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| ISSUE:
The effectiveness of the environmental management function in local government |
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| Environmental
management in the CMA is in the process of being established. However, it is unclear what
the status of environmental management will be following further restructuring of local
government and the implementation of legislation that affects this function. |
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| High unemployment and extreme
poverty is contributing to the high rate of crime (see Economy). The situation is compounded by low quality of life among sectors
of the urban population. Gangsterism
has been shown to be a significant aspect of crime in the CMA. Gang activity and conflict
is often linked to drug trafficking.
The justice system is over loaded and under
resourced and thus unable to cope with the backlog of criminal cases.
The South African Police Service’s
(SAPS) efforts to combat crime in the CMA are undermined by the inadequate resource
allocation.
Homelessness and vulnerability, especially
among street children, has contributed to high rate of attacks on tourists and car
break-ins.
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| Environmental management is a
concurrent responsibility of national, provincial and local government and a delegated
responsibility to local government. Approximately
112 scoping reports were submitted to CNC in 1998, with about 20 of these requiring
additional investigation up to a full EIA.
A total of 23 people are employed in local
government in the CMA to promote environmental management, 10 at the CMC and 13 in the six
MLCs.
The South African National Parks employs a
total of 218 people to manage the Cape Peninsula National Park.
Presently, none of the seven local
authorities in the CMA have environmental management systems in place.
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The following indicators are
monitored by Cape Nature Conservation, PAWC:
- Number of EIA applications (scoping reports)
per year.
- Number of reports up to a full EIAs
undertaken per year.
Directorate: Planning, Environment and
Housing, CMC:
- Number of people committed by local
government to environmental management.
See a summary of all
Indicators on this website
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The following responses are
underway by the CMC:
- An Integrated Metropolitan Environmental
Policy (IMEP) for the CMA is being developed as the first step to developing an Integrated
Environmental Management Strategy.
- The first Cape Metropolitan Festival of the
Environment was held to raise environmental awareness and promote environmental management
in the CMA.
- Two projects have been initiated under the
IDP theme of ‘enhancing the environment’, namely an Environmental Significance
Mapping Study of the CMA and an Anti-litter Campaign for Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain.
Additional responses underway by the South
African National Parks:
- Global Environmental Facility funding has
been secured for the management of the newly established Cape Peninsula National Park.
- Existing legislation is being strengthened
to allow for more effective management of the urban interface and bi-lateral forums with
local authorities are being established.
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- Become a member of an environmental NGO.
- Comment on environmental policy and pending
legislation.
- Become involved in EIA and planning public
participation processes.
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