Department to host traditional leaders’ Marine and coastal enforcement and compliance workshop in Mbizana

The Department Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) will host over 30 traditional and community leaders from Eastern Cape in a Marine and coastal enforcement and compliance workshop from 9-10 November 2021, in Mbizana, Eastern Cape.

In partnership with Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT), the DFFE will host traditional leaders for these workshops with the aim of raising awareness of environmental legislation, whilst acknowledging the leadership authority vested in various traditional houses. This initiative demonstrates the importance of community integration and confronting challenges facing compliance and enforcement officials who operate primarily in the oceans and coastal spaces of the Eastern Cape Province.

This workshop further paves the way for setting criteria for the appointment of voluntary coastal officers as provided for by Section 43 of the Integrated Coastal Management Act, by firstly engaging the traditional leaders of these areas.

Source: Government of South Africa