News from the SA water sector

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Decline in environmental crime prosecutions D edicated courts to hear violations against the environment will be set up in the next six months. According to Minister of Water & Environmental Affairs Buyelwa Sonjica, the establishment of dedicated courts, including dedicated prosecutors, will have a profound impact on the fight against environmental crimes. Sonjica said that a meeting between the Minister of Justice, Jeff Radebe, and herself in September last year resulted in the decision to move forward with the process of re-establishing the courts to address many of the challenges experienced in effectively enforcing the environmental laws. “The big issue would be how to find them [courts], where do we establish them, and finding the skilled people who will be working there. ” Released late last year, the National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report revealed an increase in the number of cases where the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) declined to prosecute from 16 in 2007/08 to 100 in 2008/09.

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