Director General of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Chippy Olver is to quit at the end of February, the environment ministry announced in a statement on Tuesday.
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said Olver, who has been in the post for five years, will be taking up a ”new and challenging position”.
He did not say what the position is, and Olver was unavailable, but departmental spokesperson JP Louw said he understands Olver is ”interested in exploring some options in the private sector”.
”I guess his own feeling is he has been in government for the last 10 years and he wants a bit of fresh air,” Louw said.
Van Schalkwyk said Olver has been one of the most successful and effective directors general to serve South Africa to date.
The statement quoted Olver as saying he will remain an ”ardent advocate” for the work of the department.
”My commitment to our new minister was to oversee the transition period, which by the end of last year was fully accomplished,” said Olver. ”This department has in place a really strong and committed management team who are now ready to lead the department into the next phase.”
Olver was referring to the transition from former environment minister Valli Moosa to Van Schalkwyk, who took over the reins after the 2004 general election.
Van Schalkwyk said Olver’s legacy is ”a well-oiled departmental machine which has positioned South Africa at the leading edge of the global agenda in these matters”.
Olver, who in his youth was an anti-apartheid activist, was appointed director general in February 2000, after serving in an acting capacity.
Before that, he was a deputy director in the Department of Provincial and Local Government, also with Moosa.
Among the high-profile issues he has dealt with are the Wild Coast toll road — which has been rejected; the proposed pebble-bed nuclear reactor — which he approved and is now being considered by Van Schalkwyk; South Africa’s bid to sell ivory abroad; and the implementation of advanced environmental legislation, including the plastic-bag ban.
He is also said to be one of the driving forces behind a ”conservation must pay for itself” ethos that has aroused the ire of some conservationists.
WWF director of conservation Dr Rob Little said Olver has been a very good director general, and the WWF has worked very closely with him over the past two or three years.
”We have had very constructive engagement, which has been good for conservation,” he said. ”We respect his decision, and we hope he will be replaced with someone as productive and positive as he has been.”
Conservation manager for the Endangered Wildlife Trust Yolam Friedmann said the trust has generally enjoyed a positive relationship with Olver.
”There were a lot of areas where we disagreed, but a lot where we worked closely,” she said.
”On the whole, his term has been a positive thing for the South African environment. Even when we have disagreed … there has been a level of engagement and interaction which has been positive.”
It has been a healthy relationship, which the trust would like to continue with his successor.
”We hope it will be somebody who is able to engage with NGOs at the level Chippy did,” she said. ”We wish him loads and loads of luck.”
Departmental spokesperson Louw said Olver’s post will be advertised, and candidates shortlisted and interviewed.
”The idea would be to have it done as soon as possible,” he said. ”The minister would probably [in the interim] appoint someone acting.” — Sapa