Pictured: Minister of Water Affairs, Edna Molewa

“I would like to re-emphasise our concern over the growing number of unemployed young people. As we begin the third decade of our democracy, the ability of our country to upscale a conducive environment for young South Africans to be absorbed into active economic participation is of vital importance,” said Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, delivering her 2013/2014 Budget Vote to Parliament on Tuesday, 28 May 2013.

The Minister went to reaffirm the Department’s commitment last year to launch the Youth Jobs in Waste Programme. The Programme is scheduled to launch in June this year. “This project is expected to create 330 job opportunities in waste in the Free State and 326 in the North West. The project, once rolled out nationally, is intended to provide 3 577 young people with job opportunities in waste management and related entrepreneurship,” said Molewa.

Compliance key

Molewa went on to add that compliance has also been a major focus for the Department, with further expansion taking place in the Green Scorpions capacity at local level. “To date 48 Environmental Management Inspectors have been designated in different local authorities across the country and it is anticipated that in the next few months this number will increase considerably following the various training initiatives that are being undertaken.”

More importantly for the waste management sector however is the fact that the Department is also in the process of developing a comprehensive compliance and enforcement strategy that is set to provide them with a gap analysis enabling the Department to use their limited resources in the most effective way that ensures compliance with legislation.

Waste Management Strategy focuses on sustainability

“The National Waste Management Strategy continues to contribute to the creation of varied industries that are deliberately structured to deliver sustainable livelihoods,” said Molewa, adding that at present three District Municipalities in the Northern Cape, two in Gauteng and two in Mpumalanga were being assisted with the development of Integrated Waste Management Plans to ensure that the planning around provision and management of waste complies with the requirements of the Waste Act.

“We will assist a further five municipalities this year.”

Additionally, the Minister noted that the successful integration of the Water Use and Waste Licences for waste disposal facilities was to be considered an example of a successful integration of licences and that the Department will continue with the project of reducing the number of unlicensed waste disposal site.

According to Molewa, in this financial year, the Department will also finalise the norms and standards for remediation of contaminated land, storage of waste, flaring of landfill gas, waste classification and management regulations.

“All these tools will contribute in easing regulatory requirements for our stakeholders and promote the implementation of the waste management hierarchy as required by the National Waste Management Strategy,” concluded Molewa.