable natural resources management, including land rehabilitation and the extension of programmes such as Working for Water, Working on Fire and Working for Wetlands, as well as greening the environment by planting indigenous trees, amongst others, to have sustainable food.
As part of the ongoing implementation of People and Parks, communities residing adjacent to protected areas will continue to benefit from employment, skills development and business opportunities offered within the protected areas. We will continue to implement what we agreed upon at the conferences or workshops that we held with People and Parks. During the state of the nation address of our President, he said that the Expanded Public Works Programme will be intensified. We have programmes from our department that will scale that up.
Hon members, the contribution to the National Youth Service Programme will be marked by the launch of the youth programme for the environmental sector in the near future. Our President also mentioned the issue of 18 July, which is going to be Mandela Day in honour of our icon. Our department will be doing good things for others by having programmes and activities beneficial to women, young people, children and the elderly in rural areas. Some of the activities will include supplying free waste disposal equipment to old age homes, orphanages and schools in poor communities. In addition, we will, amongst others, strive to ensure environmental awareness amongst our youth by encouraging schools to step up environmental activities.
You know that internationally we are co-chairing the global network of women Ministers and leaders of the environment. The voice of women is very strong, and we are emphasising the issue of women and climate change. In fact, during the month of August, here in South Africa, we will be hosting workshops and conducting activities to create awareness around women and climate change. We appreciate the support of other organisations in doing this.
In conclusion, working together with all stakeholders, we will be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals if we protect the integrity of the environment so that our future generations can benefit from this. We say: "Tsha kule tshi wanwa nga muhovhi." [Perseverance is the mother of success.] Let us work together. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]