ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES AND INCIDENTS HOTLINE

Environmental Management Inspectors (EMI) rely on reports from members of the public to enhance their capacity to monitor and detect non-compliances with environmental legislation. The Environmental Crimes and Incidents Hotline was first established in February 2005, in conjunction with the amendment to the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) which provided for the designation of EMIs.

The aim of the hotline is to provide a single- entry point for the receipt of all complaints and reports of non-compliance with environmental legislation. Due to the fact that the Constitution allocates the responsibility to implement legislation relating to the environment to various spheres of government (national, provincial and local) and different sectoral departments (including environmental, water affairs, minerals and energy, agriculture), each call received from the hotline is assessed and referred to the appropriate organ of State with the legal mandate to respond. The hotline also represents a key service delivery mechanism through which citizens are able to exercise their right to an environment which is not harmful to their health and well-being, as provided for in section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.

Each year, the Environmental Crimes and Incidents Hotline receives hundreds of reports of non-compliances relating to air pollution, deforestation, illegal dumping and waste issues, illegal development, illegal activities, mining, noise pollution, poaching, spillages, water pollution, alien and Invasive species and the illegal import and export species.

The Environmental Crimes and Incidents Hotline is available on a 24 hour basis on the toll-free number (0800 205 005), or through the dedicated email: envirocrime@dffe.gov.za