VZCZCXRO7627
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #1057/01 1401321
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191321Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4496
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 5610
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 9826
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 8044

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 001057 
 
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, APRIL 2008 
 
PRETORIA 00001057  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  This is the South African Environment, Science and 
Technology Monthly Briefings newsletter, April 2008, Volume 3, 
Number 4, prepared by the U.S. Embassy Pretoria, South Africa. 
 
Topics of the newsletter: 
-- EMBASSY PRETORIA AND PARTNERS CELEBRATE EARTH DAY 
-- POWER SWITHCHED OFF TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY 
-- ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES CONVICTIONS INCREASE 
 
-- DEAT REJECTS TITANIUM MINING ON THE BEACH 
 
-- WATER ALGAE KILLS KRUGER ANIMALS 
 
-- AIRLINE ON MISSION TO REDUCE CARBORN EMISSIONS 
 
-- FROM E-WASTE TO ART AND JEWELRY 
 
-- FACTOID 
 
End Summary. 
 
 
Embassy Pretoria and Partners Celebrate Earth Day 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2. (U) The United States Embassy in Pretoria teamed up for the first 
time with the Pretoria-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the 
National Zoological Gardens of South Africa (NZG) to celebrate Earth 
Day on April 22, 2008.  Invitees from the local municipality, 
national government, NGOs, academia, research institutions and the 
media attended the event, hosted by the NZG.  The Embassy also 
arranged for three schools from the Pretoria townships of 
Eersterust, Garankuwa and Mamelodi to visit the aquarium and the 
zoo.  The NZG Executive Director emphasized the need to intensify 
environmental awareness among people, so they can begin to notice 
the impact of their daily activities on the environment and, 
ultimately, the earth.  He said this way people could then take 
corrective measures to remedy their profligate use of the earth and 
its resources.  Invitees saw a documentary about the Galapagos 
Islands, "Born of Fire", listened to a speech by the Deputy Press 
Attach on the background and history of Earth Day celebrations. 
African Association of Zoos and Aquaria Executive Director Dave 
Morgan made a presentation about the "Year of the Frog and Amphibian 
Crisis".   The event concluded with a panel discussion on topics 
relating to climate change, pollution, etc. 
 
Power Switched Off to Celebrate Earth Day 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) South African National Parks (SANParks) celebrated Earth Day 
(April 22, 2008) by switching off power for three hours in most of 
their offices across South Africa.  SANParks Chief Operating Officer 
Sidney Soundy said that switching off the power was SANParks way of 
demonstrating that they cared about the environment and were 
committed to combating climate change.  Soundy noted that SANParks 
was "working to create a resilient and sustainable environment" and 
encouraging staff to embrace environmental ethics.  Turning off the 
power for two hours at SANParks headquarters in Pretoria saved 
16.6kW of electricity.  ESKOM, the national power company, commented 
that conserving electricity is the first step to reducing carbon 
emissions. 
 
Environmental Crimes Convictions Increase 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) 
Marthinus Van Schalkwyk reported at the 8th International Network 
for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE) conference that 
both reporting and effective prosecution of environmental crimes is 
increasing in South Africa.  The Minister attributed the increase to 
DEAT's enforcement wing, also known as the "Green Scorpions".  The 
Green Scorpions' second annual report stated that they investigated 
more than 1,756 cases in 2007/8 and that arrests have increased from 
Qmore than 1,756 cases in 2007/8 and that arrests have increased from 
898 in 2006/7 to 2,612 in 2007/8.  Criminal convictions rose from 
134 in 2006/8 to 746 in 2007/8, according to the report.  Van 
Schalkwyk said he remains troubled by the discrepancy between the 
number of criminal arrests and the number of actual convictions for 
environmental crimes.   He noted that DEAT is finalizing an 
agreement with enforcement officials which will allow Green 
Scorpions to research and draft final documents and to present cases 
to the National Prosecution Authority for final decisions on 
prosecution.  He added that the Green Scorpions still needed more 
inspectors and more intense and deeper training to expand their 
efforts. 
 
 
 
PRETORIA 00001057  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
 
DEAT Rejects Titanium Mining on the Coast 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) 
opposes an Australian mining company's proposal to mine titanium in 
the Xolobeni dunes of Port Edward south of Durban, on the border of 
the Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.   The Mineral 
Commodities company (MRC) claims that the dunes contain the 10th 
largest deposits of titanium, which could be worth over R10 billion 
($1.3 billion).  MRC argues that the operation could help eradicate 
poverty by developing the area and creating job opportunities with 
only small impacts on the environment.  DEAT rejected MRC's 
environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, citing deficiencies in 
several aspects.  For example, the report does not provide for dune 
rehabilitation, waste storage and treatment, and the impacts of 
various pollutants remains unclear. 
 
¶6. (U) DEAT report classified the area as one of the highest 
conservation priority areas.  Under this classification only game 
farming and conservation is allowed and all such activities are 
limited to eco-tourism.  A Department of Minerals and Energy 
official complained that a compromise "win-win" situation could be 
achieved if DEAT would stop trying to declare the entire coastline 
off-limits for mining.  An amendment to the National Environmental 
Management Act establishing DEAT as the final appeals authority for 
mining EIAs is under consideration by the government. 
 
 
Water Algae Kills Kruger Animals 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Animals in the Kruger National Park (KNP) have died from 
drinking water contaminated with an extremely high concentration of 
the blue green algae (cyano bacteria).  KNP officials have been 
forced to drain all the water from the Silolweni dam to correct the 
situation.  Rangers collected five zebra carcasses and postmortems 
on the animals revealed that they had died from drinking 
contaminated water.  Kruger Park Head of Conservation Management Dr. 
Freek Venter said zebra deaths were the second case in twelve months 
where algal poisoning has caused multiple animal deaths in the park. 
 The previous incident occurred in 2007 when more than 54 animals 
died from algal poisoning.  Dr. Venter noted that the large 
concentration of algal poison was in part caused by the high 
concentration of hippos in and around the dam.  In an attempt to 
solve the problem, Dr. Venter and his team lowered the water level 
and burned the grass surrounding the dam to discourage the large 
resident population of the black and white rhino species. 
 
Airline on Mission to Reduce Carbon Emissions 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) Kulula, one of South Africa's low-cost airlines, partnered 
with NGO Food and Trees for Africa (FTA) to plant more than fifty 
trees in Monde Primary School in Katlehong Township, which lies to 
the east of Johannesburg, to compensate for carbon emissions. 
Kulula parent company Comair is phasing out its MD-82 aircraft fleet 
and upgrading to Boeing 737 aircraft, which are more fuel-efficient 
and could help to reduce emissions.  Kulula encourages its 
passengers to donate between R10 ($1.30) and R100 ($13.00) to 
Project Green, an FTA initiative which has already planted thousands 
of trees in disadvantaged communities over the past 18 years. 
Comair CEO Gidon Novick said they have confidence that support will 
QComair CEO Gidon Novick said they have confidence that support will 
grow because environmental awareness is increasing in South Africa 
and because the airline has over 600,000 visitors to its website per 
month. 
 
From E-Waste to Art and Jewelry 
------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) Electronic waste is increasingly becoming a problem in South 
Africa.  Western Cape-based Waste Plan has started retrieving 
e-waste including used computers and other electronic gadgets and 
transforming it into art, clocks and jewelry.   Waste Plan Manager 
Bertie Lourens explained that the company collects the e-waste, 
removes reusable parts, processes those parts into new computers, 
and sells those computers cheaply ($53).  Lourens noted that the 
company removes poisonous substances from the electronic gadgets and 
disposes of it according to environment guidelines.  The Waste Plan 
recycling project is sponsored by Hewlett-Packard with an investment 
of R640, 000 ($85,000). 
 
Monthly Factoid 
--------------- 
 
PRETORIA 00001057  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶10. (U) South Africa is home to 10% of all flowering species.  It is 
also the only country to contain an entire plant kingdom (The 12 
different plant divisions).