Day: June 4, 2023

Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning said that protecting the environment is of critical importance, as all the scientific data confirms that our current way of life is putting unsustainable strain on the environment. “Threats like climate change and ongoing biodiversity crime require urgent attention, and if we do not provide the needed budgets and human resources, we won’t be able to mitigate against it,” Minister Bredell warned.

Minister Bredell was responding to the fact that the 5th of June is recognised as World Environment Day, which was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972.

“101 of the 138 freshwater ecosystems in the Western Cape are threatened, of which 73 are Critically Endangered. This is causing concern for our indigenous freshwater fish species. If we do not remove invasive alien vegetation from catchment areas, it could lead to the total collapse of agricultural economies in areas such as the Olifants, Breede and Berg River Valleys. However, a mere R1million investment in alien clearing can support economies worth billions of rands,” Minister Bredell said.

This year’s World Environment Day theme is plastic pollution. Minister Bredell said South Africa generates 2.4m tons of plastic waste per year, which translates to approximately 41kg per person, of which only 14% is recycled.

“Not only is plastic manufacturing highly resource intensive and dependent on fossil fuel extraction, but the plastics discarded persists in nature long thereafter. The impacts of plastic pollution on the marine environment are globally recognised, and as a coastal province, the Western Cape is also not immune to its impact,” Minister Bredell said.

The Western Cape Province has developed a strategy to reduce illegal dumping, and reports quarterly on the interventions. The province is also planning to establish hubs to valorise waste plastics that are illegally dumped, which will be processed and recovered for recycled products. Not only should this improve the aesthetics of the area, but will also empower and foster SMME entrepreneurship, with job opportunities within the communities that are impacted upon, Minister Bredell said.

Minister Bredell congratulated the work CapeNature, as the conservation authority in the Western Cape, has done in the past 23 years to ensure that the natural environment and provincial nature reserves are conserved for generations to come.

Currently the entity manages 1 030 429ha of protected areas including formal stewardship sites and six marine protected areas. In the past 10 years more than 300 000ha of private land was added to the conservation estate thanks to land acquisition by WWF-SA’s Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust and CapeNature’s Stewardship Programme.

To combat threats to biodiversity like climate change, habitat loss, and overconsumption, CapeNature identified several biodiversity corridors which allow for both fauna and flora species to find safe refuge and improve resilience against these threats. Protected Area Management Plans address concerns in terms of endangered species and water management. Currently 16% of indigenous fauna and flora in the Western Cape is threatened ranging from Vulnerable to Endangered and Critically Endangered.

CapeNature prioritises clearing invasive alien plants, especially in demarcated strategic water source areas, working closely with the Greater Cape Town Water Fund to target key City of Cape Town water catchments to improve water supply, Minister Bredell said.

Source: Government of South Africa

On behalf of the Government and the people of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent a message of condolences to India following the train accident that claimed the lives of more than 200 people in the state of Odisha.

The three-train collision happened on Friday and reportedly left more than 850 injured.

“The South African Government and people stand in solidarity with those effected by this tragedy and laud the emergency rescue and medical personnel for their tireless efforts,” said the Presidency in a statement.

President Ramaphosa added that the thoughts of the South African people are with the people of India, particularly the affected families, during this time of mourning.

South Africa and India enjoy strong historical, political, diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations. The two countries established full diplomatic relations in 1993.

South Africa and India share several common interests, including the reform of the United Nations (UN) and Bretton Woods institutions. The two countries also cooperate in a number of multi-lateral forums, including BRICS, the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Dialogue Forum and the G20. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday host the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa, on a State Visit to South Africa.

President Ramaphosa will in honour of President Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa host a welcome ceremony at the Union Buildings in Tshwane on Tuesday morning.

Following the welcome ceremony, President Ramaphosa and President Marcelo Rebelo De Sousa will lead their respective delegations in official talks during the occasion of the State Visit, followed by a media briefing.

The two Heads of State will further witness the Signing Ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation.

“Engagements will focus on the enhancement of cooperation in agriculture; basic education; defence; ocean economy; science and technology; tourism; and trade and investment.

“The state visit to South Africa by the Portuguese Republic occurs in the same week Portugal celebrates its National Day on 10 June 2023. Each year, the Portuguese President visits a different country to celebrate the Day of Portugal with the Portuguese Diaspora,” the Presidency said in a statement.

South Africa and Portugal maintain friendly political relations. According to the Presidency, there are approximately 500 000 South Africans of Portuguese descent and about 200 000 Portuguese nationals who reside in South Africa permanently, serving as an important economic link between South Africa and Portugal.

Bilateral relations between South Africa and Portugal remain strong, covering a wide range of areas of cooperation.

The 7th Bilateral Consultations were hosted in Portugal on 24 June 2022 and co-chaired by South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation, Deputy Minister, Alvin Botes and Portuguese Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Francisco Andre.

The Presidency added that South Africa and Portugal have well established trade relations which are abound with potential for further growth and diversification in 2023 and beyond.

Bilateral trade figures for 2020 and 2021 have been positive. South African exports in 2021 were valued at approximately R2.8 billion while imports from Portugal were approximately R4.6 billion in the same year.

Food constitutes about 50% of South African exports to Portugal. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will on Monday host World Environment Day (WED) 2023 in Cape Town.

The WED 2023 will be commemorated under the theme: “Beat Plastic Pollution” with a strong focus on eliminating all forms of waste/pollution, particularly plastic.

In a statement on Sunday, the department said this year’s WED is aimed at seeking innovative ways to end plastic pollution.

“Plastic pollution is now a global problem with an estimated 353 million tonnes of plastic waste produced in a year and finding itself polluting our oceans because of its durability and taking a much longer time to disintegrate.

“To mark the World Environment Day 2023, Minister Creecy will embark on a tour of two recycling plants in Cape Town that are supported through Producer Responsibility Organisations – POLYCO and PETCO to gain further insight into the benefits of Extended Producer Responsibility in support of plastic recycling,” the department said.

The Minister will start her tour at Waste Want which is located in Kraaifontein.

Waste Want started out as a small collections company, selling collected recycling material to recyclers.

Through this project around 200 people have been employed, recycling in the local community has improved and backlogs in waste processing addressed. Waste Want diverts 1 000 tonnes of waste per month.

The Minister will then go to CRDC SA RESIN8 situated in Blackheath Industrial.

CRDC SA RESIN8 is a site where plastic is mixed and converted into an aggregate modifier for the construction industry.

At its pilot plant facility, CRDC processes about 420kg of plastic waste per day enabling it to test various waste streams in its process.

At the new facility, CRDC will be able to process 610 tonnes of plastic waste per month and thereby produce 725 tonnes of RESIN8. The project has partnered with various existing waste reclaimers.

Minister Creecy will conclude the World Environment Day 2023 commemoration with a beach clean-up at Macassar Beach. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has closed Child Protection Week calling for communities to be more vigilant for possible perpetrators at an event at the Manzini Community Hall in Mpumalanga.

The annual Child Protection Week campaign, which was launched on 28 May 2023 in Hout Bay, Cape Town, seeks to mobilise all sectors and communities towards embracing the holistic development, care, and protection of children under the five-year theme: “Let us Protect Children during COVID-19 and Beyond”.

Speaking to the children gathered at the event, the Minister said she was deeply concerned at the recent cases of abuse and crimes against children in the country.

She said that in Mpumalanga, the areas of KaNyamazane, Matsulu, KaBokweni, Mnganduzweni, Chochocho, Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge have been identified by police as hotspot areas for child killings after numerous children went missing and were later found murdered.

Minister Zulu told the children to be aware of possible perpetrators in their communities.

“When we talk about abuse, rape and violence we talk about any perpetrator that might be in your schools, communities, streets and homes. Beware of these kinds of people and never allow them to touch you where they are not supposed to.

“Today we are closing the campaign but we do not stop the work, the campaign to protect children continues for 365 days.

“The brutal killing of children cannot be a normal thing. If you notice anything wrong with your peers, do not laugh at them. It is important that you as children protect each other. The protection of children must not be the responsibility of adults only, you must also protect each other when you walk together,” the Minister said.

She thanked the department and its partners for their contribution towards making the Child Protection Week campaign a success.

She said the Social Development Department will be launching its own TV channel, which will communicate the department’s services and get information to the people without it being distorted.

This year, the department aimed to raise awareness about its community-based prevention and early intervention programme RISIHA. As the name, which is XiTsonga meaning Resilience, suggests it is aimed at moving orphaned and vulnerable children from vulnerability to resilience.

To date, the programme has reached 181 569 orphaned and vulnerable children across the country through the provision of a basket of child protection services by 6 052 Child and Youth Care Workers across the country.

Eight hundred and sixteen Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) are implementing the program and 26 of them are in the Western Cape Province. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency