Deputy Minister Makhotso Sotyu: Special General Meeting of the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa (EAPASA)

Premier Hotel, Midrand, Gauteng, 10 May 2024

Thank you master of ceremonies;
Distinguished guests; 
Board members (former and current);
Registered environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs);
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is with great pleasure that I join you today at the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa's (EAPASA) Special General Meeting.

This year marks seven years since the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) appointed EAPASA as the sole registration authority in terms of section 24H of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).

The role of EAPASA is to professionalise and regulate the sector, by improving the quality of the information submitted and decisions being made on applications. As both the regulator and consultant, the association has a highly competent cohort of assessment practitioners that are bound by the same set of rules and standards. I believe that the professionalisation of the sector will also result in a higher level of confidence in the environmental impact assessment process - the regulated community will see a unified force of highly skilled professionals working in harmony towards an ultimate aim of sustainable development.

The establishment of EAPASA has seen the association commit to several responsibilities that form part of its implementation plan and these have been (and are) closely monitored by the DFFE.

These include, inter alia:

1. The rendering of a full package of registration and information sharing services in terms of section 24H of NEMA that also contributes towards the transformation of the environmental assessment profession (as of 6 May 2024 there are 1249 registered environmental assessment practitioners (EAPs); 440 registered candidate EAPs; and 4902 total draft applications online);
2. Ensuring all applicable Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) legislative frameworks and requirements are complied with; and
3. Ensuring effective, efficient, and transparent systems of operational, risk management, and financial internal controls whilst cultivating a culture of ethical conduct and the setting of appropriate values and standards.

I am confident that the EAPASA will contribute greatly to the department's long-term plan to have a practical and sustainable solution for registration from an operational and financial perspective.

In order to ensure a suitable future for the sector, we encourage all EAPs performing specified tasks that require registration to register with the EAPASA and to comply with the association's code of conduct. Unlawful actions need to be addressed swiftly to ensure that the sector is not brought into disrepute.

Ladies and gentlemen, this journey can only be successful if we all continue to work together. We can realise our goals if we draw on the energies of our competent people, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society.

In conclusion, I congratulate the existing board for their leadership, the registrar, and his expert team of professionals, and wish them success for any new appointments.

I thank you.