Honourable House Chair;
Ministers present;
Deputy Ministers Swarts and Singh;
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Nqabisa Gantsho, and Committee Members;
Members of parliament;
Chairpersons, Board members and CEOs of our Entities;
Director-General, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala;
Team Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment;
Ladies and gentlemen
Fellow South Africans 

It is a great honour to deliver the maiden Budget Vote 32 of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of the 7th administration. 
We deliver this budget vote statement mindful that we will be guided by the priorities of the Government of National Unity (GNU).

We are mandated by Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa: the Bill of Rights, Section 24, which asserts that ‘Everyone has the right: 
(a) To an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and 
(b) To have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures that 

(i) prevent pollution and ecological degradation; 
(ii) promote conservation; and 
(iii) secure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.

Climate change is warming Africa at approximately 1.5 times the global average rate, leading to more frequent and severe extreme weather events across the continent and in South Africa. 

Parliament has now adopted the Climate Change Bill. This Bill provides for a detailed response to climate change, and the mitigation of greenhouse gases which cause climate change, in line with South Africa’s international obligations. Our focus will be on coordinating a response across government, and in all three spheres of government. 

We will also be focusing on implementing ambitious actions in particular through the Sectoral Emission Targets and Carbon Budget Allocations to major companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including through the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan. 

By the end of this financial year, we should have finalized the establishment of the Climate Change Respond Fund that we announced earlier this year. This will be crucial in financing adaptation and addressing loss and damage. 
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. 

A particular focus is Mpumalanga where many livelihoods are at risk, and we remain committed to facilitating new industries, new economic opportunities and sustainable jobs.

South Africa remains a responsible global citizen and we remain committed to the multilateral rules-based regime under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement. 

We are preparing our 2nd nationally determined contribution through technical work and then wide consultation, will take into account the outcome of the first global stocktake, and communicate another fair and ambitious contribution in 2025. 

The Department finalized and issued decisions on 320 Environmental Impact Assessment applications in 2023/2024, 99% issued within the regulated timeframe. 

As a means to enable the country’s response to the energy situation, the Department made a commitment to finalize energy generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure applications within 57 days from the receipt of the final report. 80.5 percent of energy generation, transmission and distribution applications were issued on time after the receipt of the final report, enabling a generation potential of 51 358 megawatts of energy within the regulated timeframe. 

The Department commits to finalize all environmental impact assessment applications that are within its full control within the regulated timeframe in 2024/25 financial year.

The Department’s Directorate of Appeals and Legal Review finalised 16 ESKOM Minimum Emission Standards appeal decisions that were signed off by my predecessor, Minister Creecy on 22 May 2024. The Directorate further managed to prioritize and finalise 30 energy related appeals within the 2023/2024 financial year, which assisted in relieving the energy situation.  

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.

In order to grow the rhino population, we are working to finalise the Biodiversity Management Plan for black and white rhinoceros. Working with law enforcement authorities, we will continue to intensify enforcement and contribute to successful prosecutions of poachers. 

A rhino should be able to walk around in the field with its horn intact and not be vulnerable to attack. There is something wrong in a system that incentivises harm instead of protection and we need to fix that system.

The Working for Fisheries Programme has supported 8 significant, job generating projects and anti-Poaching measures continue to be a priority for the Fisheries Management branch and the Marine Living Resources Fund (MLRF), to ensure sustainable management of South Africa’s marine resources. Joint Law–Enforcement operations will continue to be conducted with partners under Operation Phakisa. 

We commit to accelerate the support to all small-scale fisheries cooperatives in the four coastal provinces. We need to connect and re-connect our coastal communities to the Ocean economy and encourage entrepreneurship. 

We have submitted the Aquaculture Development Bill to Parliament for approval during the 7th Administration. We will also conduct inspections and verification of right holders in the six priority fisheries: hake, abalone, rock lobster, linefish, squid, and pelagic.

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

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 also adopted by 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.
The prohibition notice on the establishment or registration of new captive lion breeding facilities was finalised and approved for implementation. 

This prohibition pertains to the establishment or registration of new captive breeding facilities, commercial exhibition facilities, rehabilitation facilities, or sanctuaries for live specimens of African lions, as well as the keeping of live specimens of African lions in any other new controlled environment.

The Ministerial Task Team, assigned to recommend voluntary exit pathways and options for captive lions, has concluded its report. The report includes recommendations on how to phase down the industry, taking into account the well-being of the animals and the impact on jobs for the workers in such facilities.

Regulations on Threatened and Protected Species were finalised and will be tabled in the National Council of Provinces during this financial year. 

The NEMBA Bill has been completed and has been released for public comments.
To attract investments in the biodiversity economy, we profiled 59 bankable businesses on the Biodiversity Sector Investment Portal. 

As a result, two projects attracted an investment of USD 450 000 to promote conservation and community well-being. The two beneficiary sites are the Madikwe Barokologadi Community Property Association (CPA) in the North West and the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. 

This investment will be used to develop a management plan and implement a biodiversity credit system.
To reach our goal of a 30% expansion of the conservation estate by 2030 for both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, we will adopt a mega-living landscape approach. This will include a mix of land acquisition, development of stewardship sites, and other effective conservation measures.

To make a significant contribution to the economy, the focus will 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.

SANParks has secured 10 million dollars from the Global Environment Facility to fund a project that will implement the Mega Living Landscapes concept in the Barberton-Makhonjwa, Greater Addo, and Eastern Cape Grasslands landscapes and has developed a Climate Change Preparedness Strategy. 

A close working relationship between the SAPS and the SANParks Environmental Crimes Investigations Unit has resulted in several successful prosecutions and convictions with lengthy sentences. 

The Department surpassed its target for reducing Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in 2023, achieving more than a 50% reduction. This accomplishment significantly contributes to South Africa’s role in global efforts to protect the ozone layer and phase out HCFCs, which are classified as Ozone Depleting Substances. 

South Africa aims to phase out the use of HCFCs ahead of the 2040 target set by the Montreal Protocol for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. 

The Department is committed to supporting local governments in increasing waste diversion from landfill sites through reuse, recycling, and recovery, focusing on packaging waste such as paper, plastic, and glass through EPR schemes. Eight municipalities are targeted to receive EPR infrastructure and support for separate waste collection.

The Department will also provide technical assistance to municipalities applying for waste management fleet purchases using parts of municipal infrastructure grants to enhance waste collection services, combat illegal dumping, and improve landfill site management. 

Twenty-nine municipalities will receive support for cleaning campaigns aimed at enhancing cleanliness.
50 192 tons of waste tyres were processed, an increase of 38% from the previous year. 

The South African Weather Service continues with its key objective to maintain, extend and improve the quality of meteorological and ambient air quality-related information services for the benefit of all South Africans. This includes the provision of dependable public weather, aviation, maritime forecasts, and severe weather information. 

Over the medium-term, R375 million will be allocated to improve and optimize the entity’s RADAR, surface observation, air quality, and ICT infrastructure networks, among other priorities. Much-needed RADAR spares have been received and installed at sites requiring refurbishment.

The operation of ambient air quality monitoring networks in the Vaal, Highveld, and Waterberg-Bojanala National Ambient Air Quality Priority Areas has been significantly impacted by electricity blackouts. 

Damage to measuring instruments and supporting infrastructure has led to reduced data availability from these networks, affecting our ability to meet data availability targets crucial for assessing intervention impacts and informing air quality management decisions nationwide.

Enhancements to the early warning system are planned to better support the country in responding to the escalating severity and frequency of weather-related events nationwide.

By the end of March 2024, the South African National Biodiversity Institute achieved an overall performance of 95% of the 2023/24 Annual Performance Plan targets. Implementation of the Garden’s Infrastructure Maintenance and Development Programme with 50 priority infrastructure maintenance projects were completed, and 10 priority new infrastructure assets were developed. 

A total of 1 467 000 visitors to National Gardens, and over 217 000 children and youth participated in the “Kids in Gardens” Biodiversity Education Programme which is run in National Botanical and Zoological Gardens.

Botanical and zoological gardens continued to serve their roles as centres of social cohesion, supporting local economies and serving as embassies of biodiversity and culture. This included hosting of events, the 31st season of the ever-popular Kirstenbosch

Summer Sunset Concert Series and being available for supporting healthy outdoor activities.
The Institute is also continuing with the strategy for the repositioning of the National Zoological Gardens, the National Botanical Gardens Expansion Strategy, the Infrastructure Maintenance and Development programme, which is aimed at improving the state of facilities of the institute for enhanced customer product offering. 

In the 2023/2024 financial year, iSimangaliso Wetland Park successfully achieved a clean audit opinion, marking a significant milestone in its financial governance.

Advanced progress has been made in commercialisation efforts including conducting a due diligence assessment prior to assuming commercial assets from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. 

In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm that working together with my colleagues Deputy Ministers Swarts and Singh, as part of the GNU, we will prioritise clean governance and ethical administration free of corruption in the 7th Administration.

I wish to thank Team DFFE led by the Director General for the efforts to preserve, cherish and protect our environment.
To the chairpersons, board members and CEOs of our Entities, let us continue to work together to safeguard our environment and promote sustainable development for the benefit of all South Africans.

We will work with the Portfolio Committee to ensure that the department is held accountable.
I thank you.