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INFO RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 5299
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9564
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 7876

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 000269 
 
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 AFRICA ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS, 
JANUARY 2008 
 
 
PRETORIA 00000269  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  This is the South African Environment, Science and 
Technology Monthly Newsletter, January 2008, Volume 3, Issue 1, 
prepared by the U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa. 
 
Topics of the newsletter: 
-- HI-TECH PRAWN FACILITY OPENED IN SA 
-- SA TO ROLL-OUT GREEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS 
-- POWER CUTS CREATE CHANCE TO GREEN HOMES 
 
-- FLAMES WIPE OUT CAPE FYNBOS 
 
-- DIRECTOR GENERAL'S TIES WITH DEAT TO END 
 
-- SA PREPARES FOR INSITE 2008 
 
-- UNSANITARY BUCKET SYSTEM PHASE-OUT UNDERWAY 
 
End Summary. 
 
HI-TECH PRAWN FACILITY OPENED IN SA 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
¶2. (U) Sea Ark Afrika, a subsidiary of the Bosasa Group of 
Companies, has established a pilot project prawn farm at the Coega 
Industrial Zone in Port Elizabeth.  Prawn farming is usually 
conducted in open-air ponds, which makes the prawns susceptible to 
diseases and population loss.  The new prawn farm, regarded as a 
first of its kind, is a bio-secured, closed-up facility with 
regularly-provided, high-quality diets.  Water is filtered, which 
means diseases can be eliminated or minimized.  The project was 
started in 2005 and is expected to be completed in six years at a 
R9.2 billion (US $ 1.3 billion) cost.  A Sea Ark Afrika official 
noted that research and development on the project has been 
conducted both in the U.S. and SA at a cost of $40 million (US $ 5.7 
million).  Sea Ark Afrika President David Wills described the 
facility as a "sustaining, job-creating and technologically 
innovating project".  Wills said the shrimp farm is expected to 
create 11,800 jobs directly and over 88,000 indirectly, with 1,000 
jobs slots created specifically for women. 
SA TO ROLL-OUT GREEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Central Energy Fund (CEF) announced in January that it had 
committed over $5.8 million (US $ .8 million) to erect several 
solar-powered traffic lights at the major intersections in South 
Africa's cities.  CEF CEO Mputumi Damane said CEF's effort will help 
mitigate the recent series of power cuts and load-shedding, which 
have created traffic jams as well as avoidable accidents.  Cape Town 
City municipality erected a solar-powered traffic light pilot 
project in September 2007, which has proved to be a success.  Damane 
stated that CEF has already identified over 2,000 critical 
intersections around Johannesburg alone, while other installations 
are aimed for the cities of Tshwane (Pretoria), Ethekwini (Durban) 
Port Elizabeth and Nelspruit. 
 
¶4. (U) Damane advised that the first batch of the imported 
installation components had already been delivered to South Africa, 
while the rest of the consignment will arrive at a later date.  CEF 
expects the investment in green traffic lights to exceed $14.3 
million and they are soliciting funds from private investors. 
Investors in the project could claim up to 150 percent of their 
invested amount when they submit their next tax returns, according 
to the CEF CEO. 
 
POWER CUTS CREATE CHANCE TO GREEN HOMES 
--------------------------------------- 
¶5. (U) Ecocentric Official Jutta Berns-Mumbi advised that the recent 
series of power cuts has created an opportunity for people to start 
investing in the greening of their homes and businesses. 
Ecocentric, a sustainable and energy efficiency consulting firm, 
defined a green home as one that is energy and water efficient. 
Berns-Mumbi said South Africans must diversify their energy sources 
QBerns-Mumbi said South Africans must diversify their energy sources 
and consider alternative means to supply power to their homes.  She 
noted that alternative energy is no longer a concern only for 
environmentally conscious people, but for all individuals and 
businesses, out of necessity and urgency. 
¶6. (U) Berns-Mumbi advised people to rethink their energy demands, 
and to begin their greening activities with small steps such as 
switching off all non-essential appliances when not in use and 
fitting low-energy bulbs.  She added that long-term solutions should 
include deep energy retrofitting of existing homes and office 
buildings and remodeling for energy efficiency.  Sustainable Energy 
Africa official Megan Anderson notes that water heating accounts for 
about 60 percent of total home energy use.  Anderson said that a 
solar water heater is a crucial intervention which could cut 
 
PRETORIA 00000269  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
electricity consumption bills by up to 30 percent per month.  Each 
costs between US $428 and US $2,857, depending on the size and 
quality. 
¶7. (U) South African developer Swish Property Group is spearheading 
what will be South Africa's first green mixed-use development. 
Swish, together with developers Madison and Redefine Income Fund, is 
building the 50,000 m2 project in the city of Cape Town. It will 
consist of residential studios, loft apartments, office space, as 
well as shops.  Swish says energy will be conserved in the Upper 
East Side project through the central air conditioning system. 
Wasted energy from the air conditioning system produces hot air, 
which is then captured and piped into a central hot water cylinder 
that heats water to a certain temperature. This means only a small 
amount of separate energy will be required to ensure the water from 
the building's taps is hot.  In conventional buildings, this hot air 
goes to waste.  Swish CEO Giancarlo Lanfranchi said, "We need to 
ensure that we don't place more pressure on [electrical and sewer] 
systems, so we tackle the problem at the source by creating tools 
within the building to deal with alternative uses for waste and 
conservation of electricity." 
 
FLAMES WIPE OUT CAPE FYNBOS 
---------------------------- 
¶8. (U) Table Mountain National Parks fire manager Phillip Prins 
stated that 11 homes were completely destroyed and almost 1,300 
hectors of seven-year-old fynbos had been destroyed by three fires 
in the Western Cape Peninsula in late January.  Two fire fighters 
suffered very serious burns.  Prins said the three fires had been 
reported soon after they had started, however they later blazed out 
of control due to strong south-easterly winds.  The fire manager is 
concerned that the fynbos may take too long to recover because it 
was too young when burned.  Fynbos normally takes 12 to 15 years to 
recover.  Prins and his colleagues suspect arson, and have asked the 
local police to investigate.  He said it was the fourth Friday in a 
row that someone had reported a fire, and the reports were only 10 
minutes apart.  Another fire official added that it takes very dry 
grass to burn spontaneously and that the grass had not been dry 
enough to do that in January. 
DIRECTOR GENERAL'S TIES WITH DEAT TO END 
----------------------------------------- 
¶9. (U) Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) 
Marthinus Van Schalkwyk announced in January that DEAT Director 
General Pam Yako will not extend her contract with DEAT at the end 
of her tenure in April 2008.  She has instead brought her departure 
date forward to February 29, 2008.  Ms. Yako joined DEAT over six 
ago and had worked in DEAT in different capacities prior to being 
appointed Director General in 2005.  The Minister credited Yako with 
the successful implementation of the Tourism Growth Strategy.  He 
also stated that Yako had built a strong team of senior managers, 
strengthened biodiversity and conservation policies, and made the 
Marine Living Resources Fund much more effective.  The Minister also 
cited other achievements, including addressing challenges faced by 
small-scale fisheries.  The Minister expressed his appreciation for 
the Yako's integrity, dedication and loyalty to the DEAT.  The 
process to appoint Yako's successor is underway, and the appointee 
could be named soon. 
SA PREPARES FOR INSITE 2008 
--------------------------- 
Q 
¶10. (U) The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has begun 
preparations for Africa's premier science exhibition, the 3rd 
International Science, Innovation and Technology Exhibition 
(INSITE).  INSITE is an international marketplace for innovation, 
science and technology (IST) where ideas, products, services and 
solutions in the context of long-term sustainability are exhibited. 
INSITE showcases solutions and demonstrates practical applications 
of science and technology.  Institutions, governments and companies 
from around the world are invited.  DST launched the first INSITE in 
2004 and staged the second in 2006, drawing 5,889 and 6,298 visitors 
respectively.  INSITE 2008 will be staged alongside the 25th 
International Association of Science Parks at the Sandton Convention 
Center, September 14 - 25, 2008. 
 
UNSANITARY BUCKET SYSTEM PHASE-OUT UNDERWAY 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) Provincial and Local Governments Deputy Director General 
Yusuf Patel told the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) that only 
81 percent of the 252,254 unsanitary buckets used throughout South 
Africa were eradicated by the end of December 2007.  The bucket 
system is still the most prevalent sanitation system in the Eastern 
Cape, Free State and North West provinces.  The government had 
allocated over R1.8 billion (US $ 260 million) in 2005/6 and 2006/7 
to eradicate the bucket system and replace it with formal toilet 
structures.  Patel said 62 percent of the toilet structures have 
been completed, although there were still some problems with running 
 
PRETORIA 00000269  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
water.  Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Lindiwe Hendricks 
clarified that the bucket system eradication program was aimed at 
the formal townships only and not informal settlements. 
 
BOST