CANE - Coalition Against Nuclear Energy South Africa

Is this another nail in the coffin of democracy for South Africa? Is South Africa following in Zimbabwe’s “redistribution” footsteps by setting in place legal measures to ensure that landowners can have no redress to government decisions regarding their property? In their proposed “amendments” to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the Department for the Environment seems to be linking arms with the Department of Minerals and goosestepping over constitutional rights of all South Africans.

Instead of protecting the environment, which would seem to be the mandate for the Department for the Environment, this arm of the government is sweeping aside the rights of the people to protest any developments that government may decide to fast-track. Members of the public have been given until 4 June to comment on this new legislation when most may not be aware of how deeply it would affect them.

The “amendments” that the DEAT wants to set in place would give “decision-makers” the power to grant certain developers exemption from Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations. They also remove the need to get consent from landowners where a third party plans to “undertake a listed activity on that owner’s land”. This is so that certain developers can avoid assessment, scoping or EIAs.

This means that if the government plans to build a nuclear reactor on your land, you may not object. If the DME wants to build a smelter, or grant mining licences, they will go ahead without regard for the impact on the environment or local communities. If the government plans to use communal lands for its biofuels project - it can simply expropriate land and “resettle” people elsewhere. How is this any different from procedures used by the “apartheid” government? Once again, people’s rights are undermined. This is not participative and transparent governance. This is a step on the road to dictatorship.

The natural resources of South Africa are finite and precious, but through this legislation they will be laid bare and unprotected to the grasping hands of foreign industries. Anyone who owns property - including tourism ventures, hotels, bed and breakfasts, farmers and any community or ratepayers’ organizations must be aware that if they do not protest these proposed amendments, they will be giving up their rights to a protected environment and the rights to protest any undesirable development that springs up next door to them.

The actor, Val Kilmer stated in an interview how much he admired Africa. “Do you know,” he said, “It is one of the few places left where you can still go and see animals in the wild.” Then he looked directly into the camera and said: “Go and see it quickly. It will not be there when my children graduate college.”

If the government of South Africa has its way, then this country will be yet another sad testimony to what used to be, instead of the natural wonder that it is. If the government persists in allowing foreign industrialists to have free reign over South Africa’s natural resources they will be signing the death warrant for - not only many species of animals and plants - but also the human beings of this country who depend on them for their survival.

Yours sincerely