Speech by Ms C Zikalala MP
Environmental Management - Waste Bill

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 08 May 2008

Madame Speaker,

We, in South Africa, have high growth targets and ambitions for our economy. The increase in industrial and other activities that will no doubt occur as we pursue and try to achieve these targets will undoubtedly result in increased levels of pollution and waste and therefore put extra strain on our environment. If not handled and managed in a responsible manner, this pollution and waste will have a detrimental effect on our environment and health as well as on our economy in the long term. It is therefore imperative that issues of waste and pollution are dealt with in a focused, coordinated and responsible manner.

We often hear of, or are exposed to, incidents of irresponsible disposal and dumping of waste which often not only causes harm to the environment, but is also a hazard to the health of people in surrounding communities. This type of irresponsible waste management must be stopped

This Bill before us today is part of the Department's law reform process which aims to consolidate and streamline legislation governing the environment. The Bill aims to reform the laws regulating waste management by providing measures for integrated pollution and waste management, providing for compliance to those measures and giving effect to section 24 of the Constitution in order to achieve an environment that is not harmful to health and well being of people. With issues such as global warming and climate change coming to the fore it is imperative that we in South Africa also play our part and do our bit to provide some form of protection and minimise the damage to our environment.

As South Africans, both business and individual households, we must be more aware and consider the impact that our actions have on the environment. We must learn to recycle and re-use so as to lessen the amount of waste that is generated. Hopefully this Bill will go a long way to dealing with our waste problems and promote economic and social development that is not only sustainable but also ecologically friendly.

We, in the IFP, support this Bill.

I thank you.