Latest news with #FisheriesandEnvironment
IOL News
01-08-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
eThekwini Municipality partners with DFFE for impactful environmental initiatives
The eThekwini Municipality will enter into a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment to undertake environment-related programmes. Image: FILE The eThekwini Municipality will enter into a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) to undertake environment-related programmes in Durban. Councillors approved the collaborations between the municipality's Recreation and Parks Directorate, Natural Resources Department, and the DFFE at a council meeting on Thursday. The environmental programme will also be facilitated with other institutions of similar interests or common goals. The objectives of this collaboration are as follows: Cleaning and greening of public open space. Coastal rehabilitation and maintenance across the eThekwini coastline. Protect and restore natural open spaces, including riverine ecosystems. Enhance conservation of biodiversity and habitat protection. Capacity building and skills development for local communities. Enhancing the municipality's environmental management capacity. Promoting environmental education and awareness. Supporting diversity protection, environmental conservation within municipal nature reserves. Among the benefits of engaging in this collaboration are improved coastal and environmental infrastructure maintenance at no direct cost to the municipality. "This collaboration aims to implement environmental programmes such as Working for the Coast/Coast Care, Source to Sea, Working for Fire, Working for Water, People and Parks, and other programmes initiated to respond to adverse climatic conditions,' stated the municipal report. These programmes are also implemented as per the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) initiative. During the implementation of the programme, workers are paid a stipend by the national department and may receive training for future employability, and such training is facilitated by the provincial Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs. At the council meeting, Welekazi Sibiya, DA eThekwini councillor, alleged that the city has a climate committee that has yet to convene since the election of the eThekwini council in 2021. According to Sibiya, this is unacceptable and displays the city's lack of urgency in dealing with this important matter. She said that eThekwini is a place of incredible natural beauty, from its golden beaches to its lush greenery and vibrant communities, but with this beauty comes responsibility. She said a clean environment is not just about how nice things look; it is about health, sustainability, and the legacy left for future generations. 'A clean environment boosts tourism and economic growth. By maintaining cleanliness, we not only preserve our heritage but also create opportunities for jobs and development. Climate change has been cited as a risk, and mitigating the impacts of climate change is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. Our planning must reflect our seriousness in dealing with the impacts of changing weather patterns,' she said. Sandile Gwala, IFP eThekwini councillor, said the initiative came from Narend Singh, the deputy minister of DFFE. Gwala stated people flocked to Durban because of its warm climate and tourism appeal. 'This collaboration will assist and improve much on our eThekwini 2030 vision and will also benefit us in improving coastal and environmental infrastructure maintenance at no cost to the city," he said. Gwala added that this will also create job opportunities for the EPWP programme, which was facing a crisis in eThekwini. 'The issue is transparency and accountability of the EPWP programme. We must monitor this when it kickstarts.'
The Citizen
22-06-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Oshoek Border Post community participates in environmental awareness campaign
An environmental awareness campaign gave locals a chance to participate in a clean-up initiative that boosted the environmental outlook of the Oshoek Border Post between South Africa and the Kingdom of eSwatini. The Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (Dardlea), in partnership with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, hosted the campaign on June 12. The aim was to inform the local community about the importance of environmental conservation and to promote sustainable practices. ALSO READ: Mpumalanga MEC rallies residents against plastic pollution Locals came out in their numbers to learn about environmental conservation. The venue was laid out with exhibition stands that provided an engaging platform on issues of recycling, the benefits of a clean environment and Dardlea's Zonda Insila Programme. At Ntabanhle Primary School, visiting officials engaged with youngsters on environmental awareness and climate change, focusing on waste management, protecting the environment, and promoting sustainable practices. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Daily Maverick
03-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Weaponising the Public Finance Management Act: A new legal trend threatening public sector discipline
A concerning trend is emerging in public sector employment. Employees facing disciplinary action are increasingly wielding the Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999 (PFMA) not as the accountability tool it was designed to be, but as a shield against workplace consequences. This strategic pivot transforms financial governance legislation into an employment litigation weapon with potentially far-reaching implications for public administration. The PFMA was enacted in 1999 with the primary purpose of establishing a robust framework for financial governance in South Africa's public sector. At its core, the act aims to secure transparency, accountability, and sound management of revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities across national and provincial government institutions. Among its core objectives, it provides mechanisms to prevent irregular, unauthorised, as well as fruitless and wasteful expenditure, thereby safeguarding public resources against misuse. The recent Labour Court case of Vico v The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment offers a compelling illustration of this new phenomenon. Thembalethu Vico, a director within the department who faced dismissal following disciplinary proceedings related to the removal of confiscated abalone valued at approximately R7.5-million, sought to challenge his dismissal through an unusual legal avenue: by attacking the procedural aspects of his disciplinary hearing through the lens of the PFMA. At the heart of Vico's application was an attempt to secure declaratory relief related to what he characterised as incomplete disciplinary proceedings. His arguments centred on several PFMA-related assertions: that the employer had 'unjustly and unfairly terminated' the briefing contract of the disciplinary hearing chairperson; that this termination caused 'unreasonable delay' in his disciplinary hearing; that respondents 'contravened the applicant's right to fair labour practice'; and rather notably, that expenditure on recusal applications against the chairperson constituted 'fruitless and wasteful expenditure' under the PFMA. The Labour Court's response was unequivocal. In his judgment, Judge Robert Lagrange not only dismissed the application, but characterised it as 'vexatious in nature', ordering the applicant to pay the respondents' costs. 'An attempt to circumvent the proper forums for labour disputes' The court found that Vico was 'no stranger to legal principles and reasoning' and determined that his PFMA-based arguments represented an attempt to circumvent the proper forums for labour disputes — namely the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council where he had already lodged an unfair dismissal claim. This case highlights a broader issue deserving closer scrutiny: the strategic repurposing of financial management legislation to serve employment law objectives. The PFMA, enacted in 1999, was designed to promote transparent and effective management of government finances — not as a mechanism for employees to challenge disciplinary outcomes. Yet increasingly, we witness creative legal arguments that stretch the PFMA beyond its intended boundaries. Several notable examples demonstrate this concerning pattern in other contextual scenarios: Unsuccessful tender bidders increasingly invoke the PFMA not to address genuine financial irregularities, but to contest legitimate procurement decisions they simply disagree with. By alleging technical PFMA violations, these bidders attempt to overturn procurement outcomes through financial management legislation rather than following appropriate procurement appeal processes. Some employees facing disciplinary action for performance or conduct issues have strategically repositioned themselves as 'whistleblowers' under section 51 of the PFMA. By claiming they were disciplined for reporting financial misconduct, rather than for their own workplace infractions, they attempt to transform standard employment disputes into protected disclosure matters. Some senior employees facing poor performance reviews have contested their evaluations by claiming they were instructed to take actions that would violate the PFMA. This transforms performance management into a complex legal dispute about financial legislation interpretation. Public entities facing pressure to implement organisational changes have cited PFMA compliance concerns as reasons to delay implementation, effectively using financial legislation as a strategic tool to resist operational reforms. Perhaps most troublingly, the PFMA has become weaponised in political contexts, with allegations of technical PFMA violations used to undermine political opponents in positions of financial accountability, regardless of whether actual financial mismanagement occurred. In the misconduct context, the implications of this trend are significant. Public sector managers face the daunting prospect of defending not only the substantive merits of disciplinary decisions, but also navigating complex arguments about whether their internal processes satisfy the technical requirements of financial legislation. This creates a chilling effect on departmental decision-making, potentially undermining efforts to address misconduct effectively. More worryingly, this legal strategy diverts valuable court resources. Judge Lagrange noted that the application was largely an attempt to revisit a matter that had already been decided, writing that 'it beggars belief that the applicant could have seriously believed that he could simply avoid the unequivocal effect of the judgment by approaching this court under the guise of an application for declaratory relief'. When courts must attend to such applications, genuine cases requiring judicial attention face delays. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment's approach in the Vico case provides a template for addressing such claims. Rather than becoming entangled in debates about the PFMA's application to employment matters, they successfully redirected the court's attention to the jurisdictional question: Whether the Labour Court was the appropriate forum for what was essentially an attempt to relitigate disciplinary proceedings through a different legal framework. Distinct forums and remedies PFMA matters and employment disputes are meant to follow different procedural paths, with distinct forums and remedies designed to preserve the integrity of both systems. When properly invoked, PFMA concerns should follow established channels that begin with internal departmental controls, escalate to Treasury oversight, proceed through audit mechanisms via the Auditor-General's examination, involve executive accountability and operate through specific financial misconduct procedures established in the PFMA — all pathways that exist distinctly from labour dispute mechanisms. Notably absent from the PFMA is any provision making the Labour Court a forum for adjudicating PFMA violations, which is why the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment correctly focused on the jurisdictional question, highlighting that the applicant was attempting to bypass proper forums for both employment disputes (the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council) and financial governance concerns (internal controls, Treasury oversight and potentially criminal proceedings). As this trend continues to evolve, public sector employers would be wise to develop proactive strategies. This includes ensuring that disciplinary procedures are documented with meticulous attention to detail, that financial decisions related to such proceedings are properly authorised, and that legal teams are prepared to address PFMA-based arguments directly. The PFMA represents a crucial pillar of democratic governance and institutional transformation. The act has become instrumental in the country's ongoing struggle against corruption and State Capture — challenges that have threatened South Africa's democratic foundations and economic stability. However, the judiciary's response in the Vico case sends a clear message: the PFMA cannot be weaponised to circumvent established labour relations processes. This judgment establishes an important precedent that may discourage frivolous applications of this nature. Ultimately, public administration requires both financial accountability and efficient personnel management. When these systems are placed in artificial opposition through creative litigation strategies, neither objective is well served. The Labour Court's firm stance in the Vico case represents a welcome correction — one that reinforces the proper boundaries between financial governance and employment law in South Africa's public sector. DM
The Citizen
06-05-2025
- The Citizen
‘Relentless threat to wildlife': Here's how many rhinos were poached in SA in 2025 so far
A provincial breakdown shows that SANParks experienced the highest number of rhino losses. More than 100 rhinos were killed in South Africa due to poaching during the first three months of 2025, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. The latest figures, released by the department on Monday, reveal that a total of 103 rhinos were poached nationwide between January and March. This equates to an average of 34.33 rhinos lost to poaching each month. Rhino poaching stats in SA A provincial breakdown shows that South African National Parks (SANParks) experienced the highest number of rhino losses, with 65 animals killed. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) reported 16 cases, followed by Limpopo with 10 and Free State with five. North West and Mpumalanga recorded the lowest cases of rhino poaching, with four and three, respectively. However, no incidents of rhino poaching were reported in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape, or Gauteng. ALSO READ: SA rhino poaching falls, with KZN leading the way Commenting on the statistics, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Dion George said the absence of poaching in four provinces was 'encouraging', but he expressed concern about the overall death toll. George described the situation as 'a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife'. 'Yet, the absence of poaching in four provinces shows that our targeted interventions are yielding results, and we must build on this progress,' he said. The minister also highlighted that targeted measures have contributed to 15 arrests related to rhino poaching. Moreover, five poaching-related cases have been finalised in the same period. Anti-poaching efforts George stressed that the department is working in close collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the South African Police Service (Saps), aiming to improve opposition to bail for repeat offenders and illegal immigrants. 'We are working closely with the NPA and Saps to ensure that repeat offenders and those with no fixed address face stronger opposition to bail,' the minister remarked. He added that to bolster efforts against wildlife crimes, the department is turning to technology, including drones and thermal radar, while also engaging communities near protected areas to address the root causes of poaching through sustainable development 'The South African government remains steadfast in its commitment to combating wildlife crime. READ MORE: Mozambican man sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for rhino poaching in SA 'We continue to strengthen anti-poaching measures, including enhanced ranger patrols, advanced surveillance technologies, and collaboration with national and international law enforcement agencies,' George said. 'We call on every South African and the global community to stand with us in safeguarding our rhinos. 'Public awareness, responsible tourism and support for conservation initiatives are critical to ensure future generations can witness the magnificent animals in the wild,' the statement further reads. George also extended an invitation to individuals and organisations willing to support anti-poaching operations by donating equipment such as binoculars, radar sets, and other essential gear. 'The department will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide regular updates on our efforts to protect South Africa's rhinos and other endangered species.' In 2024, a total of 420 rhinos were killed in South Africa.
eNCA
03-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Exploring solutions to problems plaguing fishing communities
CAPE TOWN - Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Dion George has concluded the Fishing for Freedom tour. The minister has been meeting with fishing communities in a bid to explore solutions to the problems in the sector. Dr. Dion George says they need to make sure we don't pollute water supplies, and there are a number of issues with water quality.
