Speech

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

Program Director
Executive Mayors and Mayors
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to launch the 2008 Winter Cleaner Fires Campaign here in the Vaal Triangle Air-shed Priority Area – the first national Priority Area identified under the new Air Quality Act.
It is clear from the excellent work that has been carried out by all stakeholders in the development of the draft Vaal Triangle Air-shed Priority Area Air Quality Management Plan that smoke from coal fires in residential areas and settlements is a significant problem in these areas.

It is also clear that the smoke from these coal fires has also been used as “smoke-screen” behind which many other sources of emissions have attempted to hide themselves. However, it is my sincere hope that the 2008 Winter Cleaner Fires Campaign will remove this smoke-screen as the community’s contribution to cleaning up the air. And that this community contribution will be matched and, indeed bettered, by the other pollution sources who, generally, have far more resources at their disposal to do this. In this regard, I eagerly await the submission of the detailed air pollution reduction plans to be submitted by the significant polluters in the Priority Area for inclusion in the Air Quality Management Plan scheduled for publication for public comment in August-September 2008.

As we have seen from the presentation on the 2008 Winter Cleaner Fires Campaign, coal burning is on the decline. This is good news and is a measure of poverty-reduction. However, despite the fact that people are slowly becoming more able to afford better and cleaner fuels for their energy requirements, there is no doubt that coal burning for space-heating and cooking will still remain with us for some time to come.

Thus, this high-profile outreach campaign to roll out the Department of Minerals and Energy’s top-down “Basa Njengo Magogo” fire-making methodology in national priority areas is extremely important as the methodology has a proven track record and is a proven means by which smoke from coal-burning can be dramatically reduced.

However, despite its undisputed advantages Basa Njengo Magogo is not an end in itself and must be considered only as a transitional intervention in the transition to a better life for all where coal is no longer required for space-heating and cooking.

Indeed, Basa Njengo Magogo must only be considered to be a transitional step towards a sustainable solution to air pollution in dense, low-income communities. We also know that the sustainable solution lies in government’s overall programme to alleviate poverty and that such a programme must include, among others –

• reducing the energy demand of the poor through, for example, improving the thermal efficiency of low-income homes – homes that are often freezing in winter and boiling in summer;
• facilitating access to cleaner and safer energy sources, especially affordable electricity; and
• dealing with less obvious sources of air pollution including dust from un-surfaced roads and waste burning.

To this end, I am happy to announce that the department’s commissioned research on air pollution in dense, low-income communities is now complete. This research will be the starting point for discussions to be held at a multi-stakeholder workshop in July to initiate the development of an integrated strategy to address this problem.

Which brings me back to this event – good air quality is a group effort. In order to ensure air that is not harmful to health and well being, that is air that conforms to our national ambient air quality standards, we need the active involvement of communities, business, industry and all spheres of government.

This event marks the beginning of this partnership and bodes well for the improvement of air quality in the Priority Areas across the board. For this, I wish to thank everyone who has joined hands to develop and implement the 2008 Winter Cleaner Fires Campaign and I would like to specifically mention (in alphabetical order) –

• Anglo Coal who have contributed R700 000.00 for the rollout of BnM in the Witbank area of the Highveld National Priority Area;
• The Central Energy Fund who are funding BnM rollouts in Alexandra (R1.3 million) and Soweto (R1.9 million);
• The City of Johannesburg who are conducting BnM rollouts in Soweto (Jabavu, Fredclarke, Chicken Farm, Kliptown, Protea South and Dlamini Camp) with an estimated value of R900,000;
• The Danish Government through Danida, who have provided substantial financial support to the various rollout activities of many of the partners;
• Ekurhuleni Municipality who are conducting BnM rollouts in Springs, Germiston, Benoni, Boksburg and Kempton Park with an estimated value of R450,000;
• Eskom who are supporting BnM rollouts in Zamdela and Deneysville with an estimated value of R35,000;
• The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, my own department, that has committed R3 million to the Campaign;
• The Department of Minerals and Energy, the developers of the BnM concept, who have supported the campaign from its outset;
• The Department of Health who have also been part of the campaign development;
• The Jupiter Drawing Room, who have provided their creative genius free of charge;
• The NOVA Institute who are conducting BnM rollouts in Kwazulu-Natal, Free State and Mpumalanga areas (i.e eMbalenhle) with an estimated value of R1.8 to R2.1 million respectively. NOVA, supported by Danida, will also be partnering with Sedibeng for BnM rollouts in Sharpville;
• Sasol, who in partnership with NOVA, will be rolling out the BnM in Zamdela with an estimated value of R 300,000;
• VEB Cele and Associates who have provided a BnM training video free of charge;
• The, Sedibeng District Municipality, our hosts here today, who have organised this excellent event and who will be following this up with their own BnM rollout projects.
 

All of these contributions amount to a public-private investment of over R14 million rand in the health of our people living in dense, low-income communities and I believe that this deserves a round of applause.

In closing, I must point out that the success of this campaign rests, largely, with the people in this room. This event is not just a launch, but a practical learning event where the top-down “Basa Njengo Magogo” fire-making methodology will be properly institutionalised within the structures that deal with the people on a daily basis.

With this, I give you this challenge - when you are passing through the communities you support or service, stop at the houses where you see smoke, knock on the door, and use the training you have got today to show the people that there is a better way.

The ultimate aim of this campaign is not to introduce “Basa Njengo Magogo” as the fire-making practice of the poor who use coal as their fuel, it is to make “Basa Njengo Magogo” the way all South Africans make coal fires – whether it is to stave off the cold or whether it is to entertain at a braai - “Basa Njengo Magogo” is the South African fire.

Thank you for your kind attention and please accept my best wishes for the success of the campaign and the active use of these new skills in contributing to a better life for all.

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