Deputy Minister B Swarts: Budget Vote (Vote 32) for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

27 June 2025

Honourable House Chair
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George;
Deputy Minister Narend Singh;
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Nqabisa Gantsho, and Committee Members; 
Members of Parliament;
Chairpersons, Board Members and CEOs of our Entities;
Director-General, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala;
Team Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment;
Ladies and gentlemen 
Fellow South Africans

House Chair, allow me on the onset to remind ourselves that we have only one earth. It was the first African woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace, Wangari Maathai, who said, and I quote: "We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all." Close quote.

Honourable members, our budget vote happens as South Africans from all walks of life celebrate the month of June as both environment and youth month. 
It is befitting that at this juncture I also express our support for the planned national dialogue as a forum to unite South Africans behind a shared vision and approach towards addressing structural challenges as a result of the apartheid legacy.

Our work is cut out to confront the triple environmental crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. We will continue working to create a planet in which all people enjoy a clean environment, sustainable economic growth, and have access to health, education, safety, peace and dignified work, in the quest to fulfil the strategic priorities as set out in the medium-term development plan.

Waste management

In South Africa, we generate over 360,000 tons of e-waste annually, and unfortunately, only a small fraction of 10% of this is properly managed. The rest ends up in landfills, or worse, is illegally dumped, posing serious risks to our ecosystems. Our waste laws do not allow the disposal of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) to landfill. This is done with the intention of diverting this waste stream from landfill for recycling purposes.

As part of our efforts to address this growing e-waste problem, South Africa has implemented the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for the Electrical and Electronic Equipment sector since November 2021 which compels the producers of electronic products to take-back and ensure proper recycling thereof.

Improper disposal of e-waste has become a growing concern in our communities and in our country. The increasing number of electronic devices being used without a proper system for disposal has led to the accumulation of waste that harms our environment and contaminates water and soil. The launch of the E-Waste Recycling Pilot Project in our communities is our response to this growing crisis. The goal of this pilot project is to test and implement a sustainable system for recycling of e-waste in our communities. This initiative is being launched in partnership with our Department, municipalities throughout the country, Industry and the producer responsibility organisations (PROs). Through this collaboration, we aim to not only manage and dispose of e-waste responsibly but also raise awareness among communities about the importance of recycling and the dangers of improper e-waste disposal.

Honourable members, we have already launched the e-waste pilot project in the three provinces (Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West). 
I am pleased to announce that the average quantity of e-waste collected from the rural municipalities from all three provinces since the inception of our e-Waste Recycling Pilot Project is 30 376 kg (30 tons).

The vouchers are given by producers through their Producer Responsibility Organisations as regulated by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations. EPR is an environmental policy approach that uses industry managed model that operationalises polluter pay principle and holds the producers of electrical and electronic equipment for the end-of-life of their products.

Honourable members, it must also be noted that we are embarking on e-Waste Recycling Pilot projects in our communities and municipalities at a time when South Africa has assumed the Presidency of the G20. These projects remain crucial to showcase to the world what South Africa is capable of. We have identified circular economy and extended producer responsibility as one of the sub-priorities of the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG)'s focus area on Chemicals and Waste Management.

Forestry management

Honourable members, I will now talk about the work that we have implemented through the Forestry Management Branch. The Forestry Management branch provides strategic direction and leadership to the department regarding the promotion of sustainable management, use and protection of forests and their associated natural resources.

The Branch provides this strategic direction through various programmes, which I will outline.

• National Greening Programme

Currently, initiatives and interventions in the National Greening Programme are implemented through the Ten Million Trees Programme which is a Presidential Flagship Project. The programme aims to plant Ten Million trees over a period of five years which translates to two million trees annually. The target that is set is not only for government, but it is a call for action to other role players to assist in achieving the target. The Programme is currently in the fifth year of implementation and the DFFE is revamping the programme to ensure that the set target of planting at least ten million trees over a period of five years is achieved.

As part of the overall programme to plant Ten Million Trees, our Department is leading and coordinating an ambitious plan to plant 1 million trees in one day on 24 September 2025 under the theme: "My Tree, My Oxygen. Plant Yours Today". This ambitious plan will be implemented as part of celebrating our country and its heritage.

This plan falls within a month when we also join the globe to celebrate Arbor Day. Our country's love for planting trees has led us to not only celebrate Arbor Day but also dedicate the whole month to planting trees – hence we have Arbor Month. Honourable members, I call on all you and indeed all South Africans – who live here in the country and abroad – to participate in our ambitious plan to plant 1 Million Trees in one day, as part of celebrating our Heritage. I am pleased to announce that many stakeholders in the private sector are already heeding the call to pledge and donate trees towards the greening programme.

• Processing of licenses in terms of the National Forest Act

As part of its responsibilities under the National Forest Act, the DFFE is dedicated to efficiently processing all licensing applications related to forest activities, as specified in sections 7, 15, and 23 of the Act. The Department has set a goal to complete this licensing process within a time frame of 90 days from the date of receipt of each application, with all necessary documentation. This commitment reflects the DFFE's ongoing efforts to streamline administrative procedures while maintaining rigorous environmental standards and promoting sustainable forestry practices.

• Development of fire protection association support strategy and assessment of fire protection associations

Honourable members, the department has done a lot of work in the development of the fire protection association support strategy and in the assessment of fire protection associations. Fire protection associations (FPAs) are statutory organizations established and registered under the National Veld and Forest Fire Act.

The development of the strategy is already at the advanced stage. It was published for public comments in 2024, and the comments have since been integrated. Internal consultations for further comments were done, and the amended strategy was subject to vetting. This strategy will be subjected to review and recommendations for approval by various intergovernmental structures, including various working groups, and then submitted to the Minister for approval and publication in the government gazette by the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

The department has pledged to conduct a thorough evaluation of the operational effectiveness of 40 Fire Protection Associations (FPAs) during the current financial year in line with the FPA regulations. This initiative aims to systematically assess each association's strengths and weaknesses, with the intention of increasing the number of assessments carried out in subsequent years. By investigating the functionality of these FPAs, the DFFE seeks to identify specific challenges they face, providing targeted guidance and recommendations tailored to their needs. This annual evaluation process is designed to foster continuous improvement in the capabilities and efficiency of FPAs, ultimately enhancing their effectiveness in fire protection and management.

The process to transfer firefighting trucks is underway. The 107 vehicles earmarked for District Municipalities with registered FPAs will be transferred in terms of Section 42 of the Public Finance Management Act and for use by the Municipalities to prevent and combat veldfires in line with their application legislation and to support FPAs.

• Implementing the Commercial Forestry Sector Master Plan

The department is in Year 5 of implementing the Commercial Forestry Sector Master Plan with the objective of growing the economy, transformation and creating jobs. The master plan is a social partnership between government, industry and organized labour.

In advancing transformation in the sector and in line with the master plan, the department is leading the process of transferring the management of eight DFFE owned plantations to communities through Community Forestry Agreements (CFA). The affected communities will be offered Post Settlement Support to the CFA communities in the form of the following:

• Skills development
• Business enterprise development
• Recruitment and training of forest monitors, amongst others

Performing the above functions presents an opportunity to create 7083 work opportunities and 550 full time equivalent jobs opportunities for poor rural communities, particularly those residing adjacent to these plantations, nurseries and state indigenous forests to contribute to poverty alleviation. 

Fisheries management

Honourable members one of the most important components in our department is the Fisheries Management Branch. This branch ensures the sustainable use of and orderly access to marine living resources through improved management and regulation and the development of South Africa's fisheries sector. One of the strategic objectives of this branch is providing training interventions, mentorship programmes and other development support packages to small-scale fishing cooperatives.

As part of ensuring that the branch achieves this objective, I recently hosted the Small-Scale Fishing Co-operatives Summit on 20 May 2025 in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. The aims of the summit were to strengthen engagement between government and fishing communities, provide technical support to small scale fisheries' co-operatives and address market and infrastructure challenges that this sector experiences. The summit also intended to gather community input to enhance support programmes and showcase successful models of small-scale fisheries. The programme featured exhibitions and technical discussions led by sector experts. The summit also formed part of the government's commitment to implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Policy and the Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA).

The summit was attended by 72 small-scale fisheries cooperatives of the Eastern Cape, alongside their mentors. This summit was not just another meeting – it was a critical step toward solving the real, persistent struggles of our small-scale fishers such as limited market access, crumbling infrastructure, internal disputes, and gaps in essential services. These issues continue to hold our small-scale fishers back, and that's unacceptable!

Honourable members, I am pleased to announce that the outcome of the summit was a resounding success. We all came out with one voice that Together, let's build partnerships that last, understanding that deepens, and a sector that thrives—for generations to come.

Honourable members, the engagement of the fisheries sector across provinces is key.

SANBI implements a number of infrastructure projects annually as part of its Infrastructure Plan. The primary objective is to maintain existing infrastructure and to develop new infrastructure in National Botanical and Zoological Gardens as part of an ongoing effort to keep all facilities in good quality standard and to diversity product and service offering in order to enhance visitor experience, and attract more visitors.

On 4 July 2025, I will be opening the Lowveld National Botanical Garden bridge and viewing deck in Nelspruit. On 12 February 2023 abnormally heavy rains in the eastern parts of South Africa resulted in damage to the pedestrian bridge and parts of the bridge being washed away, as a result of a slow-moving upper-air cut-off low pressure system that lingered over the South African interior.

Following engagement with insurers and engineers, repairs to the pedestrian bridge were undertaken and the support columns raised by a metre above the previous level to prevent future flood damage. A new viewing deck (6m x 6m) using galvanised structural steel & composite material platform was also constructed. The restored raised pedestrian bridge and new viewing platform are now both fully functional and accessible to the public.

In the 2024/25 financial year, SANBI completed over 40 infrastructure maintenance projects and 10 new infrastructure development projects in National Botanical and Zoological Gardens.

Infrastructure maintenance and new development projects are implemented by external implementing agencies made up of professional service providers and contractors, and suppliers of materials and services in different maintenance and new infrastructure development projects. These programmes support the growth and sustainability of SMMEs and the creation of employment.

With regards to Environmental Education in National Gardens, a further 153 165 individuals, mostly children and young people/students, participated in the "Kids in Gardens' Programme" which is an on-going environmental education and awareness initiative implemented in National Botanical and Zoological Gardens. 
Environmental education and awareness are part of SANBI's legal mandate and this is an important initiative aimed at educating society and raising levels of awareness required to promote the kind of conduct required to conserve and protect our biodiversity. The objective of the programme is to also increase the uptake of various careers in the different fields of studies within the biodiversity sector. 

In addition to their conservation function and being nature-based tourism destination for recreation, National Gardens plays an important role in society through human capital development programmes and also by contributing to stimulation of socio-economic activities in their localities through procurement of services and product required for the gardens' daily operations.

Biodiversity and conservation

As a country affected by desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD), South Africa is committed to conserving and sustainably managing its land and natural resources through the rehabilitation and restoration of degraded landscapes. Challenges posed by DLDD are closely connected to food security, poverty, urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss hence it requires focused attention through the implementation of programmes and projects. The issues of Desertification, Land Degradation, Water Scarcity and Drought, are included as a standalone priority under the G20 Presidency. Progress made on this priority indicates that Nations are losing their productive lands, sources of employment and the means to secure their economies.

To this end, the department is implementing the Seventh Global Environment Facility (GEF7)-Funded Project: "Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Management (SLM) for Large-Scale Impact in the Grazing Lands of Limpopo and Northern Cape provinces in South Africa".

A total of 129 community champions and extension officers have been trained in sustainable land management practices and awarded AGRI-SETA accredited certificates.

At least 174 individuals were employed to carry out ecological restoration activities, including the removal of invasive alien plant species in Mphanama Village (Limpopo Province) and Rietfontein Town (Northern Cape Province).

Last month, I participated in the Global Community Engagement Workshop on Mainstreaming Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) into Integrated Land Use Planning Policies and Tools which was held from 13–16 May 2025, with participation from 18 countries and its partners. The workshop provided a valuable platform to share and leverage experiences from partners involved in the LDN Target Setting Programme (TSP) 2.0 and other GEF-funded Enabling Activities that support the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

In conclusion Honourable Members, allow me to thank my colleagues in the GNU, our Minister, Dr Dion George, and Deputy Minister Narend Singh.

I also wish to thank Team DFFE led by the Director General, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala, the chairpersons, board members and CEOs of our Entities.

I thank you.