Barry Streek
The government has given notice that it is going to get tough on industrial polluters, including multi- national oil company Caltex, whose Milnerton, Cape Town, refinery has been criticised by local residents.
Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa disclosed that he has already been in consultation with the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, about the enforcement of the environmental provisions of the Constitution.
In an address to the Cape Town Press Club, Moosa also unveiled plans to declare a whale sanctuary at Hermanus, and establish an Antarctic institute in Cape Town.
He also expressed confidence that South Africa’s first three applications for World Heritage Site status – Robben Island, Greater St Lucia and the hominid sites at Sterkfontein – would be approved by the World Heritage Committee in December.
He said he would continue his campaign against the use of plastic bags, if necessary by passing legislation.
Moosa was asked what he would do about the air pollution caused by the Caltex refinery at Milnerton. He said the Caltex refinery had been “brought to my attention” and he had asked officials in his department to give him an opinion on it.
He was certain his department would make progress with Ngcuka’s help but “it will take some time for us to get our ducks in a row”.
The South African Constitution provides that “everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and to have the environment protected …”
No cases have yet been brought under the environmental provisions of the Constitution, but Moosa was clearly hinting that his department is looking carefully at these provisions to take legal action against industrial polluters.
He said he was often asked whether he was backtracking on his remarks, made shortly after he took office in June, that he would consider banning plastic bags. He reiterated that he remained firmly committed to tackling this issue and his department would soon release a white paper on waste management and hopefully there would be a detailed national waste management strategy in a short space of time.
“Plastic bags are a symbol of pollution and waste in our country. There is no reason why we should be so dependent on plastic bags. The ultimate goal is not to use plastic. I am prepared to introduce legislation on plastic bags, if need be.”
Moosa said he hoped to declare Walker Bay at Hermanus the country’s first whale sanctuary in time for next year’s whale season from about July to November and for that critical period boats would be prevented from entering the bay.
He said Cape Town was being used as the base operation more and more by boats and researchers going to the Antarctic and this had spin-offs for tourism, although he stressed that he was not talking about taking business to Antarctica because South Africa was at the forefront of combating pollution on the continent’s highly sensitive ecosystem.
He proposed that an Antarctic Institute should be established in Cape Town. It would be wholly-owned by the government. This institute would “become a must-see centre for every South African and every tourist. It will give the exposure of being on Antarctica without actually being there.”