En

NEWS
2WISE2WASTE

Vol. 02/2004

Environmental and Development Planning News

Utilitas Building, 1 Dorp Street Private Bag X9086, Cape Town, 8000 Tel No.: 021-483 2990 Fax No.: 021-483 3211

The Departmental waste minimization project now has a name, 2wise2waste, courtesy of Rowan Barker. This project is really only starting now, what has happened so far? As most of you are aware, a survey went around by email asking various questions about water, waste, electricity and other related issues. Included in the survey were a few fun quiz questions with prizes attached. The winners of these were Peter Visser for guessing how much waste leaves the building daily, Nicole Petersen and Rowan Barker for good name suggestions (in the end we used Rowan's great suggestion) and Gerhard Gerber for his overall excellent effort. Lerato Moja guessed the huge electricity bill, which at the time we were confused about. We now know the truth and it tells us much.

Cape Town was then enlisted to open up the meters in our basement and sure as can be, the numbers downstairs didn't correspond to the R80 000 account. We then found another account for our building from Public Works and this turned out to match the meter downstairs. This amounts to R11 000 for a month! Much better, but still a lot of money. We realised that the provincial government (Public Works) is not only doing nothing to minimize its
continued on page 5...

The truth about our electricity bill is that it is not the horrific R80 000 or so per month. Public Works were giving us bills for Utilitas Building, 1 Dorp Street so we all thought these must be the bills. After making a few `back-of-the-envelope' calculations on how much power we should be Minister Tasneem Essop talking to members of the community during using, we realised that it cannot her visit to the Overstrand Municipality. This clean-up operation possibly be our office building. An was part of the Western Cape Government's 100-day deliverables. electricity inspector from the City of

Notice !

Please note that the correct acronym for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning is: D:EA&DP and not DEADP . Owing to limited space in this edition of EnD NEWS, translated articles in your preferred Editor. language, where indicated, are available on the Portal.
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This year comes to an end on a high note for this department. I am aware that this department has come through months of upheaval, with the merging of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. But in the last few months this department has pulled together and I am convinced that as we go into the new year we will be filled with enthusiasm as we take up the immense challenges presented to us by iKapa Elihlumayo. At the end of this month (Nov) we will host a summit to look at the Provincial Spatial Development Framework, as well as the preliminary results of the investigation into Golf courses and polo estates in the Western Cape. As minister of this portfolio I am convinced that these two important interventions will have a huge impact, not only for this department, but in the province as a whole. The government has pledged itself to working across departments and ministries, to cut red-tape, to do away with duplication and start delivering. I have committed this department to fast-tracking our processes when it comes to approving low-income housing developments. It is not just lowcost housing that will benefit, the Integrated Law Reform Process will also assist in streamlining the procedures for all other developments.

Di jaar eindig op 'n hoogtepunt vir hierdie departement. Ek is bewus daarvan dat ons departement maande van moeilike omstandighede tydens die samesmelting van omgewingsake en ontwikkelingsbeplanning deurgemaak het. Maar in die laaste paar maande het die departement kragte saamgesnoer, en ek is oortuig daarvan dat ons in die nuwe jaar met hernieude entoesiasme die enorme uitdagings vanaf iKapa Elihlumayo die hoof kan bied. Aan die einde van hierdie maand (Nov) sal ons die gasheer wees vir 'n konferensie waartydens daar gekyk sal word na die Provinsiale Ruimtelike Ontwikkelingsraamwerk, sowel as die voorlopige resultate van die ondersoek na Gholfbane en polo-landgoedere in die WesKaap. As minister verantwoordelik vir hierdie portefeulje, is ek oortuig daarvan dat hierdie twee belangrike ingrypings groot impak sal h, nie net op hierdie departement nie, maar op die provinsie as geheel. Die regering het homself daartoe verbind om oorkoepelend tussen departemente en ministeries te werk, om rompslomp uit te skakel, om weg te doen met onnodige duplisering, en resultate te lewer. Ek het hierdie departement daartoe verbind om ons werkswyses te versnel betreffende die goedkeuring van lae-inkomste behuisingsontwikkeling. Maar dit is nie net lae-inkomste behuising wat hierby sal baat vind nie, maar die Gentegreerde Wet-hervormingsproses sal ook die verfyning van prosedures van alle ander ontwikkelings ondersteun. Daar is sommige onmiddellike en dringende uitdagings wat ons in die gesig staar. As amptenare van hierdie departement sal julle julself moet her-instel om wyer te begin dink, om sodoende met kreatiewe en innoverende idees vorendag te kom om uitdagings die hoof te bied. Kom ons verbind onsself tot die bou van 'n Tuiste vir Almal in die Wes-Kaap. Senwense vir die Feesseisoen.

MESSAGE FROM MINISTER TASNEEM ESSOP

These are some of the immediate and urgent challenges we are faced with. As officials in this department you will have to re-gear yourselves, to start thinking out of the box to come up with cutting-edge, creative and innovative ways of dealing with these many challenges. Let us all commit ourselves to building A Home for All in the Western Cape. I wish you well over the festive season. Kind regards, Minister Tasneem Essop
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Vriendelike groete Minister Tasneem Essop

Lo nyaka ufikelela esiphelweni ngezinga eliphezulu kwelisebe. Ndiyazi elisebe lidlule kwinyanga ebinzima, ekudityanisweni kobume bemeko bendawo yemicimbi kwakunye nokulungiselela inkqubela. Kodwa kwenzinyanga zimbalwa zidlulileyo eliSebe litsale kunye yaye ndiqinisekile okokuba njengokuba siqala unyaka omtsha sizakube sigcwele lihlombe njengokuba sizakube sithatha ukuxhokonxwa okukhulu okuziswa kuthi liKapa Elihulmayo. Ekupheleni kwalenyanga (Novemba) sizakuba sisizondli zesamithi ukjongana nophahla lwenkqubela evelelekileyo yephondo kwakunye nesiqalelo seziphumo zophando lwamabala eGolufa ne-polo esteyiti eNtoshona Koloni. Njengomphathiswa walepotifoliyo ndiqinisekile okokuba okukungenela kubini kubalulekileyo kuyakuba nokukhulu ukungquzulala, kungekkuko kwelisebe kuphela kodwa kwiphondo liphela. Lo rhulumente usithembisile ngokusebenza kuwo onke amasebe nabaphathiswa aqhawula iteyipu ezibomvu, ayeke uphindaphindo koko aqalise ukunikezela iinkonzo. Ndilibophelele elisebe ekulandeleni ekhondweni ngokukhawuleza kwinqubekeko zethu xa sisiya kwimvume yomvuzo ophantsi kwinqubela yezindlu. Kodwa asizizo nje izindlu zexabiso eliphantsi eziyakuxhamla kwiNtlanganisela Yomthethe Wenguqu iyakuncedisana ekubekeni ngolandwlwano lemigaqo yazo zonke iinkqubela. Zikhona nezinye ezisondeleyo nezibalulekileyo iimbono ezixhokoxayo esijongene nazo. Njengamagosa kwelisebe kufuneka uphindile iziqu zenu nizilungisele niqale ukucinga ukuphuma apho ebhokisini nize kusika imisonto ukwakha nokwazisa indlela ezintsha zokusebenzisana noxhokonxo. Masizibandakanyeni sonke ekwakheni "Ikhaya lethu sonke" eNtshona Koloni. Ndininqwenelela impumelelo ngelixesha lolonwabo. Iminqweno emihle. Minister Tasneem Essop I would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff for their valued contributions during the past year. The year that lies ahead holds exciting prospects in terms of our new strategic direction under the leadership of our new minister, Minister Essop. I would like to wish all staff a peaceful and joyous festive season. Mr Theo Tolmay Ek wil graag van hierdie geleentheid gebruik maak om die personeel te bedank vir hul waardevolle bydrae die afgelope jaar. Die jaar wat voorl, beloof opwindende vooruitsigte in terme van die nuwe strategiese rigting wat ons inslaan onder die leierskap van ons nuwe minister, Minister Essop. Graag wil ek al die personeellede vrede en vreugde vir die feesseisoen toewens. Mnr. Theo Tolmay

MESSAGE BY HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

Ndithabatha eli thuba lokunibulela bonke abasebenzi ngentsebenziswano negalelo elikhulu abalenzileyo kunyaka ophelileyo. Unyaka ozayo, uzele zizinto ezintle kwimbono zethu, phantsi kwenkokeli yethu entsha, uNkos Essop. Ndinqwenela bonke abasebenzi ixesha elimnandi ngexesha lekhefu elizayo. Mr Theo Tolmay
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COMMUNICATIONS WISHES YOU WELL!

Take the phone off the hook, kick off your shoes, pour yourself a cold drink, sit back, relax and get ready to indulge. This edition of EnD NEWS is sleek, stylish and as usual very informative. We've taken all readers' suggestions into account and revamped our Departmental mouthpiece into an impressive A4 magazine. This last edition for 2004 covers an interesting variety, from World Environment Day to what is in store for the end of year function, new appointments in the Department, how you've enjoyed Sports Day, as well as the successful Women's Day we celebrated. Thank you to our reporters who assisted in keeping us up to speed with the latest Departmental developments. Have a pleasant festive season, drive carefully and remember to forward all breaking news to us in 2005! Keep well, Communication Component

Haal die telefoon van die mik af, skop jou skoene uit, gooi 'n lekker koue drankie in 'n glas, sit terug, ontspan en maak gereed om jouself oor te gee. Hierdie weergawe van EnD NEWS is vol glans en styl en, soos gewoonlik, baie insiggewend. Ons het al die lesers se voorstelle in gedagte gehou toe ons die Departementele mondstuk in 'n A4- tydskrif omskep het. Hierdie laaste uitgawe vir 2004 dek 'n interessante verskeidenheid, vanaf Wreld-Omgewingsdag tot en met die Jaareindfunksie, nuwe aanstellings in die Departement, hoe julle die Sportdag geniet en 'n suksesvolle Vrouedag gevier het. 'n Hartlike dank aan ons joernaliste, wat ons gehelp het om op die hoogte van die nuutste Departementele ontwikkelings te bly. Beste senwense vir die Feesseisoen, bestuur versigtig en onthou om die jongste nuus in 2005 aan te stuur! Vriendelike groete. Kommuniksiekomponent

Khupha umnxeba wakho kwihaki, khulula izihlangu, zigalelele isiselo, hlala phantsi woyame, khululeka ulungiselele ukuzonwabisa. Eli hlelo lwendaba ze-END zimsulwa zinenkazimlo, nohlobo oluthile ezibhalwe ngalo kwaye njengesiqhelo zinengcombolo. Sizithathel'ingqalelo zonke iingcebiso zabafundi saguqula isithethi seSebe lethu yaba yimagazini enomtsalane eyi-A4. Olu papasho lokugqibela lika2004 liquka iintlobo-ntlobo ezinomdla ezivela kwingingqi ngemini kazwelonke ukuya kwinto esevenkileni ukwenzela umgcobo wokuphela konyaka, ingqesho entsha, unyuselo eSebeni, indlela owonwabela ngayo imini zemidlalo kwakunye nombhiyozo wosuku lwamakhosikazi olwaba yimpumelelo. Siyabulela kwiintaitheli zethu ezincedisileyo ekusigcineni ngokukhawuleza ngenkqubela zakamva nje zeliSebe. Nibe nolonwabo kwiholide zenu zehlobo, niqhube ngenyameko nikhumbule ukuqhubekeka pahmbili ukubhengeza iindaba ngo2005. Nizigcine niphilile Icandelo Lonxubelelwano
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...continued from page1

electricity bills - it doesn't even know how much it is paying for the various departments and buildings around town! We aim to change this attitude and make everyone aware of electricity consumption and how to reduce it. One quick example as the summer heat arrives: when YOU arrive at work, open a window to let fresh air in while the day is young and the air is cool; you can close it later once the day heats up. What are we doing now? The team is busy designing small information posters to go up next to paper recycling bins. (By the way, we are about to purchase 25 more bins for our building.) These mini-posters will explain what is recyclable and what isn't. A good example is the red and white paper ream wrapper. It has a waxy moisture-proof paper wrapper and cannot be recycled, so please put it in your normal bin. The Utilitas building is about to have an airconditioning refit to remove the ugly, noisy, inefficient window mounted `boxes'. We are working closely with Public Works to ensure they install a clever system that uses the least energy and provides you with a comfortable office environment. More on this later.

NEW APPOINTMENTS
There are so many people popping in and out of our Department that it is often difficult to know who is a new staff member and who isnt. As the main source of news, EnD NEWS would like to update you as to who's new in the Department. We therefore would like to welcome the following people: M.C. FORD Z. TSHANGELA C.W. NORMAN M.R. SAMAAI A. DAMANE C.M.P . WILLIAMS M. LYONS S. FRIDAY G.G. SNYDERS T.V. TAUTE R.C. BEZUIDENHOUT J.C. FILLIS E. DE WAAL S. VAN ROOYEN K.S. TE ROLLER C.J. STEYN M.M. CELE N.C. CROWSTER S.R.V. GOVENDER E.D. DE JAGER If we missed any names, please let us know and we'll include them in the next edition of EnD NEWS. Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.

Well done to our prize winners, keep taking part and let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions for this project.
Roger Diamond and Berneditte Moitse

WE HAVE MOVED!
The Directorate Functional Support is a newly formed component within the Chief Directorate Environmental & Land Planning. It consists of 3 SubDirectorates, namely: Law Enforcement & Compliance; Operational Policy & Transversal Co-ordination; and Information Services. During the week of 2-6 August 2004 the Directorate was permanently housed in Leeusig Building. Office space was thrown into disarray with the packing of boxes and the dismantling of furniture and computer equipment! For at least 2 weeks, proper functionality within the Directorate came to a standstill, while the furniture and computers were transported to the new building and then reassembled. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Public Works Department (especially Mr David Aitchison), our Department's Supply Chain Management (Mr David Motzemi and his team) as well as all the other role-players who assisted in ensuring a smooth transition for our personnel. An invitation is also extended to the rest of our Department as well as our existing and potential clients to visit our stylish new offices at Leeusig Building, 4th Floor, 4 Leeuwen Street (diagonally opposite the High Court entrance), where there is also a cosy restaurant on the ground floor.

MONITORING POPULATION FLUCTUATION

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, together with the University of Stellenbosch, has embarked on a study to develop a suitable model to monitor the fluctuation of population in the municipal areas of the Western Cape. There are three objectives to the study: ! Estimating water consumption per person per day; ! Identifying best practices for data collection of municipal indicators; ! Developing and testing a model to monitor population fluctuation and putting together a manual describing the model. Estimating water consumption per person per day. For this phase there were two factors in the research that needed controls to be established. The first was a control for seasonal differences in water usage, and the second was the use of communal taps in unserviced areas together with inaccurate population numbers and lack of water meters in unserviced areas (for communal taps). In order to establish a control for the first factor (seasonal patterns) it was decided to divide the collecting of data on water usage into two stages. Water usage is measured for two weeks in winter and two weeks in summer. Regarding the second factor it was clear from the onset of the study that measuring water usage in households in unserviced areas would have to be treated differently from households in serviced areas. For those in serviced areas a weekly water meter reading was taken for three consecutive weeks. This data was used to determine a water consumption pattern for two weeks. For unserviced areas it was important to determine the different ways in which people get water, the number of times a day a household will have to go and fetch water and general problems and 'politics' around water in the community. Before the actual measuring of water consumption in these unserviced areas commenced, focus groups were held with the households included in the study in order to establish such practices. The research team also measured all containers used to fetch water by the specific households. Thereafter each household received a schedule on which they had to indicate on a daily basis the time they fetched water, how much water, for what use water is fetched, and who fetched the water. For both serviced and unserviced houses information on the household size was collected in order to calculate water usage per person per day. The total number of households included in this phase was 15 in three different municipal districts: the Saldanha Bay, Stellenbosch and Breede Valley Municipalities. The 15 households consisted of five informal dwellings (shacks), 5 RDP houses (serviced) and 5 other formal houses (serviced). Identifying best practices for data collection of municipal indicators The objective here was to identify possible best practices already used by municipalities regarding indicators such as informal settlement unit counts, establishing mean household size, regular monitoring of water and electricity consumption, etc. Data collected by the research team was analysed and a number of 'best practice' municipalities were visited to establish the method used to collect data on the aforementioned indicators. Best practices identified thus far include: ! System for the effective management of informal settlements in Overstrand Municipality; ! Interpretation of water consumption by using Sewer and Water model Interfacing to Financial Treasury Systems (SWIFT) system; ! Interpretation of electricity consumption as noted on the National Electricity Regulator report for Pre-paid and conventional meters; ! A practice to avoid the so-called 'silo-culture' in municipalities, which entails a monthly Joint Committee Meeting in the Swartland Municipality. Developing and testing a model to monitor population fluctuation and writing a manual To be developed and tested from November 2004 to February 2005. Research Team Simon Bekker, Ilse Eigelaar-Meets, Gerald Muller Kozette Swart [All the research members are affiliated to the Department of Sociology, University of Stellenbosch.]

ENOUGH SYMPATHY TO SHOW EMPATHY

Counselling HIV and AIDS requires a different approach compared to general counselling, and certainly poses a challenge not to become personally involved. When the opportunity arose, Deidr Foster from the Communication Component seized the opportunity to be trained to become a lay counsellor. Said Deidr: After five weeks of intensive training, I most enjoyed the sessions with the practical role players. Although counselling HIV and AIDS only formed part of the training curriculum, special emphasis was placed on the different kind of approach required for HIV positive individuals. The training did cover universal counselling skills to suitably equip the lay counsellors for almost any case in hand. I feel strongly about HIV and AIDS, which is why I attended the course, Deidr said, and would certainly recommend the training to everyone that is prepared and willing to just listen without getting involved. This is particularly difficult since most cases are traumatic, and is why trainees are equipped to become emotionally removed from their cases. Coping mechanisms are also provided for dealing with these highly traumatic instances. You are allowed to show empathy but not sympathy, which indicates the fine balance between counselling and listening. EnD NEWS wishes you well in your new challenge.

VINUM ET VERITAS LAETIFICANT COR!

The time is nigh for all to get into the mood and party the old year out and the new year in. 2004 practically flew out of the window and now we have to reflect and think back on all the decisions made, the changes being implemented and the strategies for 2005. Before we do that though, the Department needs to get together and have a fun-filled day, full of laughter, excitement, games and relaxation and what's better than to celebrate with all your colleagues at a huge END OF YEAR function. Yes, you are not imagining things! We are going to have a smashing END OF YEAR function at Nelson's Creek just outside Wellington. This will be held on Friday, 10 December 2004. Bring your picnic blankets, a little cash for alcoholic beverages, your swimsuits and most important, bring yourself. You don't have to be concerned about transport - that is taken care of! Just come out and have some fun. It is going to be the best day of the year, to chill out, unwind, have a drink and be merry with the rest of your colleagues. These socialising opportunities seldom arise between staff members, so this is a chance for you to celebrate the past year and to create a better team spirit for the year to come. Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.
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singing, Wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokotho (You strike a woman, you strike a rock!). As the train moved along from town to town more women were collected and they all had something to say about their trip to Pretoria. Thelma Vuyiseka Mapeyi, a student Social Worker from Bellville said, Women still need to protest in the year 2004 because men still think that they rule. In those years women protested against Apartheid regulations, but now we have the freedom to fight for gender equality and like in 1956, if women stand together, we can achieve anything. The train departed at 06:00am on August 30 and arrived at Klerksdorp at 04:00am on August 31. From here the women were taken by bus to Pretoria to participate in the march. Attending the celebration was reminiscent of the past, having to travel the distance by train was an adventure of a lifetime, but being together with about 15 000 women was completely liberating. Wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokotho.

MARCH TO PRETORIA
As dawn broke on a cold winter Monday morning women from all over Cape Town met at Cape Town Station to attend a march from Pretoria's Art Museum to the Union Buildings. On 9 August 1956, 20 000 women from all over South Africa marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act of 1950. This march was a re-enactment of the historic 1956 protest and reinforced the idea of womens' resilliance and ability to overcome anything. The excitement in the air was tangible, with women running up and down in the train

Xhosa available on Portal.

WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATIONS

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (D:EA&DP) hosted Women's Day celebrations from Wednesday, 11 August to Saturday, 14 August 2004. All staff were invited to participate in the various activities that took place during this week. The activities included women sharing their experiences about working in their different environments; exhibitions of various stories relating to the roles of women in society; and photographs of women in the Department giving their views of what they envision for the future. The objectives of the celebration were ! To create awareness of gender issues, which exist in our Department, ! To recognise the valuable contribution of women towards a sustainable environment inside and outside of the department, ! To embrace what women have achieved over the last decade and ! To outline the mission and vision for women and the environment for the next decade of our democracy. Emphasising the Department's determination towards equality, D:EA&DP together with CapeNature and the South African National Botanical Institute (SANBI), presented a programme at Driftsands on Saturday, 14 August. Women in the community came together to participate in workshops, which were hosted by the various organisations. Skills were acquired in terms of starting and maintaining income-generating projects for the improvement and development of their immediate environment.

Minister Essop delivers an inspirational speech during Women's Day celebrations at Driftsands.

The Women's Month celebration highlighted equity concerns of women. It gave women a chance to give their opinion without being singled out. Women stood together and said what they had to say. This was a refreshing way to explore the concept of change and women are looking forward to the implementation of the issues raised during the celebration.

SOCCER SCENE
In July this year Johnathan Klaasen had a brain wave, which was to start a Departmental Soccer team. Gareth Hendricks and Peter Visser quickly jumped into action organizing a team. The guys appointed Edward Arthur Sias as team manager and Roderick Seentleng as captain. Garth Hendricks was chosen as vice captain. After the first match at Cape Town High School, the guys played the rest of the league matches at Rygate Park. They played every Wednesday for two months and persevered in rain and sunshine. During the first few matches, the team seemed to have difficulty in getting the game to flow. As time progressed, the fitness levels improved and so did the team spirit. The team may not have stuck it out without the assistance of their technical advisor, Mr Joseph Beckles, and the support of their loyal fans. It seems that the more mature players, Anwaar Gaffoor and Rubin Arends, were the only ones who never really had problems with muscle cramps and injuries!

As with any soccer team, they had some downs when a few key players left the department towards the end of the season. They said goodbye to Percy Langa, Siyabulela Dywili, Fabian Williams, Wezzo Boylitye and their Vice Captain. Hendricks has however made it known that his loyalties lie with Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, and he is looking forward to the next season, as is the rest of the team. When asking the fans what they thought about the team, many had this to say: Hot Rod! Rod's the man! While cheering for Vuyani, JJ innocently caught on and started shouting, 'Go Breyani Go!!' Needless to say, we had loads of fun! The season has ended; maybe it's time to start something new LIKE CRICKET. The only thing, which remains to be said, is that we look forward to the next soccer season.

Xhosa available on Portal.

Our own soccer team. Veni vidi vici. They need your support.

Front Row - left to right - Marlin Williams; Shawn Le Roux; Jonathan Hanabe; Anwaar Gaffoor; Wezo Bolitye; Roderick Sentleeng (Captain) Back Row - left to right - Gareth Hendricks (Vice-Captain); Kamaseelan Chetty; Fabian Williams; Peter Visser; Rowan Barker; Vuyani Sikawuti; Rubin Arends; Jason Fillis Edward Arthur Sias - Manager JA Beckles - Technical Adviser
Photograph taken by - Deidr Foster - No.1 Supporter

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GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) AN ATTEMPT TO DEMYSTIFY

Properly used, GIS is a decision making tool. It is not just a mapping programme it provides a visual representation of the elements on the ground, but also allows spatial data to be queried so as to establish trends, predict outcomes, and possibly affect budgeting. It is a specialised system with easy-to-understand visual products and consists of five elements: ! GIS software ! Trained/skilled staff ! Cutting edge hardware ! Accurate data ! Methods (Standards, guidelines, procedures) The Sub-Directorate Information Services, within the Directorate Functional Support, boasts all of the above-mentioned elements. From left: Andr van der Merwe, Victor Nicholson, Trevlyn Davies, Information Services assist Akhona Damane, Kitta Saayman, Simphiwe Vanqa, Pumeza Matiwane various clients with their Front: Lehan Fouch mapping needs and also supply spatial data extensively. In addition to this, recent projects such as the Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF), the State of the Environment Report (SoER), the Growth Potential For more information about GIS products and of Smaller Towns study (GPST), as well as the services, please contact: Local Government Disaster Management Mr. Lehan Fouch Programme have been embarked upon. Deputy Director: Information Services Tel: (021) 483-3688 The imagination is the only limitation in GIS! Fax: (021) 483-4440 Email: lfouche@pgwc.gov.za GIS provides the following products and services: Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal. ! Map Production ! Spatial data provision ! Demographic / Socio-economic data ! Statistical Reports ! GIS Support & Co-ordination

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PATERNOSTER FYNBOS PARK

The purpose of the Paternoster Fynbos Park Clean-up Project is to contribute to the improvement of the physical environment and eradicate poverty within the Saldanha Bay area. Pollution and littering is one of the environmental issues of concern to the area and needs to be addressed. Saldanha Bay is a well-known tourist destination and in order to promote tourism in the area and enhance the standards of living of the community, a clean and healthy environment is a prerequisite.

The project has already started with a clean-up and collection of refuse which is within the Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The establishment of the project will create jobs for the poor and the unemployed in six towns where the project is to be implemented. Six individual towns will be cleaned at least 2 weeks per month with ten workers, 12 times per year. One week is required for each clean-up and each worker receives R300 per week. Intensive environmental and rehabilitation operations will result in a litter-free environment, for example, Paternoster Fynbos Park. The municipality is planning to extend their waste minimization and recycling efforts through private sector and community involvement.

Minister Tasneem Essop donating and planting a tree with the community of Paternoster.

AREAS OF DECLINE TO BE HIGHLIGHTED FOR SUSTAINABLE SURVIVAL

HUNDREDS of delegates are expected to descend on the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) within days to debate the Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PSDF). The one day consultative summit, which will be held on November 29, has been organised by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning. This comes after months of investigation and analysis by a team of consultants. During October six community workshops were held across the province to obtain input from residents and local organisations. The PSDF will address Apartheid spatial planning in the Western Cape, provide a detailed map indicating areas of economic growth and, more importantly, areas of potential growth. Implementing the plan will have a huge impact on areas where little economic activity takes place. In striving to create a home for all, the PSDF will also indicate the best locations for sustainable human settlements. For the first time the Provincial Government will be able to pin-point areas of decline that need special intervention to ensure their sustainable survival. The framework will also have an impact on how, where and on what Government spends money. Provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Tasneem Essop said: Government will also be able to encourage private sector investment where it is needed most, with a view to maintaining and enhancing the Province's unique environment and ensuring that our biodiversity and our cultural environment are conserved for future generations. The importance of having a PSDF has become apparent during the workshops, as concerns around the sustainability of our electricity, water supplies and sewerage systems have already become apparent. But the Western Cape economy is diverse and growing, this province has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, with agriculture, tourism and financial services earmarked as areas of huge potential growth. Delegates will include representatives from government, labour, business and related organisations.
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WESTERN CAPE STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT (SoER) - 22 OCTOBER 2004

SRK Consulting has recently been appointed to commence with Phase 2 of the provincial SoER for the Western Cape. The Western Cape SoER initiative began with an SoE Overview Report (Phase 1), which was completed by SRK in June 2004. Phase 2 will involve the development of indicators and the production of the Year One SoER. Sixteen themes covering a range of biophysical, social and economic issues will be addressed in the report. The SoER will be updated on a yearly basis and will use indicators to track environmental change and highlight issues in order to facilitate sustainable development. Additionally, it will give effect to the legal requirements for granting access to environmental information and will promote environmental awareness within provincial government and the wider public. The SRK team for Phase 2, which includes consultants from the CSIR, will work closely with the PSDF project team and with the PSDF/SoER Steering Committee. SRK Consulting (Johannesburg) has also recently completed the Gauteng SoER and has been appointed to compile the National SoER. The Cape Town team will be working in close co-operation with their colleagues in Johannesburg to ensure the Western Cape report integrates well with the National initiative as well as with other provincial and local SoE initiatives. The Year One SoER for the Western Cape is expected to be completed by May 2005.

PETER SE MUSIEKNOTE LAAT KONTANTNOTE ROL

Met die tweede meeste prysgeld van R24 600 tot dusver in een program van die huidige Noot vir Noot reeks op SABC 2, het Peter Visser seker gemaak van 'n plek in die semi-finaal vir 2004. Dit is net die berugte Daantjie wat meer geld in een program kon maak. Tans werksaam in die afdeling Steundienste op die vierde vloer in Utilitas gebou, was Peter baie geheimsinnig oor die semi-finaal wat op 4 Desember uitgesaai word, maar reeds opgeneem was. EnD NEWS het Peter onlangs gepols oor sy besondere talent, en sy prestasie op Noot vir Noot hierdie jaar. Peter het aan EnD NEWS ges dat die hele Noot vir Noot ervaring onvergeetlik was. Hy het ook tydens die opnames goed bevriend geraak met Luke van der Merwe, die kitaarspeler in die Musiekfabriek, en hoop om in die toekoms, op musikale vlak nouer met Luke saam te werk. Sy belangstelling en liefde vir musiek was nog altyd deel van sy lewe, s Peter. Hoewel hy 'n voorkeur vir Country musiek en Creedence Clearwater Revival se Rock van die sestiger jare het, strek sy kennis van musiek oor bykans die hele spektrum, en luister hy na alle musiek. Volgens Peter het hy ook heelwat van musiek by sy oom, Kevin Large geleer, wat baie betrokke was in die musiekbedryf. Laasgenoemde was deel van die plaaslike groep Rocking Horse, en sy dogter, Cheree, is 'n bekende in musiekkringe, en het ook al heelparty opnames gedoen. Tans is Peter se musiekloopbaan aan die stillerige kant, en beplan hy om, sodra die geleentheid hom voordoen, meer aktief op te tree. Hy het ook, onder andere, deel van sy prysgeld vir die aankoop van musiek verwante toerusting gebruik. En beplan ook om 'n CD in die redelik nabye toekoms vry te stel. Namens die Departement wil EnD NEWS vir Peter baie sterkte en sukses toewens met die res van die Noot vir Noot kompetisie.
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MAJOR NEW COASTAL ANTI-POACHING INITIATIVE LAUNCHED

"It is time for illegal fishing operations that threaten the very existence of marine species to feel the full force of our determination. It is time for these poachers to become the hunted." These were the words of Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, speaking at the launch of National Marine Week in Hout Bay on Friday, October 15. Hout Bay is the largest proclaimed fishing harbour managed by the Department. The Minister used the event to announce the details of a major new marine anti-poaching operation, which will effectively replace the existing Operation Neptune. "This new initiative will be a joint operation between our Department, the SA Police Service, and the Overstrand Municipality. It is a three-pronged strategy to tackle and root out the causes of the serious decline in abalone stocks," said the Minister. Expanding on the three focal points of the new programme, the Minister said: "Dedicated and highly visible policing on shore and on the water to deter and arrest poachers will be combined with a new intelligence and investigation capacity. We will prosecute buyers, middlemen and exporters shutting down the supply chain. The third leg of our strategy will entail a range of measures to attempt to limit the migration of West Coast Rock Lobster into the area east of Gansbaai, which has also been a major cause of young abalone loss." The new initiative will see about R8 million in extra funding added annually to the existing Operation Neptune and Overstrand MARINES programme resources, bringing the operational budget to well in excess of R15 million per year. "We will be creating a dedicated Operations Room and help-line with a 24-hour response capacity to encourage the public to supply more information on poaching activities," said the Minister. "There will be dedicated investigation and enforcement teams operating with the Scorpions, much closer partnership with the Asset Forfeiture Unit, and a
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new Departmental office opened at Pearly Beach. This will be boosted by a plan with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for vessel and helicopter surveillance in the Overstrand, a dedicated intelligence operative, a permanent highspeed vessel presence in the area and ongoing road-blocks. Observation posts will be staffed around the clock, with strict enforcement of our offroad vehicle legislation. I also intend to prohibit unregulated diving in the area by prescribing regulations before year end." Additional plans include increasing the number of fishery control officers in partnership with the Overstrand Municipality, creating a publicparticipation forum between the enforcement authorities, local communities, and rights holders, as well as the possible establishment of a limited new boat-based recreational West Coast Rock Lobster fishing season in the area from Gansbaai to Buffeljags. Cementing the partnership between the Department, the police and provincial government Minister Van Schalkwyk and the Western Cape Minister of Community Safety, Leonard Ramatlakane also signed a memorandum of understanding launching the new initiative. The branding and final deployment of the programme will be announced before the end of the year. Speaking about the wider importance of Marine Week, Minister Van Schalkwyk said: "Our theme this year is 'From mountains, catchments & river streams to the ocean floor - A Nation at work to sustain our seas'. It captures the importance of

The new marine anti-poaching initiative also aims at rooting out the notorious and prolific illegal trade in abalone. educating all South Africans about the need to protect our marine and coastal resources, and focuses on the fact that much of the damage done to our coastal environment starts in communities far

from the coast. 80% of all marine pollution is from land-based sources like pipelines and plastic pollution flowing downriver and emptying into the sea. One very visible example is the plastic packaging strips and bands that collect in stormwater drains and wash into the ocean, often maiming or killing marine animals like seals. To highlight these issues our Deputy Minister launched our Entanglement Campaign and announced the beaches that have been awarded Blue Flag recognition." (See page 23 for more information.) The Minister also officially opened the newly refurbished, upgraded, and renovated SA Fisheries Museum in the Hout Bay harbour. "Our Department has allocated R750 000 for this project to develop the museum into a financially sustainable facility promoting education and tourism. With the unique fishing history and

traditions of Hout Bay this project has much potential for growth and to offer our fishing community a related but alternative sustainable livelihood to direct participation in fishing." Drawing together the different messages of the day the Minister said: "From anti-poaching and enforcement operations, to education and job creation we are demonstrating the value of our marine resources and the fishing sector. About 29 000 South Africans are directly employed in fishing with about another 60 000 employed in the related sectors, but during Marine Week we highlight the importance to every South African community. Our marine environment is one of our most important national assets, and together we must work to protect, preserve and promote its value." ENQUIRIES: RIAAN AUCAMP: 083-778-9923

CHANGE IS GOOD
After the first edition of EnD NEWS, the editorial committee conducted a survey to determine the staff's impression of the newsletter. The response was resounding, so we decided to change the layout and design significantly. In general, you thought that the newsletter was good, but felt that there was room for improvement in terms of layout, size practicality and content. After reviewing all the comments, the design, layout and contents were changed to to accommodate your needs. We envisage the newsletter to be more than just an effective medium of internal communication and greatly value your opinion. We will therefore will be conducting another survey targeting the same focus group to test the changes we made. Thank you for your input so far. We trust that you will continue to be involved in the improvement of EnD NEWS. Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.

PROTEA COLOURS FOR D:EA&DP TOWN PLANNER

Not even the demands of a prolific professional career could stop Alexia Julius from acquiring top honours for Eight-ball pool. Having received her Protea colours in August at the National Ladies Pool Championships in Secunda, capped eight years of dedication towards the green and gold. Inseparable from the game since 1996, Alexia became attracted to pool during casual employment at the Langenhoven student centre's Wonderland games facility in Stellenbosch. During that time she became a full time member of the Van der Stel Sport Club, affording her the opportunity to represent Boland at provincial level. Although eight years seem inappropriately extended to become a Protea, it only proofs that a coveted achievement requires patience and diligence. Residing in Stellenbosch, she at present plays her pool in the Helderberg zone. Notwithstanding the demands of a prolific pool career, Alexia graduated from Stellenbosch not only with a BA degree and Honours in Journalism, but also a Masters degree in Town and Regional Planning. Well done, we at the Department look forward to Alexia's first international pool test for women, scheduled for May next year taking place in England. Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.
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HIV AND AIDS IN THE WORKPLACE

Imagine walking into a clinic, to go for a VCT (Voluntary Counselling and Testing), for the very first time. The nurse sits down, talks for about thirty minutes. She asks questions about your lifestyle and what has convinced you to come for an HIV test. She finally asks what would happen if you tested HIV positive? She takes blood from your finger and leads you into the waiting area. You sit for five minutes, you're called back into the room and your results are given to you. Scary thought? PGWC employees are given positive results on a daily basis. This is an alarming fact as AIDS posters, information pamphlets and condoms are freely available. Yet so many people are still being infected. What's up, people? Obviously whatever attempts being made by government to stop the spread of HIV are not taken seriously enough. Primarily HIV is spread either through unprotected sex with an infected person, by contact with infected blood and blood products or by mother to child transmission. It all sounds good on paper, but what happens if someone in the office cuts her / himself badly and has blood gushing out of their hands? Surely most people would jump at the sight and try to assist. Considering that one in five persons in the Western Cape is infected with the virus, it would not be such a good idea to assist without the use of gloves. Little things need to be taken into consideration. Awareness needs to be created with regards to HIV and AIDS to firstly be on guard and make use of surgical gloves when the need arises and secondly to erase the stigma around HIV and AIDS. How do we do that? By

educating employees about the disease, making people aware that just because someone is HIV Positive does not mean that person was sleeping around. Government has realized the importance of having trained counsellors on duty to assist employees who are infected, as well as affected, by this disease. After completing a Five day intensive counselling course at the AIDS Training, Information and Counselling Centre (ATICC) it is clear that there is much work to be done in this field. People still have the mindset that HIV will never infect them. WRONG! Live with the notion that it can always happen.

Mr Theo Gildenhuys enjoying himself during an HIV and AIDS Indaba V, held earlier this year in Boksburg. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning can create a paradigm shift by promoting and educating staff. Every official has got the opportunity to assist in maintaining a sustainable home, but we need to be alive and healthy. Protect yourself; it's the responsible thing to do. Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.

DEMOGRAPHIC ATLAS OF THE WESTERN CAPE

Census data has been a need for many people in different professions. They are always searching for statistics to show patterns or to highlight certain trends and fears. Without statistics we would not be able to spot our flaws and correct them, or highlight potential strengths and improve on or nurture them. The Sub-Directorate Information Services, within the Directorate Functional Support, is presently in the process of compiling a Demographic Atlas of the Western Cape, which will display the Census 2001 statistics in a spatial format. This project is still in its early stages and discussions around the format, scale and level of detail contained in the atlas are currently underway. It is envisaged that a draft Demographic Atlas will be available by March 2005. Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.
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ROADSHOWS 2004
During the last few months we have toured the Province, launching programmes, meeting communities at Imbizos, and showing our commitment to the Premier's 100 Day Deliverables. Furthermore, the Deputy President, Premier and Minister Essop planted trees in the Western Cape as a sign of growth and development.
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SECOND IN SA FOR THE SHEER LOVE OF IT!

Imagine listening to music pulsating at 146 decibels, on a sound system that was judged the second loudest in South Africa. Says Marlin Williams from Government Motor Transport Section on fourth floor: I do it for the pure love of it, as a stress reliever. Playing with wires since he was ten years old, Marlin's big love is to build and customise speaker boxes for sound systems to be installed into vehicles. What started as a hobby, developed into a passion that brought him second place over-all at Audio Maniacs' annual sound competition in Elsies River earlier this year. Competitors from all over the country take part in this competition, which has run for five years already. They noisily display amplifiers cleverly transformed into Leonardo da Vinci-like pieces of sound. After all, the car with the loudest sound at the event takes home the trophy. With no formal training in electronics, Marlin, while attending primary school, would spend hours in the library scrutinising literature on sound systems. Obviously, together with specialised technical knowledge and audible results, he became sought after for installing sound systems for various sound addicts. With some of them prepared to spend more or less R12 000 to be the loudest, Marlin certainly aims to listen to his customers. Asked about the secret for the loudest car, he facetiously admitted to the proverbial ace up his sleeve. Since there are courses for horses, this is certainly Marlin's course, and you'll have to cough up to be heard.

SNIPPET
The staff in Utilitas and Property Centre generate 33kg of waste per day. 110 people work in both buildings, although with annual leave, sick leave, courses, site visits, etc; there are probably no more than 80 people at any given time. That gives 400g per person per day, which is a lot. That includes all waste, such as boxes and polystyrene from new computers as well. During March this year we used about 1700kWh (kilowatt hours) of electricity per day. That's around 20kWh, or 2.5kW, per person per day. That's like having a kettle on all the time, or 10 computers. Why is it so much? Air-conditioners and lifts probably account for at least half of our electricity consumption. Understanding kW and kWh: watts or kilowatts (thousands of watts) are a rate of energy consumption, like speed in a car. Kilowatt-hours are a total of energy consumption, like distance travelled. For example, assume you travel at 100km/h for four hours, you will have travelled 400km. It's just as easy with power: If you use a 1000W appliance like a microwave oven for four hours, you will have used 4000Wh, or 4kWh.

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PROVINCIAL SPORT'S DAY

Although the start of the day was a bit delayed, we greenies had an awesome time at the Sports Day, which took place on Friday, 15 October 2004. The Department in their green T-shirts really made a statement, as always. We were looking very bright, happy and, of course, sporty. The cloudy start to the day turned out to be really delightful and with our main caterer, Mr Sias, we were able to satisfy all our basic needs. Here are a few quotes from staff who attended the event. Trevlyn Davies Just shortly, I think the day seemed better organised than when I last attended. However, there is still the question of whether the day will EVER start on time & I also feel there should be more announcements made in respect of what's happening at the time / why the delays / etc. This time factor caused many participants like me, dependant on the buses, to arrive home late therefore more effort should be made to start the programme on time. As far as the table tennis (TT) was concerned, I found it VERY accommodating that the ladies were allowed to play during the time the men's matches were underway: participants were paired to play as they became available, instead of having to wait until all the men's matches were finalised which by then the ladies had dwindled off elsewhere & lost interest. Attendance in the ladies' TT this year was bad. I speak under correction, but I think only 6 or 8 ladies played. I also took part in the Funwalk & (proudly) received a medal for my efforts! I did not support / watch any of the other sporting codes, since I watched all the men's TT matches, which as usual were well supported. Deidr Foster Nothing beats the festive atmosphere that one experiences when attending a provincial Sport's Day. The smell of braai; the cheers from the stadium, music playing in the background and the perfect warm, sunny weather. (It was a bit cloudy in the morning though.) What makes this day really special, and totally different from any other "team building" event is the following. No matter where on the corporate ladder one is, sport is sport and fair is fair. Secondly, it's the only time in the entire year, one gets to meet people from other departments, in a social manner. There were vast amounts of sporting codes to choose from (if one can include drinking as a sport). The majority of the officials chose the big walk, and unlike other years, everyone who walked and finished the race in a specified time, received a medal. Well done to the walkers. Our very own transport officer, made his braaing debute, as he and his wife had a stall selling delicious boerewors rolls. It seems Sias is gifted in marketing in addition to other things, as he had the entire department queuing for his specialties. For those who could not come, and those who would not come, there's always next year. Nicole Petersen I enjoyed the fun march and the camaraderie between the different Departments. Although it started a bit late, I will definitely attend it next year. I look forward to seeing more staff members from our department. Shadley MacKenzie Regarding the Sport's Day. The day was fun. It gave us a chance to network" as well as see each other in a more social setting, which I think is important. Loved the party atmosphere of the day as well. Being an armchair sportsman it was fun seeing my colleagues battling against what their bodies would allow. Maybe next year I will gather enough courage to do the same! Been training as well.... walking from the car to the office. Enjoyed the day a lot. Lynette Speller The disappointing part of the sport's day was that the activities started very late, which meant that the programme was not adhered to as was advertised previously (on intranet as well). I believe the sport's day that was held in the Southern Cape prior to our sport's day, was very successful. The staff at the George office actually "bragged" that everything was on time. On the other hand I must admit that the sport's day was better, "Entertainment-wise", than the previous years. The MC was quite good and entertaining and kept everyone on their toes. The sport's day was otherwise actually quite good!
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CLEANEST TOWN COMPETITION

Western Cape Environmental Affairs and Development Planning Minister, Tasneem Essop launched the 2004/5 Cleanest Town Competition for Western Cape municipalities at a luncheon in Cape Town on Tuesday, September 14. Announcing rd the competition's 3 consecutive run since its introduction in 2001 by former Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa, Minister Essop emphasised that the focus of the competition this year is the effective utilisation by municipalities of available resources to realize the environmental right for all enshrined in the Constitution. The competition must be seen to have direct benefits for all our poor and marginalized communities in the province. More than 50% of South African communities, especially in townships, rural and informal areas do not have access to a proper waste collection system, resulting in a range of negative health and environmental impacts. A clean and healthy environment is inextricably linked to the socioeconomic improvement of all people, Minister Essop said. She added that the Cleanest Town Competition is one of the primary awareness raising programmes for a National Waste Management Strategy, which aims to transform the ideals of South African policies and legislation into a visible and participatory integrated waste management programme. Aimed at changing attitudes by raising awareness, and educating our nation towards environmentally friendly waste management practices, the competition is a vehicle to encourage South Africans to pro-actively participate in the moral regeneration of their communities. This will be done by re-introducing pride and commitment to clean up our environment. Also, consistent improvements in waste management initiatives, at municipal as well as community level, are acknowledged by the competition, while municipalities are encouraged to continuously improve their waste management services. The forging of partnerships between municipalities, community groups and private sector companies to protect our environment is also encouraged, as this could also become a lucrative venture towards sustainable development. The Cleanest Town Competition does not focus merely on activities specifically designed to suitably impress the evaluation panel, but assesses the
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municipalities according to routine activities aimed at improving and maintaining the quality of the living environment for their inhabitants. Having tapped into the environmentally related expertise of various Departments, such as Health and Water Affairs and Forestry as well as experienced NGO's such as the Fairest Cape Association, the evaluation panel has positioned itself as a transparent and unbiased adjudicator. The provincial winners will be announced during April 2005, while the national winners be announced on June 5, 2005 - National Environment Day. Last year 19 municipalities entered the competition, and this year will see no fewer than 21 out of a possible 24 local municipalities (excluding district municipalities) vying for the coveted prize. Above all, participating in the competition requires no additional spending from entrants as municipalities are encouraged to view continuous environmental improvement as part of day-to-day business.

Provincial Evaluation Panel. From the left: Stanley Nomdo - Environmental Health Practitioner, Department of Health, Eddie Hanekom - Deputy Director: Waste Management, Thorsten Aab: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Alison Davison - Assistant Director: Waste Management, Russel Mehl - Senior Environmental Officer, Tasneem Essop - Minister and Rodney Leak - CEO Fairest Cape Association.

Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.

INVESTIGATION INTO SUSTAINABILITY OF LEISURE DEVELOPMENTS NEARING COMPLETION

The Rapid Review Study into the sustainability of golf courses and polo estates in the Southern Cape is nearing completion and initial findings will be presented at the Provincial Spatial Development Framework summit next week. MCA Planners a consortium of development planners, engineers and environmental consultants were appointed in October after a rigorous tendering process by the department. The group is now nearing the end of their mammoth investigation into the sustainability of golf courses and polo fields. By the end of March draft policy guidelines will be made available. Provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Tasneem Essop announced her intention to launch an investigation shortly after taking office in May. Minister Essop made it clear that the socioeconomic impacts, planning consideration, environmental, cultural and heritage considerations, services, mitigating measures, international and South African best practice needed to be investigated. Over recent years environmentalists, communities, many of them marginalised, and other interest groups, have expressed alarm at the plethora of golf course developments along the world renowned Garden Route. The Rapid Review Study is expected to include a status quo report, identifying existing impacts (positive and negative), issues, practice, existing policy, norms and standards. They will also produce a map of existing golf courses and polo fields.

Photos: Kelvin Saunders, CapeNature

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YOUTH SERVICE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED

On 16 June 2004 in celebration of Youth Day the YSP (Youth Service Programme), a joint venture between CapeNature, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and Umsobomvu Youth Fund (UYF), was launched at Driftsands Nature Reserve in Delft. Seventy previously disadvantaged young people are given the opportunity to develop an intimate understanding of mother earth and all that she generates as part of the YSP programme, aimed at equipping young people with skills and work experience in conservation. CapeNature's programme co-ordinator, Kahmiela August, stated that the YSP in conservation is the first of its kind in South Africa: Three groups of about 24 learners between the ages of 18 and 25 years are based at the Vrolijkheid Nature Reserve near McGregor, the Driftsands Nature Reserve in Delft; Cape Flats and the Witfontein Nature Reserve in Outeniqua, respectively, she said. UYF programme manager, Penny Foley, commented that CapeNature / UYF YSP fulfils one of the goals of government's National Youth Service Programme (NYSP), which is to provide unemployed young people with an opportunity to acquire skills and become of service to their communities and the country.

According to Mrs August, the aim is to develop the young people holistically and, in addition to technical training, there is a strong focus on experiential service learning. They are involved in several community-oriented activities throughout the programme and they cook their own meals, wash their own clothes and study in their spare time. Within 7 months of operation of the CapeNature / UYF YSP , CapeNature was selected by the National Youth Commission and UYF as a model for youth service and was awarded the honour of hosting a Presidential Delegation headed by Minister Essop Pahad. The Event was attended by national and provincial ministers (including Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff and our very own Provincial Minister of Environmental Affairs, Tasneem Essop), as well as many other dignitaries. In recognition of the success of this programme, the UYF has requested that the CapeNature / UYF YSP be upscaled to accommodate more young people within the Western Cape in 2005. This would continue to provide for the personal and economic development of unemployed youth within our Province, equipping them with skills to form part of the Province's economic and skills base, be it as entrepreneurs who create sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their communities or as entry level employees within the conservations or any other sector. In the words of Dr Pahad, if our people are given the opportunity to participate actively in something, they will do it. Credit: Acknowledgements to: CapeNature, Umsobomvu Youth Fund & Dr Essop Pahad, Minister in the Presidency, 2004.

Photo: Kelvin Saunders, CapeNature 22

Participants on the programme, who start at 06:00 and end at 22:00 daily, work towards achieving a National Resource Guardianship (NRG) certificate and other Section Education and Training Authority (SETA) qualifications including computer, entrepreneurial and business skills. Additionally, they acquire soft skills such as self-awareness, teamwork and conflict resolution, as well as hard skills such as how to handle a job interview and how to compile a CV.

CITY AWARDED BLUE FLAG STATUS FOR MNANDI AND CLIFTON FOURTH BEACH
Local and international tourism has received a major boost with Cape Town's Mnandi Beach and Clifton Fourth Beach being awarded the soughtafter Blue Flag status for this coming season. Blue Flag is an annual eco award given to beaches and marinas that are managed in a prescribed manner according to set criteria. It promotes effective and efficient beach management in terms of facility management, environmental maanagement water quality, safety and security. The launch of the new season of Blue Flag South Africa and the interpretive signage programme took place on Friday, 22 October at Mnandi Beach. Mayoral Committee Member for Health Amenities and Sport, Councillor Tozama Nomsa Mlanjeni said: "Blue Flag for these City beaches confirms the status of Cape Town as an international City. The major benefit is that it will attract more domestic and international visitors to our City and boost tourism and related industries. This needs to be sustained and taken as a rallying point to mobilise and unify previously divided communities through local economic deployment and recreation programmes". Cape Town has a total of 72 beaches along a 307km coastline. The City embarked on the process to attain Blue Flag status for identified City beaches approximately 18 months ago. An internal task team was established which undertook an extensive process to identify 15 possible beaches as Blue Flag candidates.

In terms of the Blue Flag programme, a candidate Blue Flag beach must operate as a pilot beach for one year before application can be made for full status. For the 2003/4 summer season Clifton Fourth Beach, Mnandi Beach and Bikini Beach were identified as pilot beaches and full status application was made for the 2004/5 season. The City has been successful in its applications for Clifton Fourth Beach and Mnandi Beach. Blue Flag is an international award and countries from all over the world partake in this programme annually. The benefits of having a Blue Flag beach includes tourism promotion, top quality beaches, standardisation of facilities to international and national standards, less pollution and safe and clean beaches. ISSUED BY: LISLE BROWN SPOKESPERSON CITY OF CAPE TOWN

Mayoral Committee Member for Health Amenities and Sport, Councillor Tozama Nomsa Mlanjeni and Deputy Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Joyce Mabudafhasi. It was proposed that three of the identified beaches be included in the Blue Flag programme per year, so that over a five year period all 15 beaches can have Blue Flag status.

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EA&DP @ JHB+2
In 2002 South Africa successfully hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), enabling the world to negotiate a plan and set targets that would shift the world onto a sustainable growth path. discussions were largely informed by the programme of work of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). Main addresses were given by Mr Nitin Desai (former UN Under Secretary for Agriculture & Social Affairs and former Secretary of WSSD), Ambassador John Ash (Chair of CSD 13) and Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk (Minister of DEAT).

Last year, South Africa commemorated the 1st anniversary of WSSD with a media campaign and stakeFrom left: Joos Roelofse, Samantha Govender, holder roundtable Mark Gordon, Russel Mehl and Janine van Rooy. discussion. This year, the 2nd anniversary The Director General in the was marked with a more orkshops. Government Department of Environmental substantial suite of highrepresentatives, Businesses, Affairs and Tourism, Dr level events. The events took Civil Society and NGO's from Crispian Olver said that the throughout the African anniversary offers South place from 1 st to 4 th continent, amongst others, Africa the opportunity to September at the Sandton attended the event. assess the implementation of International Convention the Johannesburg targets, Centre, Johannesburg. For The Conference and refine our sustainable four days it was transformed Exhibition's themes included development vision and into a vibrant space within Water and Sanitation, Human framework and mobilise key which the spirit and legacy of Settlements, Energy & stakeholders and partners the historic World Summit on Climate change, Agriculture behind this vision. It will also Sustainable Development & Food Security, Technology, provided a platform to (WSSD) was r e v i v e d . Natural resource enhance dialogue on management, Means of progress and challenges in The event incorporated a implementation, Regional implementation National Sustainable Development and New Development Conference Economic Partnership for For D:EA&DP staff attending and Thematic Round Tables, African Development the conference, it proved Business Growth and (NEPAD). The Exhibition, very rewarding. They were Opportunities for Africa largely inspired by the exposed to cutting edge (BGOA) and Sustainable Ubuntu Village at the WSSD, thinking and debate on Development Best Practice was erected to showcase best Sustainable Development and Exhibition, a Learning practice in sustainable got the opportunity to Centre, Media Capacitation development. network with people from all Workshop and Doing over the Region. In addition Business in Africa The conference plenary took many partnerships/linkages st were i n i t i a t e d . place on 1 September, setting the tone for the thematic roundtables, from D:EA&DP exhibit won an perspectives of Award representatives from EA&DP was presented with government, civil society, the the winning award for its UN, business, academics and exhibition in the category the media. The conference

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remarks from various participants and international visitors to the c o n f e r e n c e . The exhibit consisted of panels (text and pictures) that spoke to the individual themes of the conference. These consisted of statistics, relevant projects and initiatives underway in the We s t e r n C a p e . The ambience of the Western Cape was achieved by an amazing display of flowers from the Cape Floral Kingdom, which was designed by Dave Davidson and Ray Hudson. This was a huge drawcard and no-one who saw the D:EA&DP stand will ever forget this display of the rich biodiversity that makes Western Cape so unique and special. Wine tasting occurred every afternoon for half an hour and integrity bags, containing products from the Western Cape, were given to all visitors to D:EA&DP's exhibit.

written about her in the Beyond WSSD (the official newsletter of JHB+2). She is now a nationally well known figure. Lulu has since, been nominated as the Western Cape Community Builder of the year and will compete for the National title. EA&DP's appreciation is extended to all our partners for contributing to the overall success of the exhibition. Way forward for WC province There are still many challenges facing the Western Cape in terms of Sustainable Development. The biggest challenge is demystifying the term Sustainable Development and translating it into an understandable implementable strategy for the Western Cape. Thus it is imperative to get buy-in from all stakeholders, including other Government Departments. Functional Support sees its role as integral to the promotion of Sustainable Development and for the delivery of a strategy for Sustainable Development in the province. Our immediate plans are to host a National Sustainable Development Conference in June 2005 during World Environment Week. Functional Support: Operational Policy and Transversal Coordination invites our fellow colleagues in the Department to join us in discussions around our main focus areas: Development of relevant framework policy and strategy documents, Cooperative governance, Sustainable Development and Environmental Education & Capacity building.

Compiled by Samantha Vijay Govender, Joos Roelofse, Mark Gordon & Janine van Rooy

Partners City of Cape Town assisted financially, contributed to the panels and helped man the exhibition. Cape Gateway displayed how the portal operates as an interface for the public to access government information and services. One part of D:EA&DP's exhibit was dedicated to socio-economic upliftment projects in the Western Cape. These included aloe products, rooibos tea, wine, Yabonga: children's project in Africa. We were honoured to also have Lulu who displayed her Lulu doll. She is an exceptionally inspiring lady! While at JHB+2 she was interviewed on Morning live and had articles

Afrikaans and Xhosa available on Portal.

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CAPE TOWN SYMPOSIUM

HOSTED BY THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL (STAP) OF THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (GEF)
Dennis Laidler, Deputy Director: Biodiversity Management Gerhard Gerber and I attended an enriching one-day seminar on Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Production Landscapes and Sectors at the SA National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) , Kirstenbosch, Cape Town on 20 September 2004. The seminar and workshop were organised by Professor Brian Huntly, CEO of SANBI and member of the STAP . I was also lucky enough to be invited by Professor Huntly to accompany and guide the international delegates on a field outing around the Cape Peninsula, including the Cape Point Nature Reserve and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden components of the Table Mountain National Park on the Sunday preceding the seminar. It was wonderful to be able to engage with the international group of biodiversity specialists that had been assembled for the event. The group was a veritable who's who of the biodiversity field and included figures such as:

Dr. Gonzalo Castro who is currently Lead Environmental Specialist at the World Bank and Leader of the Biodiversity Team in the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the largest international mechanism to finance global environmental issues. Dr. Castro is ultimately responsible for the biodiversity portfolio that includes over 500 projects in 150 countries with a combined value of more than US$4 Billion. Tehmina Akhtar who has been a Technical Adviser within UNDP/GEF's Biodiversity Cluster in New York since December 2001. She is responsible for technical development of UNDP/GEF's global portfolio of projects focusing on mainstreaming biodiversity conservation within production sectors and landscapes. She is also the Knowledge Manager on Access & Benefit Sharing and Traditional Knowledge within the UNDP/GEF team and supports UNDP's ABS and TK focused projects, and contributes to UNDP-wide policy guidance on these issues. Dr. Holly Dublin, for many years a Senior Conservation Adviser for WWF's Africa & Madagascar Programme and currently a Senior Conservation Adviser for IUCN's Eastern Africa Regional Office in Nairobi; Paul Elkan, the Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) Country Program,
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Republic of Congo, based in the Republic of Congo;

Nicole Glineur, formally with the World Bank, who has recently been appointed as Program Manager Biodiversity and Private Sector for the Global Environment Facility in Washington D.C., USA; John Hough, the Principal Technical Advisor: Biodiversity at the UNDP-GEF Headquarters in New York; Jon Hutton, Director of Fauna and Flora International's Africa Programme, Executive Director of ResourceAfrica (UK) and Chair of the IUCN/SSC Sustainable Use Specialist Group; Pramod Krishnan, Deputy Director of the Periyar Tiger Reserve in India; Kathy MacKinnon, currently the Lead Biodiversity Specialist in the Environment Department of the World Bank; Rob McCallum, currently a senior manager with the New Zealand Department of Conservation; Jeffrey McNeely, Chief Scientist at the IUCN-The World Conservation Union, based in Gland, Switzerland; Kent H. Redford is Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society Institute and Vice President,

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! !

Conservation Strategies at the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York; Alan Rodgers, presently UNDP-GEF Regional Coordinator for Biodiversity and Land Degradation for Eastern Africa, based in Nairobi Kenya, from where he covers some twelve countries; Peter Schei, International Negotiations Director at the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management; Nik Sekhran, Regional Coordinator for GEF, UNDP: Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, Biodiversity, International Waters and Land Degradation whose portfolio is responsible for projects totalling approximately US$ 100 million; Jo Treweek, an ecologist specialising in biodiversity and impact assessment. She has a background as a senior research scientist for the UK Natural Environment Research Councils, working on the use of ecological data for environmental assessment and on wildlife habitat restoration. Jo is currently employed as Technical Program Manager for a 'Capacity Building for Biodiversity and Impact Assessment' project funded by the Dutch Government and administered by the International Association for Impact Assessment; Christopher Whaley, Secretary of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) to the Global Environment Facility (GEF); among others.

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Dr. Gonzalo Castro setting the scene with a presentation on GEF's Strategic Priorities and the challenges for mainstreaming biodiversity.

In addition, the workshop involved local biodiversity specialists including, Richard Cowling (Terrestrial Ecology Research Unit, University of Port Elizabeth), Trevor Sandwith (C.A.P .E.), Mandy Barnett (C.A.P .E.), Kristal Maze (SANBI), Phoebe Barnard (Global Invasive Species Programme, GISP), Saliem Fakir (World Conservation Union (IUCN), South Africa), Sarah Frazee (Conservation International, CI), Khungeka Njobe (Environmentek, CSIR) and Guy Preston (Chairperson and National Programme Leader of the Working for Water Programme), among others.

On the field outing the international visitors were blown away by the sight of two Southern Right Whales that were almost rubbing themselves on the rocks at Sunny Cove outside Fish Hoek. There was, of course, the obligatory stop at Boulders to visit the penguins. It's heartening to see the old radar station at Boulders now converted into a fully functional visitor information centre. At the reserve we were joined by Kristal Maze, Director: Biodiversity, SANBI and the ever informative Mark Botha of the Botanical Society. Our international guests were treated to sightings of Bontebok, Eland, Ostrich, Springbok and Cape Sugarbird, as well as close encounters with a number of endemic species of the local flora such as Mimetes fimbrifolius and Mimetes hirtus. After a grand picnic lunch on the Atlantic coast the guests were treated to a funicular ride up to the view site at the point. There, more whales, seals, gannets and a peregrine falcon shared the biodiversity stage. The return trip via Noordhoek highlighted the threats and challenges to biodiversity in the CFR where a proposed expansion of the Ocean View township will cause the demise of the last four specimens of Gladiolus aureus on our planet. A drive over Ou Kaapse Weg and Southern Cross Drive brought the party to Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden for an evening stroll through the only botanic garden in the world that is part of a Natural World Heritage Site. It was an absolute privilege to be able to participate in both the field outing and seminar held the following day. The need for the conscious integration of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use considerations into all sectors of social, political and economic development programmes was identified by the Ministers of over 120 countries, attending the WSSD Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 as 'the most important lesson of the last ten years'. Mimetes hirtus a Cape Peninsula endemic
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Peter Schei, International Negotiations Director at the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management addressing the open seminar. The one-day symposium, open to all interested parties, was held at Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, on Monday 20th September 2004 (08:00 - 18:00), to further develop the concept, application, mechanisms and outcomes of mainstreaming biodiversity in production landscapes and sectors. The seminar was an open event that preceded a closed three-day workshop of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to discuss Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Production Landscapes and Sectors held at Erinvale outside Somerset West. The plenary provided the participants with a fascinating insight into the subject and the wealth of knowledge and experience of the assembled international panel. The aims of the international workshop were: 1. To determine an operational definition of the concept of mainstreaming biodiversity in production landscapes and sectors, building on the work of previous GEF workshops; 2. To demonstrate the role of mainstreaming in advancing the goals of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and Strategic Priority 2 of the GEF-3 programme; 3. To explore the scale at which mainstreaming can most effectively be carried out; 4. To critique successes and failures in achieving mainstreaming outcomes to date consolidating and evaluating experience in different sectors; and 5. To brainstorm modified or new approaches and tools to assist in designing more effective interventions and achieving more effective mainstreaming outcomes in future, e.g. models of best practice, principles and indicators. The international panel of specialists from Africa, Asia, Australasia, South, Central and North America and Europe, presented the results of major
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programmes at the biodiversity/ development interface. In particular, experience in the implementation of investments by the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), European Union (EU) and international NGOs such as International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Conservation International (CI) and others were analysed in terms of lessons learned in attempts to achieve social as well as biodiversity goals. Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Production Landscapes and Sectorsis one of the 5 key focus areas of the GEF's Global Environment Fund's (GEF) Strategic Priorities. I would like to congratulate Professor Huntly and his energetic team from SANBI for bringing such an erudite event to our country and province. From what I heard the local scientists really benefited from their interactions with the international delegates. It is a great pity that senior managers of our Department failed to take advantage of the opportunity and attend the one-day open seminar. I know that the international delegates were overwhelmed by their visit to the CFR World Heritage Site and the outstanding local organisation, hospitality and biodiversity. I am sure that the international organisations represented by the delegates will be confident and keen to arrange future similar events in our region. Please support them when they do.

THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (GEF)

Dennis Laidler, Deputy Director: Biodiversity Management The Global Environment Facility (GEF), established in 1991, helps developing countries fund projects and programs that protect the global environment. GEF grants support projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. GEF is an independent financial organization that provides grants to developing countries for projects that benefit the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods in local communities. GEF projects address six complex global environmental issues: ! ! ! ! ! ! Biodiversity Climate Change International Waters Land Degradation The Ozone Layer Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

With regard to the Biodiversity focus area, a wide spectrum of efforts to conserve, and sustainably use, earth's biological diversity makes up nearly half of all GEF projects. As the financial mechanism for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), GEF receives guidance from the conference of parties (or COP) on policy, strategy, program priorities and eligibility criteria related to the use of resources for purposes of the Convention. Projects generally deal with one or more of four critical ecosystem types and the human communities found there: 1) arid and semi-arid zones; 2) coastal, marine, and freshwater resources; 3) forests; and 4) mountains. Between 1991 and 1999, GEF allocated $991 million in grants and mobilized an additional $1.5 billion in co-financing (from recipient countries, bilateral agencies, other development institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental organizations) for biological diversity projects. Since 1991, the GEF has provided $4.5 billion in grants in all its focal areas and generated $14.5 billion in co-financing from other partners for projects in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. GEF funds are contributed by donor countries. In 2002, 32 donor countries pledged $3 billion to fund operations between 2002 and 2006.

Nik Sekhran (right), Regional Coordinator for GEF, UNDP: Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, Biodiversity, International Waters and Land Degradation whose portfolio is responsible for projects totalling approximately US$ 100 million chatting to Jon Hoff (left) of the UNDP during a tea break at the STAP Seminar.

GEF projects are managed by GEF Implementing Agencies: ! ! ! the United Nations Environment Programme the United Nations Development Programme the World Bank

Seven other international organizations, known as GEF Executing Agencies, contribute to the management and execution of GEF projects. Since 1991, GEF has provided grants for more than 1,300 projects in 140 countries.

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HERITAGE DAY EVENT AND THE CAPE FLORISTIC REGION (CFR) WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Dennis Laidler, Deputy Director: Biodiversity Management On Heritage Day, Friday 24 September 2004, I had the pleasure of attending an event at the Conservatory at Kirstenbosch to celebrate the inscription of the CFR on the list of World Heritage Sites. At the United Nations World Heritage Committee annual meeting in China on 30 June, the Cape Floral Region (CFR) was inscribed on the list of Natural World Heritage Sites. The region was described as one of "outstanding universal significance to humanity", which, apart from its exceptional beauty, is one of the richest areas of plant species in the world. Shortly after the momentous announcement the Provincial Minister for Environment and Planning, Tasneem Essop, said that, Having the Cape Floral Region declared a World Heritage Site was as good as winning the bid to host the soccer World Cup. She said that she was "extremely excited by this. It is not getting as much popular attention as winning (the right to host) the World Cup, but it's almost in that league and should be celebrated by all South Africans. The benefits will accrue to all, especially the communities around the protected areas". The heritage site is made up of eight protected areas, considered to be the most important examples of the Cape Floral Region. They are Table Mountain National Park (including the Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden), De Hoop Nature Reserve, the Boland mountain complex, the Groot Winterhoek wilderness area, the Swartberg mountains, Boosmansbos wilderness area, the Cedarberg wilderness area and Baviaanskloof, which straddles the Western and Eastern Cape boundary. It is significant to note that the CFR World Heritage Site is a serial site. This means that as other areas
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within the CFR attain appropriate conservation management status, application can be made to have them added to the current areas representing the CFR Site. Environment Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, said shortly after the announcement of the inscription that, "This is another fantastic achievement for South Africa, with great significance for our role as global leaders in responsible tourism and sustainable environmental management. It underlines our responsibility to ensure the wise use of resources like the Cape Floral Regions. It also places us in an excellent position to expand responsible tourism and generate muchneeded employment." Our country's other World Heritage Sites are the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, the uKhahlambaDrakensberg Park, Robben Island, Sterkfontein Cradle of Mankind and the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape. The Cape Floral Region is one of the richest areas for plants in the world. It represents less than 0.5% of the area of Africa, but is home to nearly 20% of the continent's flora. The site displays outstanding ecological and biological processes associated with the Fynbos vegetation, which is unique to the Cape Floral Region. The outstanding diversity, density and endemism of the flora are among the highest worldwide. Unique plant reproductive strategies, adaptive to fire, patterns of seed dispersal by insects,

Minister Tasneem Essop addressing the Heritage Day event in the conservatory at Kirstenbosch.

as well as patterns of endemism and adaptive radiation found in the flora are of outstanding value to science. At the Heritage Day event at Kirstenbosch Minister Essop stressed that the primary challenge we face is to make the province's globally significant natural heritage relevant to all sectors of society in our province. She highlighted the need to use this global biodiversity significance and the recent inscription of the CFR as a Natural World Heritage Site to leverage the creation of jobs and alleviate poverty within our province. We must focus on achieving 'ownership' of this wonderful natural heritage by a wider component of society than is presently the case. Trevor Sandwith of C.A.P .E. was the master of ceremonies. There were also outstanding contributions by Saliem Fakir (World Conservation Union (IUCN), South Africa) and Brett Myrdal (Table Mountain National Park).
The Noordhoek wetlands.

The celebration of our heritage did not end for my wife and I at the conclusion of the official event in Kirstenbosch however. It continued immediately after the function and ran through the following day. Immediately after the event, Gigi and I took Kathy MacKinnon, currently the Lead Biodiversity Specialist in the Environment Department of the World Bank and Nicole Glineur, Program Manager Biodiversity and Private Sector for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) both of Washington D.C., All the while, gazing down on the Fish USA, on a walk up Hoek gap, Kathy and Nicole were both Noordhoek Peak in the muttering under their breath about Silvermine Reserve section potential Ramsar wetlands, shortof Table Mountain National sighted planning and the like. Makes Park. After three days of one wonder doesn't it! At the same intensive workshop at time however, they were exclaiming Erinvale they were itching about the unrivalled Hout Bay and to blow away the cobwebs southern peninsula landscape laid out and apply 'sole to soul'. before them. The hike back down to The rain of earlier in the the Silvermine dam was uneventful day held off and we had a except for noting some pines below fresh walk up to view the the Noordhoek lookout that need recently vacated Black urgent clearing. Eagle nest below the peak. Black Eagle fledgling in nest The Silvermine area is in The next day dawned bright and sunny above Chapmans Peak drive absolutely spectacular and Kathy and Nicole accepted an (August 2004). bloom after the fire of some invitation to join us for an outing and four years ago and the area short walk to 'Eerste Waterval' in the around the dam itself Jonkershoek valley. We were not recovering well after removal of all the alien trees. disappointed by the floral display of Fynbos in spring We were lucky enough to have a spectacular time. I was able to show our guests the oldest aerobatic display over Hout Bay by both Black conservation station in the country, explain to them Eagle parents, accompanied by a cruising Rock the origin of the Department as the Department of Kestrel. Inland Fisheries. I told them about the transformation of a department that bred exotic trout Gladiolus alatus (Kalkoentjie)
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The dassies on the cliff were 'on edge', if you'll excuse the pun. From the peak both Kathy and Nicole finally made sense of the geography of the Cape Peninsula. Noordhoek peak sits on the watershed between the two oceans and is an ideal locality to see almost the entire peninsula at a glance, so to speak. I was able to take photographs of the Fish Hoek gap, and particularly the Noordhoek wetland system. After the recent rain the Noordhoek water bodies and channels are particularly visible from that vantage point and one day the photos may be useful imparting wisdom to some 'summer' developer.

and introduced them to rivers, devastating our indigenous aquatic ecosystems and subsidising an elitist sport, to a department that has been tirelessly pursuing the goal of biodiversity conservation and making relevant the conservation of the CFR since before I joined the then Cape Nature Conservation in 1981. I showed them Swartboskloof, one of the focal the study sites of the Fynbos Biome Project that predated the C.A.P .E. Programme and the Jonkershoek library of priceless literature, also very much part of our heritage, that is lying derelict and decaying after years of neglect due to ongoing financial constraints. After a picnic lunch and toasting biodiversity in general and the CFR in particular, with both champagne and sparkling Eerste River water, we took a hike up to 'Eerste Waterval'. The Fynbos in spring did not let us down.

We returned via Khayelitsha, Macassar and the False Bay Coastal Road. The view from Macassar over Khayelitsha with the sun setting over Table Mountain highlighted the issues raised by Minister Essop at the Heritage Day event on the previous day, namely the challenge of making biodiversity conservation relevant and empowering to the great majority of our citizens. The Macassar Dunes, the northern slope of which can be seen on the left in the picture above, are one of four components of the Cape Flats Nature project run by Tanya Goldman and her team under the auspices of SANBI's outreach programme. The conservation of the Macassar dunes must involve benefits to and buy in from the local Khayelitsha community. The Macassar area is a focal point of the City's Biodiversity programme, being part of the last natural linkage, along the False Bay coastline, between the Cape Peninsula mountain chain and the inland mountains. There are also major sand mining rights and interests in the area that will have to be addressed if the Macassar Dunes are to be effectively conserved, to say nothing about upgrading the Macassar Waste Water Treatment Works close by to prevent pollution of the lower Eerste River and adjacent lands. Sand is a major strategic resource for the construction industry in Cape Town. It's my privilege to be able to expose international biodiversity players to the beauty of our natural resources as well as the pressing biodiversity and development challenges that face us here in our province and it remains a challenge to all members of the Department to use every opportunity that such international events hosted in Cape Town present for networking and learning.

Nicole Glineur, Program Manager Biodiversity and Private Sector for the Global Environment Facility, Gigi Laidler (SANBI) and Kathy MacKinnon, Lead Biodiversity Specialist in the Environment Department of the World Bank toasting the CFR World Heritage Site.

Sunset over Khayelitsha from the Macassar Dunes.

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