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Viewing cable 07PRETORIA2791, SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY MONTHLY

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07PRETORIA2791 2007-08-08 05:15 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Pretoria
VZCZCXRO4222
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #2791/01 2200515
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080515Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1128
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 4674
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9049
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 7198
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 002791 
 
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 MONTHLY 
BRIEFINGS, JULY 2007 
 
PRETORIA 00002791  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
1. (U) Summary:  This is the South African Environment, Science and 
Technology Monthly Briefings newsletter, July 2007, Volume 2, Number 
4, prepared by the U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa. 
 
Topics of the newsletter: 
-- PREDATOR BREEDERS INSTITUTE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SA 
GOVERNMENT 
-- SOUTH AFRICA MUST FIGHT AGAINST THE "TERRIBLE TWINS" - 
DESERTIFICATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE 
-- TIRE MANUFACTURERS UNDERTAKE CO2 DECREASING INITIATIVES 
 
-- EDUCATORS ENCOURAGED TO TEACH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TRHOUGH 
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE 
 
-- CADMIUM DETECTED IN EXPORT PINEAPPLES - INDUSTRY COULD LOSE JOBS 
AND MILLIONS OF RAND 
 
-- GIANT SA STEEL PRODUCER MAY FACE PROSECUTION FOR GROSS POLLUTION 
 
 
-- MINISTER ADMITS THAT CRIME IS A THREAT TO TOURISM IN SA 
-- SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES DEVELOP AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO 
FISHERIES 
End Summary. 
 
PREDATOR BREEDERS INSTITUTE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SA GOVERNMENT 
2. (U) The South African Predator Breeders Association (SAPBA) made 
an urgent application to the Bloemfontein High Court against the 
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism's (DEAT) 
Biodiversity Act, claiming the Act improperly imposed stricter 
regulations on the hunting of captive raised animals or "canned 
hunting".  The South African government (SAG) and some animal 
activists groups claim that this type of hunting is cruel and 
unethical, which is what prompted the SAG to amend the law.  The 
predator breeders on the other hand argue that game hunting is an 
important, legitimate and lucrative business which makes a 
meaningful contribution to the economy.  They asserted that 
overseas-based prospective hunters are willing to pay up to $60,000 
to shoot a lion. 
 
3. (U) Leigh Fletcher of Sandhurst Safaris said Sandhurst is a 
well-known brand and that the enforcement of the new regulations 
would seriously harm their business and the industry.  Since June 1, 
prospective hunters have been hesitant to make hunting reservations, 
leaving the breeders with too many lions, which are expensive to 
maintain.  According to SAPBA and some individual breeders, people 
would lose jobs and business opportunities if the law were to be 
enforced.  Hunting farm owners claim they provide more jobs than the 
local cattle farmers.  They also say that local residents breed 
donkeys that are subsequently sold to the farmers to feed the lions. 
 Breeders are requesting a court order to suspend the date of 
implementation of the Biodiversity Act in relation to the lions, and 
allow breeders to continue to breed lions under provincial 
ordinances.  The Act also requires the animals to have been released 
into the wild at least 24 months prior to being hunted, to which 
SAPBA is strongly opposed.  The Act was intended to come into force 
in June, but implementation has been rescheduled to February 2008 at 
the request of some provincial environmental ministers. 
SOUTH AFRICA MUST FIGHT AGAINST THE "TERRIBLE TWINS" - 
DESERTIFICATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE 
4. (U) Addressing a climate change and desertification conference in 
Kwa-Zulu Natal in late June, Deputy Minister of Environmental 
Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) Rejoice Mabudafhasi said that 
desertification is a serious problem which threatens South Africa's 
ecological integrity and the well-being of its people.  Mabudafhasi 
referred to desertification as "the terrible twin" of climate 
change, which impacts severely on the poorest of the poor.  The 
Deputy Minister urged South Africans to establish projects to combat 
the "scourge" of the terrible twins and warned that agricultural 
production, energy, human health and water supply would be subjected 
to great risks if intervention mechanisms were not put in place. 
According to Mabudafhasi, DEAT has introduced eight pilot projects 
under the Community Based Natural Resources Management Program in 
the provinces of Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Limpopo.  The 
projects are designed to rehabilitate land and fight land 
degradation at an estimated cost of $5.71 million. 
 
TIRE MANUFACTURERS UNDERTAKE CO2 DECREASING INITIATIVES 
5. (U) A tire manufacturing company in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape 
province (EC), Continental Tyres South Africa (CTSA) promotes and 
supports initiatives to dispose of scrap tires in an environmentally 
friendly way in South Africa.  CTSA sends all of its waste products 
and scrap tires to a cement brick manufacturing plant in Jeffrey's 
Bay EC, where they are used to fuel cement furnaces.  CSA Managing 
Director Claudio Boeizio opines that it makes more sense for them to 
recycle the scrap tires in a cement furnace than to dump them in 
 
PRETORIA 00002791  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
landfill sites, which CTSA has not done in the last six years.  He 
said that with the right government assistance and support, South 
Africa's natural environment could be protected in a way that also 
enhances manufacturing industries.  A non profit -company 
established by major industry stakeholders, SA Tire Recycling 
Project is leading an initiative to impose a levy on vehicle tires, 
in order to collect and dispose of scrap tires in an environmentally 
friendly way. 
6. (U) The CTSA MD said that his global parent company is in the 
process of developing tires and other products designed to reduce 
fuel consumption and traffic-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. 
 Product development is focused on optimizing tire rolling 
resistance, tire pressure monitoring systems and engine control 
units, thus decreasing fuel consumption.  Boeizio stated that 
calculations indicate that tires are under-inflated by 12 percent in 
the US alone, which increases diesel fuel consumption by almost four 
billion liters, generating over nine billion tons of CO2 which could 
be avoided.   Tire pressure monitoring systems can cut down 
emissions significantly and help to fight global climate change. 
Meanwhile, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has 
published for comment draft waste tire regulations which are 
expected to be enacted later this year. 
EDUCATORS ENCOURAGED TO TEACH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TRHOUGH 
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE 
7. (U) The South African National Parks (SANP) cultural heritage and 
indigenous knowledge manager Edgar Neluvhalni said that people 
should be encouraged to understand more about indigenous knowledge 
(IK), which will help them deal with environmental challenges. 
Neluvhalni was addressing attendees to the World Environmental 
Education Congress (WEEC) in Durban in early July.  He said there 
are many African people who still believe that learning about 
agriculture and the environment from books is both boring and 
foreign.  However, his research shows that environmental knowledge 
is not necessarily unique to the teachings of the western world. 
For example, the parks manager found in his research that IK 
included methods to treat and prevent contagious diseases. 
8. (U) Prof. William Scott of the University of Bath said that many 
environmental education researchers are still publishing their work 
in specialist journals as opposed to mainstream publications 
accessible to all people.  He sees this as an opportunity for 
environmental educators to "come in from the cold." 
Presenting a different approach to environmental education, three 
Danish schools organized six-day-long environmental programs for 
children 7-14 years old.   According to Prof. Bjarne Jensen of the 
Danish University of Education, the children tackled real life 
environmental issues.  They were encouraged to imagine how they 
wanted their communities to change, which resulted in a wave of 
letters to village councils and newspapers requesting new play 
grounds and stricter speed limits near schools.  WEEC is exploring 
ways to incorporate indigenous IK into the school curriculum, 
treating agriculture, education, environment and health as the focal 
points. 
CADMIUM DETECTED IN EXPORT PINEAPPLES - INDUSTRY COULD LOSE JOBS AND 
MILLIONS OF RAND 
9. (U) Pineapple Association Chairman Allen Duncan said that traces 
of the heavy metal cadmium were found in canned pineapples shipped 
to Switzerland from South Africa.   Cadmium content of 0.05 parts 
per million was discovered in 100,000 tons of canned pineapples. 
Pineapple farmers believe the cadmium originated in fertilizers 
imported from China.  According to Duncan, the industry normally 
produces over 140,000 tons of pineapple per year, 80 percent of 
which is exported.  The industry can export only 40,000 tons this 
year because of the contamination, forcing producers to look for 
markets elsewhere.  Meanwhile the situation poses a serious threat 
to the pineapple industry where an estimated $10 million and over 
2,500 jobs, mainly in rural areas, could be lost.  Duncan said that 
farmers will bring legal action against the country's largest 
chemicals producer, Omnia Chemicals, and its subsidiary, Protea 
Chemicals, which import Chinese fertilizers.  The two companies were 
sued for about $17 million two years ago for supplying contaminated 
chicken feed. 
GIANT SA STEEL PRODUCER MAY FACE PROSECUTION FOR GROSS POLLUTION 
10. (U) The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) 
has produced a report revealing environmental law violations by the 
giant steel company AcelorMittal in Gauteng province.  The report is 
the result of a May assessment by DEAT environmental management 
inspectors (Green Scorpions).  The inspectors found that 
AcelorMittal was dumping hazardous waste in prohibited landfill 
sites, thus polluting surface and groundwater with iron, oil, and 
fluoride.  DEAT Director of Enforcement Melissa Fourie said steps 
would be taken against the company, possibly to include criminal 
prosecution because of repeated violations in spite of several 
warnings by authorities.  Samson Mokoena of the local environmental 
group Steel Valley Crisis Committee said that his organization is 
pleased with DEAT's action.  He noted that AcelorMittal had not 
shown respect for the local population or the environment because it 
 
PRETORIA 00002791  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
had ignored the pollution concerns they had raised.  AcelorMittal 
CEO Rick Reato said that, although he had not seen the Green 
Scorpions report, the company would cooperate with authorities.  He 
noted that the company had spent over $65 million on environmental 
projects in 2005 and 2006, and has committed over $142.85 million 
for the next four years. 
 
MINISTER ADMITS THAT CRIME IS A THREAT TO TOURISM IN SA 
11. (U) Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Martinus Van 
Schalkwyk has conceded that crime is a serious threat to tourism in 
South Africa.  He made the statement while addressing the Southern 
African Association for the Conference Industry.  He noted that 
after value-for- money, safety and security is the second most 
important factor for foreign tourists, according to a 2005 South 
Africa Tourism (SAT) brand tracking survey.  The SAT report revealed 
that although the country was a favored tourist destination, 34 
percent of people in the market cited fear of crime as a reason for 
not visiting South Africa.  This indicated crime was a serious 
deterrent to potential visitors.  Van Schalkwyk said that the 
tourism industry is trying to increase the number of visitors to 10 
million by 2010 (from 8.4 million in 2006), which will require 
heightened efforts to protect tourists.  He said that his department 
is talking to the Safety and Security department about establishing 
units within police stations to deal specifically with 
tourism-related crimes. 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES DEVELOP AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO 
FISHERIES 
12. (U) Angola, Namibia and South Africa have jointly put together a 
plan to reduce the effect of commercial fishing fleets in Southern 
Africa waters.  The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem plan 
(BCLME) was released in Cape Town in late July, and is regarded by 
experts as a practical way to implement an ecosystem approach to 
fisheries (EAF).  Recent studies in Southern African regional 
fishing grounds have revealed risks to the environment and marine 
resources, including an impact on seabirds, sharks and tuna through 
the removal of fish they would normally feed on.  Light and heavy 
fishing gear also negatively affects vulnerable and slow breeding 
species like sharks, turtles and sensitive sea life at the bottom of 
the ocean.  BCLME is aimed at protecting and managing marine 
resources and the environment.  The Chief Technical Advisor of BCLME 
Dr Michael O'Toole said that the plan gives a clear and practical 
strategy to implement an EAF. 
13. (U) Meanwhile a representative of Worldwide Wildlife Fund of 
South Africa (WWF) Samantha Peterson noted that, while stakeholders 
have been willing to implement an EAF, they did not know how to do 
it.  Now the report "will help show how to turn willingness into 
action".  However, the implementation effort will require support 
from all stakeholders in the fishing industry.  The plan may also 
require changes in fisheries regulations and create new governance 
structures to allow effective participatory decision-making. 
Minister of DEAT Marthinus Van Schalkwyk stated that government has 
to exercise a delicate balancing act to ensure that fishing rights 
are allocated in a sustainable way, in order to safe-guard the 
survival of specific fisheries.  He also noted that while 
over-fishing remains a problem, fishing is the only source of income 
for some people. 
Bost