‘Ambitious actions’ — new environment minister outlines priorities for the year

During a media briefing before delivering the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s (DFFE’s) budget vote on Monday, new minister Dion George said he “intends to continue the good work of [former minister Barbara] Creecy”.

George said he and his deputy ministers had had several engagements with Creecy, and the directors-general and CEOs of the department’s entities.

“My landing could not have been smoother.”

George said the DFFE was part of the economics cluster and needed to generate economic activity that would create jobs.

He said there was a particular focus on Mpumalanga, where many livelihoods were at risk, and where the department would facilitate new industries, new economic opportunities and sustainable jobs.

“If we’re looking at Mpumalanga in particular where people are working in the power stations … we need to transition people into the new green energies. And also possibly I would very much like to be able to generate more jobs in conservation, because our wildlife is at risk.”

Read more: Lack of reskilling means coal workers face uncertain future after just energy transition

George said the priorities of the DFFE under the GNU would be achieved through clean governance and accountability, ensuring the country met the international obligations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement.

In the short to medium term, these priorities were:

• Climate change and energy;


• Fisheries, particularly small-scale fisheries, and aquaculture;


• Wildlife and biodiversity; and


• Conservation efforts and environmental protection initiatives.

Climate change  and energy 

A big focus, George said, would be on the implementation of the Climate Change Bill, which would provide a detailed response to climate change.

The department would implement “ambitious actions” through the sectoral emission targets and carbon budget allocations to major companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are implementing a just energy transition. We plan to accelerate investment in renewable energy projects. We need to strengthen our transmission grid and with our abundance of solar, wind and mineral resources, we are well positioned to generate jobs in renewable energy, green hydrogen, green steel, electric vehicles and other green products.”

Read more: What the new Cabinet could mean for SA’s energy and environment future

George said the department would finalise the Climate Change Response Fund by the end of this financial year. The fund, announced earlier this year, was hailed as crucial in financing adaptation and addressing loss and damage.

The department had also committed to supporting local governments in increasing waste diversion from landfill sites through reuse, recycling and recovery, and focusing on packaging waste such as paper, plastic and glass through extended producer responsibility schemes.

George said eight municipalities were targeted to receive extended producer responsibility infrastructure and support for separate waste collection.

Fisheries and aquaculture

George committed to accelerating support for small-scale fishery cooperatives in the four coastal provinces.

“We need to connect and reconnect our coastal communities to the ocean economy and encourage entrepreneurship.”

He said the Working for Fisheries Programme would continue to be a priority for the Fisheries Management branch and the Marine Living Resources Fund to ensure sustainable management of South Africa’s marine resources.

The programme had supported eight significant job-generating projects and anti-poaching measures, he said.

Read more: Small-scale fishers struggle to survive while facing a litany of regulations

The department had submitted the Aquaculture Development Bill to Parliament for approval during the seventh administration. George said they would also conduct inspections and verification of rights-holders in the six priority fisheries: hake, abalone, rock lobster, linefish, squid and pelagic.

Wildlife and biodiversity

“We saw an increase in rhino poaching in 2023, with Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal facing the brunt of the poaching. With the dehorning programme beginning in April 2024, we have begun to see some easing of the pressure in KZN,” said George.

“Working with law enforcement authorities, we will continue to intensify enforcement and contribute to successful prosecutions of poachers. There is something wrong in a system that incentivises harm instead of protection and we need to fix that system.”

To grow the rhino population, he said, the department was working to finalise the Biodiversity Management Plan for black and white rhinos.

Read more: Sweeping new wildlife plan must go back to the drawing board, say NGOs

For South Africa to reach its goal of a 30% expansion of the conservation estate by 2030 for both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, George said they would continue to adopt a “mega living landscapes” approach — including a mix of land acquisition and developing stewardship sites.

The focus would be on developing biodiversity economy nodes to generate opportunities in ecotourism, the wildlife economy and the bioprospecting sector.

“Additionally, we will design mega hubs in the provinces,” he said.

SANParks had secured $10-million from the Global Environment Facility to fund a project that would implement the mega living landscapes concept in the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains, Greater Addo and the Eastern Cape Grasslands, he said.

“In contributing to the expansion of the conservation estate, 135,000 hectares of land were added in the past financial year. The study on the interlinkages of migration, drought, land degradation and drought was adopted by Cabinet.”

To further attract investments in the biodiversity economy, the DFFE had profiled 59 “bankable businesses” on the Biodiversity Sector Investment Portal, of which two projects attracted an investment of $450,000 to promote conservation and community wellbeing: the Madikwe Barokologadi Community Property Association in North West and the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve.

In addition, the finalisation of the policy position on the conservation and sustainable use of the five iconic species — black and white rhino, lion, leopard and elephant — was adopted by the Cabinet.

“This policy position proposes to end the captive keeping of lions for commercial purposes and close captive lion facilities, phase out the domestication and intensification of rhino management and enhance the conservation and sustainable use of leopards,” he said.

Conservation efforts

The department surpassed its target for reducing hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in 2023, achieving more than a 50% reduction. George said this significantly contributed to South Africa’s role in global efforts to protect the ozone layer and phase out HCFCs, classified as ozone-depleting substances.

Through the Working on Fire Programme, George said the department had contained wildland fires, “preventing their escalation into natural disasters”.

“A significant legislative milestone includes the President’s signing of the amended National Veld and Forest Fire Amendment Bill into law. This amendment facilitates the formation of fire protection associations, crucial for managing veld and forest fires effectively.”

George said there had been improved meteorological and air quality information services under the South African Weather Service, and that over the medium term, R375-million would be allocated to improve and optimise the entity’s radar, surface observation, air quality and ICT infrastructure networks.

In addition, enhancements to the early warning weather system were planned to help the country respond to the escalating severity and frequency of weather-related events. DM

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