ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
INTRODUCTION
The following theological perspective taken from “This is God's Earth” adopted by SACC & Church Representatives on 19 June 2002 in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) forms the basis of the Christian Party’s view of the environment:
“A Christian understanding of social struggles and development must begin with an affirmation that this is God’s earth and all we seek to do in, with and to it, should be done out of this recognition. This means that all human life, and all living things, including the earth and its bounty, is a gift from God and is to be cherished, respected and enjoyed, and any right to private property must be circumscribed by this recognition of God’s fundamental ownership of all things. “
South Africa is a country blessed with natural resources. It is the third richest country in the world in terms of its diversity of life and it is the only nation that has an entire plant kingdom within its borders. Our seas have a higher habitat and ecosystem diversity than the rest of the world as they cover 5 major marine bio-geographical regions. It is therefore clear that a great responsibility rest upon us to protect this heritage for not only ourselves but for future generations and all of humanity.
“Our commitment is to sustainable communities that live and develop, by caring for , nurturing and sustaining the people of the earth and the earth which belongs to God, and which God has given us for our sustenance.”
The Christian Part firmly upholds the belief that the environment is an integral part of our lives given to us by God to care for. It provides us with the natural resources necessary for life.
Our vision of the environment is one in which there is greater environmental justice, where there is greater equity in the usage of our natural resources and poor communities are no longer subjected to industrial pollution. The Christian Party subscribes to the core environmental values on the in the UN Millennium Declaration of September 2000 and the Millennium Development Goals and Targets.
We are challenged by our stewardship of the earth to be engaged in maintaining a better environment for all. In the past, however, environmental policy was drawn up in isolation of other socio-economic challenges facing our country. Contrary to popular perceptions, the economy is a sub-set of the environment and not the other way round.
The Christian Party’s environmental policy rests on the following pillars:
• Climate Change
• Governance
• Water management
• Sewage Management
• Natural environment and biodiversity
• Energy
• Air Quality
• Waste management
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the world and in a South African context is predicted to destroy half of our rich biodiversity, increase our water scarcity and threaten low lying areas such as the Cape Flats with sea water intrusion. South Africa cannot respond to the challenges of climate change by simply doing nothing. The Christian Party will focus numerous actions which will include the following:
• Education of our communities;
• Research to determine the possible climatic effects ;
• Improvements in energy efficiency;
• Improved building techniques;
• Lowering the carbon footprint of individuals, municipalities, industry and organisations;
• Identification of areas for carbon sequestration.
Measures that must be taken to mitigate the effects include:
• Improve the efficiency of our water infrastructure;
• Improve the productivity of our water usage ;
• Implement more rigorous planning for extreme weather events;
• Possibly introduce changes in our working hours to reduce electricity demands;
• Investigate alternative energy sources i.e. solar power in order to reduce our dependence fossil fuels.
GOVERNANCE
The Cabinet portfolio of Environmental Affairs has traditionally been viewed as a soft ministry, which has enjoyed very low priority within the cabinet cluster. It has therefore not enjoyed the importance or budgetary resources that the other ministries have with the result that a largely reactive approach has been taken to environmental issues in South Africa.
The Christian Party will elevate the portfolio of Environmental Affairs to ensure that it is well funded and resourced to really make an impact across all other spheres of government. The Department will be responsible for the development, implementation, coordination and oversight of the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
The Christian Party will create the Office of the Ombudsman for the Environment, which will have the necessary powers and budget to act in all instances against abuse by government, private sector and individuals.
The Christian Party will improve checks and balances and institute legislation ensuring that all MEC’s responsible for economic planning are held responsible for environmental management as well.
The Christian Party will institute Special Environmental Courts with the same jurisdiction as supreme courts to adjudicate on any environmental crimes and offences. The role of the “Green Scorpions” will be enhanced to be effective in investigating all environmental crimes and offences.
WATER MANAGEMENT
The Christian Party has long been recognised as one the South African parties which are unwavering in our fight for better management of our water resources. The government has failed dismally in this regard. We have seen numerous outbreaks of waterborne diseases threatening people as well as wildlife, like crocodiles.
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Since creation, God has created a certain amount of water which is in constant circulation to provide life to the earth and its inhabitants. This can never increase but man can decrease the available water supply through his activities! Statistics indicate that as much as 60% of water is unfit for human consumption.
We recognise that South Africa is a water scarce country and that we need to enact all measures possible to ensure that we conserve this resource properly. South Africa is currently in the midst of a water crisis – something which the government seems to be in a state of denial over. Our water quality has declined considerably due mainly to pollution from mines, industrial activity, inadequate sewerage treatment and inefficient water purification.
To combat the scourge of pollution the Christian Party will institute the following measures:
• The current schizophrenic approach by government of the management of water and environment in South Africa will be revised. For example, the current situation of individual departments approving a mining licence, a water licence and an Environmental Impact Assessment respectively must be revisited. A holistic approach is vital to ensure sustainable management of our resources.
• Decisions effecting the environment and communities should be made at Provincial level by those directly affected. In the past, provinces often had little input and had to live with the consequences of poor decisions.
• The Christian Party would ensure proper environmental compliance on the part of mining companies. Mines will be held responsible for treating water before it is released into our rivers.
• Prospecting and mining licences will only be granted in areas of the country where the effect of mining operations will have minimal impact on water systems.
• The Christian Party would ensure that all disused mines are rehabilitated so that they do not continue to pollute the environment. We will ensure that the companies responsible are held liable for such rehabilitation measures.
• Any future mining developments will be subject to strict environmental compliance to stem the tide of a destructive environmental legacy that mining has wrought on our eco systems.
• Industries will be held responsible for all rehabilitation measures when found responsible for any pollution of our water resources. The tragic example of the heavy metal pollution in the Oliphant’s river system that led to high crocodile mortality in Loskop Dam and Kruger National Park serves as an example. Companies should be forced to undertake annual environmental audits which should be published with their financial statements.
• No mining or heavy industrial activities will be allowed in sensitive areas like the lake-land districts in Mpumalanga. The majority of the South African rivers originate in this area.
• The pollution of our natural water resources by municipalities will be stopped by ensuring proper budgeting oversight to ensure sufficient funding for rehabilitation, maintenance and operating of sewerage works and purification plants.
• The development of a Water Quality Index as a measurement tool of Local Government management. The Christian Party will ensure that water quality data is regularly published by municipalities and a provincial hotline is established to allow citizens to alert officials to local problems. Performance bonuses of municipal management will be determined by the Water Quality Index.
• Strict enforcement of legislation and regulations must be maintained. All water users will be licensed, and heavy penalties for contravention of usage rights must be enforced.
• Ecological reserves for all river systems should be re-determined and strict enforcement of compliance guaranteed.
• Non cultivation zones must be identified on river systems to combat the silting effect on river courses.
• Greater demand side management must to be implemented.
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SEWAGE
This is one of the biggest threats to the health of our nation. The constant threat of cholera in rural areas and the outbreaks of cholera in Mpumalanga and Limpopo bear testimony to this:
• The Christian Party will ensure that the atrocious neglect of the sewage works be rectified and that severe penalties be inflicted on any municipality and its officials who pollute our rivers and dams with sewage.
• The Christian Party believes that the current system of dealing with sewerage is desperately outdated and that new ground-breaking thinking is required to solve the problem.
• The Christian Party would look at installing biogas digesters in municipal sewerage works which can treat waste while providing fertilizer and a clean energy source.
• The current waterborne sewage system leads to a situation, where roughly 30% of household water usage is used for the purpose of flushing away human waste.
• The Christian Party would therefore consider wherever possible implementing other means of getting rid of human waste like compost toilets. This is especially necessary in many rural areas where there is a shortage of running water and sanitation. The human waste run-off creates ideal conditions for cholera and typhoid.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND BIODIVERSITY
South Africa is one of the world’s most important areas of biodiversity. The Christian Party will protect these areas to ensure their continued existence by:
• Promoting the tourism potential of the areas and thereby increasing the sustainability of the areas;
• By not allowing mining under any circumstances in any national or provincial park or within coastal public property;
• Clearly stipulating that not all land is suitable for development of any nature;
• Ensure adequate funding for research that benefits our natural heritage;
• Ensure ongoing workshops around the country to empower communities, NGOs and local councillors with the knowledge required to understand and contribute to environmental management;
• Making local communities aware of the income potential in the various areas and ensuring that they benefit from conservation;
• Ensure sufficient funding for our national parks and reserves to enable them to continue conserving our natural heritage;
• Ensuring the accessibility and affordability of our reserves and parks to our local tourists.
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
A degraded environment limits possibilities for all of us. Yet, although our natural environment is unique and valuable, its contribution to our economy and our lives is often ignored in favour of short-term special interests.
The Christian Party will integrate the sound management of our environment and energy economy into all our policies. Human development will be integrally linked to environmental preservation by, for example, expanding access to alternative energy sources, protecting our sites of natural value, strictly controlling water use.
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ENERGY
The Christian Party will reduce Eskom’s monopoly in the electricity generation sector by allowing options for alternative energy generation and usage. The Christian Party will make it possible by allowing any electricity producer access to the national grid. Any consumer who generates energy from alternative technology will be allowed to sell excess electricity to the national grid.
The Christian Party will aim to generate between 10-15% of energy from alternative sources by 2020.This will be done to decrease our dependence on coal fired power stations, to further decrease our electricity consumption and the negative effect on the Mpumalanga environment we will introduce a “Pitt Tax” on every ton of coal transported via road. Coal transported via rail won’t attract the tax.
There will also be a levy charged on every Kwh of electricity used outside Mpumalanga; this will generate funding for the protection of the environment.
Other energy sources will become more viable as the cost of the rigorous enforcement of environmental laws, particularly related to mining, water and air quality will serve to increasingly internalise energy costs.
To further encourage this, the Christian Party will:
• Subject all energy generation sources to the rigours of long term planning
• Introduce tariff support and incentives for the uptake of renewable energy.
• Ensure that 800,000 domestic solar water heaters are installed by 2020
• Make increased usage of alternative energy a national priority.
South Africa is currently the 14th biggest contributor of greenhouse gasses responsible for global climate change in the world.
The Christian Party will implement measures to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions that are predominantly caused by the burning of coal for electricity generation. We must achieve this, through increasing our energy efficiency and supporting the growth of renewable energy technologies.
AIR QUALITY
The Christian Party believes that air pollution is one of our most pressing environmental problems. The government has failed to act in a timely and effective manner in addressing the concerns of communities who live in the pollution hotspots of South Africa.
The Air Quality Management Act has been passed by parliament in 2004 but has not been enforced to bring polluters to book. The Christian Party would ensure that the constitutional right to a healthy environment is given absolute priority and ensure that the three spheres of government co-ordinate all efforts to identify transgressors and prosecute to the full extent of the law.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
The huge waste stream in South Africa needs to be urgently addressed as many of our major cities are running out of landfill space. Recycling must be encouraged by instituting a “User pays” principle for all waste generation from household to industrial levels.
The Christian Party will endeavour to transform our current economic growth model so that we gradually move to an economy in which there is zero waste and all resources are being utilized at a rate at which they can be sustainably replenished.
RECYCLING
The majority of recycling activities in South Africa are carried out by unemployed people who use waste as a way of creating sustainable livelihoods for themselves. It is important that this environmental service is recognised and that these activities are legitimised and that the prices that people are paid for these
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recycled materials are subsidised. This subsidisation should be directly correlated to the amount of money that local authorities save by having these materials kept out of landfill sites.
CONCLUSION
The Christian Party believes that by giving priority to environmental issues, the principles of equity and justice need to be taken into account as, in most cases, it is the poor who are being denied access to natural resources and their constitutional right to a safe environment violated.
We should be vigilant in our oversight to curb the phenomenon of government corruption as environmental standards have been conveniently ignored in order to fast track industrial and elite developments.
To build a South Africa that is able to sustain our growing population we must ensure the following:
• Equitable access to clean water;
• Land that is able to support agriculture;
• Air that is free of pollutants that are detrimental to our health.
