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FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
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RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
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RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 8710
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 001207 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/PCI, OES/ENV, AND AF/S 
DEPT PASS EPA/OIA, 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SENV SOCI ETRD SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY 
QUARTERLY BRIEFINGS, JANUARY TO MARCH 2007 
 
PRETORIA 00001207  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (U).  Summary:  This is the first issue for 2007 of the South 
African Environment, Science and Technology newsletter, January to 
March Volume 1, Number 6, prepared by the U.S. Embassy Pretoria, 
South Africa. 
 
Topics of the newsletter: 
 
-- SA Leads an Afro-Euro Team to Prestigious EU Science Award 
-- Nuclear Plant Blamed for Ill Health and Environmental 
Degradation 
-- Africa's Only Green Bank - Nedbank 
-- Limpopo Communities Encouraged to Learn About Climate 
-- South Africa Builds a New Dam and Celebrates National Water Week 
-- Environmental Minister Defies Public and Bans 4x4 Vehicles on SA 
Beaches 
-- South Africa's Busiest Landfill Site to Generate Clean 
Electricity 
-- High Waters Break Down Barrier Between Ocean and Lake St. Lucia 
-- South African Government Rejects the Planting of GM Maize for 
Bi-Fuels Industry 
-- Strong Sea Waves Batter Durban Coastline and Create Business 
Losses 
-- U.S. Scientist Encourages SA Youth to Join Race to Mars 
 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  SA LEADS AN AFRO-EURO TEAM TO PRESTIGIOUS EU SCIENCE AWARD 
 
A team of South African scientists working in cooperation with 
counterparts from Africa and Europe have won the European Union's 
prestigious "Descartes Prize for Science" for their pioneer research 
work on the Milky Way galaxy using the High Energy Stereoscopic 
System (HESS) gamma rays telescopes. The four "Chervchenko" 
telescopes based in Namibia but owned by SA, are able to detect 
faint bursts of blue light emitted by the high energy gamma rays as 
they pass through the atmosphere of the earth.  In three years of it 
existence, the HESS has proven that cosmic rays originate from old 
exploding stars, a concept that remained only a theory until the 
telescope revealed the solid supporting evidence.  The telescope has 
also located other sources of gamma rays in the Milky Way central 
region; these sources were seen clearly for the first with the HESS 
telescope. 
 
¶3. NUCLEAR PLANT BLAMED FOR ILL HEALTH AND ENVRIONMENTAL DEGRADATON 
 
 
Mashile Phalane, a representative of the Nuclear Energy Costs the 
Earth (NECTEC) led a group of Atteridgeville residents worried about 
the impact of a neighboring nuclear plant on their health and 
environment.  Phalane said that they have also discussed supporting 
a potential lawsuit by nine laid off former workers of the nuclear 
plant, who allege that they became ill from exposure to radiation 
from nuclear waste.  Phalane argues that the National Environmental 
Management Act allows "participation of all interested parties in 
the environmental governance." The Nuclear Energy Regulatory Act, 
however, only allows participation by communities living within a 
five kilometer radius from a nuclear plant to participate in the 
decision-making process.  Phalane describes this regulatory 
contradiction as a "miscarriage of the constitution".  NECTEC, an 
anti-nuclear community-based group, has been trying to raise 
community awareness and involvement in the decisions regarding the 
development nuclear power plants and nuclear waste smelters. 
 
¶4. AFRICA'S ONLY GREEN BANK - NEDBANK 
 
Nedbank financier and environmental lawyer Justin Smith announced 
that Nedbank has become the first and only bank in Africa that has 
adopted an environmental benchmark for promoting sustainable 
development, known as the "Equator Principles."  Nedbank's 
environmental advisor, Christina Wood defines the Equator Principles 
as "a comprehensive set of environmental and social guidelines for 
the financing of projects".  Forty-one financial institutions have 
adopted the principles worldwide representing 80 percent of this 
year's global project financing.  The benchmark is aimed at 
promoting socially responsible development, and to ensure that 
projects financed by the banks reflect sound environmental 
management practices.  Nedbank has begun recycling programs for 
paper and water, and has also adopted the use of a variety of low 
energy devices.  A Nedbank study reports that over 70 percent of the 
staff is proud to be working for a bank with a commitment to the 
community and the environment.  Smith notes that most South African 
leading firms are not participating in this initiative. He said that 
more than 40 percent of the top 40 companies in the Johannesburg 
Security Exchange do not have an environmental officer, and about 16 
percent have either weak or no sustainable development reports. 
Smith also opines that the SA government has not worked well on 
 
PRETORIA 00001207  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
commercially sustainable development policies.  He notes that the 
government did not include sustainable development in the Black 
Economic Empowerment (BEE) charters.  He also commented that the 
civil society has remained too silent on the issue of sustainable 
development promotion within financial institutions. 
¶5. LIMPOPO PROVINCE COMMUNITIES ENCOURAGED TO LEARN ABOUT CLIMATE 
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) official 
Moses Rannditsheni urged all South Africans to become more aware 
about climate change and its potential impact on the weather and 
people's lives.  Rannditsheni said that the livelihoods and food 
security of many rural and some poor communities depended on 
favorable weather conditions.  Extreme drought and floods are 
disasters which impact on agriculture, the main source of livelihood 
for rural communities.  Because rural communities are the most 
vulnerable, they have to be equipped with practical knowledge on 
weather dynamics, to allow them to survive and adapt to changing 
environmental circumstances.  DEAT and the South African Weather 
Services (SAWS) have embarked on an awareness and teaching program 
for the communities of Thohoyandou in Limpopo province, 
concentrating on polar meteorology and its impact on global weather 
conditions.  The program coincided with the March 23 celebration of 
World Meteorological Day.  Senior SAWS officials presented the 
latest seasonal weather forecast (April to June); University of 
Pretoria (UP) academics and students participated in a weather 
awareness project with a local college and a primary school to 
launch the teaching program.  The Limpopo Provincial Minister of 
Agriculture Ms. Dikeledi Magadza presented the Tshawona Primary 
School with a SAWS-donated Stevenson Screen, a weather observation 
instrument.  UP students taught primary school students how to draw 
fresh drinking water from low-lying clouds using fog net 
technology. 
¶6. SOUTH AFRICA BUILDS A NEW DAM AND CELEBRATES NATIONAL WATER WEEK 
 
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) Minister Ms. Lindiwe 
Hendricks launched South Africa's National Water Week (March 19-24) 
at a sod-turning ceremony for a new dam building project in Limpopo 
province.  The Minister said that National Water Week raises 
awareness about the need for sustainable use and management of this 
scarce resource.  The theme of the 2007 Water Week campaign was 
"Water is Life - Protect our Scarce Resources".  Minister Hendricks 
said that the new Limpopo dam project will address water shortages 
in Limpopo province.  It will provide water to towns, industries and 
poorly serviced rural communities, as well as to mines which are 
expected to unlock vast mineral deposits in Limpopo province.  Over 
800,000 people based in the project area could benefit through 
improved and secured water supply from the dam.  The dam 
infrastructure project is anticipated to cost government over $750 
million and has the potential to create many jobs.  Construction of 
the dam will commence in the first quarter of 2007, while DWAF 
expects the first impoundment of water during the 2009/2010 rain 
season. 
¶7. ENVIRONMENT MINISTER DEFIES PUBLIC AND BANS 4x4 VEHICLES ON SA 
BEACHES 
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus Van 
Schalkwyk defied public outcry and announced a total ban of 4x4 
vehicles on all South African (SA) beaches.  DEAT has commissioned a 
study on the use of 4x4's on the beaches which concluded that the 
use of 4x4's had a negative impact on tourism, the presence of 4x4's 
led to increased crime and recreational vehicles should not be 
allowed on public beaches.  The study was conducted in the Greater 
St. Lucia Wetland Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal province.  According to the 
study, the number of tourists began to climb once a ban on 4x4's was 
announced in the summer of 2003/2004.  Tourism had increased 59 
percent by July 2006.  Scientists also reported a significant 
increase in endangered seabird breeding in 2003.  DEAT first 
introduced the ban on the use of recreational vehicles on SA beaches 
in 2001, but it was met with strong public opposition. DEAT then 
revised the regulations in 2004 and the Minister commissioned the 
study in St. Lucia to ascertain weather or not there was sound 
evidence to support a continued ban. 
¶8. SOUTH AFRICA'S BUSIEST LANDFILL SITE TO GENERATE CLEAN 
ELECTRICITY 
The Municipality of Ethekwini (Durban) has obtained environmental 
approval to commence extracting methane gas to generate electricity 
from South Africa's busiest landfill site in Bisasar Road, Kwa Zulu 
Natal (KZN) province.  The landfill site which handles over 5,000 
garbage/tons per day, and has the potential to generate up to eight 
megawatts (MW) of electricity from the methane gas extracted. 
According to experts, the methane gas generated from garbage, which 
is regarded as more potent than carbon dioxide, is drawn at low 
pressure from the landfill and blown into a flare to generate 
electricity.  The manager of the clean development mechanism 
project, Lindsay Strachan, said that there were two earlier projects 
which are already producing 1.8 MW at Marianhill and La Mercy in KZN 
province.  The projects were built at a cost of $2.7 million, with a 
projected revenue of $2.9 million from carbon credit sales, and $1,8 
 
PRETORIA 00001207  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
million from electricity sales during a 14-year period.  Strachan 
said that the first phase of the project will cost $5.5 million, a 
part of which is to be funded from the sales of carbon credits.  The 
Ethekwini municipality has secured an $8.2 million loan from the 
French Development Bank (AFD), while the Department of Trade and 
Industry will provide $2.45 million for the construction of the 
necessary infrastructure. 
¶9. HIGH WATERS BREAK DOWN BARRIER BETWEEN OCEAN AND LAKE ST. LUCIA 
Sea waves measuring over 3.5 meters high broke down a sand barrier 
which had separated the ocean and Lake St. Lucia on the north coast 
of the Kwa-Zulu natal province since 2001.  According to local 
ecologists, the sand barrier had been formed through a natural 
process during the 2000 - 2001 drought.  Heavy rain downpours, rough 
seas and strong easterly winds blowing waves to greater heights 
early also contributed to the destruction of the san barrier. 
Seawater breached the sand barrier in five areas at the mouth of the 
lake, creating channels of between 50 meters and 80 meters wide. 
Wetlands Parks Authority CEO Andrew Zaloumis said that from an 
ecological perspective, the natural breach at the mouth of the lake 
is a positive event.  He said large numbers of fish, prawns, crabs 
and other marine life will enter the lake, while lake dwellers would 
also venture out to sea.  Water levels had receded to between 60 and 
70 centimeters below sea level before the breach occurred, while 50 
percent of the 36,000 hectare water surface was dry.  The primary 
negative aspect of the breach is that the submerged beds of 
estuarine water plants which flourish on low salinity may die.  Lake 
St. Lucia is Africa's largest estuarine system, and a declared World 
Heritage site and Wetland of International Importance under the 
Ramsar Convention. 
¶10. SA GOVERNMENT REJECTS PLANTING OF GM MAIZE FOR BIO-FUELS 
INDUSTRY 
The Department of Agriculture's executive council, which regulates 
the Genetically Modified (GM) organisms, has rejected a seed 
company's application to grow GM maize in South Africa for the 
bio-fuel industry.  US biotechnology company Syngenta wanted to 
plant what is known as the first industrial GM maize in the world, 
code named "Maize Event 3,272", but it has failed to convince the 
South African government (SAG) that the maize was safe for food or 
animal feed.  Executive Council Chairman Julian Jaftha said that 
they were concerned that the Event 3,232 maize could mix with maize 
grown for food.  The Council also stated that Syngenta did not use 
the World Health Organization's (WHO) evaluation methods to test for 
allergens.  The African Biosafety Center, a watchdog organization 
monitoring the GM industry announced support for the government's 
decision.  Syngenta had no public comment. 
¶11. STRONG SEA WAVES BATTER DURBAN COASTLINE AND CREATE BUSINESS 
LOSSES 
Strong, heavy sea waves battered the Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) province 
coastline towards the end of March, affecting favorite tourist 
beaches of north and south of Ethekwini (Durban).  The popular 
beaches of Golden Mile and Ballito on the Dolphin Coast and a string 
of other famous beaches suffered extraordinarily strong tides 
coupled with high waves of over seven meters high and strong winds. 
This combination devastated beaches, roads, electricity, sanitation 
and telecommunications.  Deputy Head of Fire and Disaster 
Management, Mark Te Water said that the beaches would remain closed 
for a few days, but hopefully open in time for the long Easter 
weekend.   The two main ports of Durban and Richards Bay were also 
shut down temporarily.  City and provincial tourism officials report 
that there have been only minimal tourist cancellations.  One 
official reported that self-catering accommodations were already up 
to 70 percent full, while the other types of accommodation were 90 
percent full.  The Ethekwini city council began clean-up work 
immediately, removing debris from the beaches and streets, putting 
back the shark nets and repairing the damaged infrastructure. 
Provincial Premier Sbu Ndebele said damage to the south coast alone 
was estimated at about $69.4 million. 
¶12. U.S. SCIENTIST ENCOURAGES SA YOUTH TO JOIN RACE TO MARS 
Speaking at the annual Sasol ScieFest 2007, U.S. Dr. Donald Thompson 
encouraged South African youth to compete for a place on the first 
space voyage to Mars in the next 25 years.  Thompson was encouraging 
young people to take math, engineering and science very seriously, 
because they could become the next generation of scientists headed 
for Mars in the future.  The International Space Station (ISS) 
scientist who has been to four space missions said that fourteen or 
fifteen more Shuttle missions are needed to complete the ISS work, 
including return trips to the moon in 2014, and to Mars within the 
next 25 years.  Sasol ScieFest, an 11-year old national science 
festival, promotes scientific learning.  The annual festival has 
over 600 events including lectures, interactive exhibitions, 
workshops, inter-school math marathons, school quizzes, etc.  The 
festival also allows interaction between ordinary people and 
high-profile scientists. 
Bost