Industries in Durban’s pollution hot spots are being monitored and fined for transgressions, in an attempt to show them the government is serious about getting them to clean up.
A provincial representative told a Critical Thinking Forum hosted by the Mail & Guardian and Absa bank last weekend the government is serious about tackling industrial pollution. The forum, part of an ongoing series of public debates, was convened to discuss efforts to clean up pollution in the South Durban Basin.
“We are not just paper tigers. New legislation has now given us teeth and enforcement will increase,” said Timothy Fasheun, manager of the directorate of environment and technology development support in the KwaZulu-Natal department of environmental affairs.
He mentioned that the Engen oil refinery had recently been fined R1 000 for violating permit conditions that apply to industry in the South Durban Basin.
“Things have changed since 1994, when we could not even talk about these things. Now the government can fine business and we rap them over the knuckles for their trangressions,” he said.
But environmental and community activists who joined government representatives on the panel at the debate scoffed at the punishment. “What is R1 000 to Engen? It’s laughable. What about hitting industry where it hurts most — like cutting off their water and electricity?” suggested Sajida Khan, an independent environmental campaigner.
A representative from the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, a vocal lobby group, pointed out that although there had been some progress, the more than 280 000 people living in South Africa’s largest petrochemical hub suffer high levels of asthma and cancer.
“When last did you see an athlete come out of South Durban? We want a good economy, but it must not be based on dirty technology,” said the alliance’s Farida Khan.
The eThekwini municipality was represented at the debate by Siva Chetty, a chemical engineer who has been working on pollution-control strategies in Durban for 16 years. He has been a key player in brokering a clean-up of South Durban and is presently deputy head of pollution-control support in the eThekwini health department.
According to Chetty, there has been a 40% to 45% reduction in the emission of sulphur dioxide — a by-product of burning oil that is a respiratory irritant and aggravates asthma.
“I believe we are a caring government that wants to intervene, but the problems lie in the implementation of this intervention,” said Chetty. The biggest failure was finding the science and technical know-how to clean up polluted areas.
Trevor Ncube, chief executive of M&G Media, pointed out it was unfortunate that industry representatives had declined invitations to join the panel. “These Critical Thinking Forums are an interface between the government, civil society and business, in an attempt to build on the tradition of tolerance,” said Ncube. “Industry was not present to hear what civil society has to say, but the government has engaged in a robust manner on an issue which is sometimes a matter of life and death.”