Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
22 November 2024 | 12:40 CAT
3 min read

Deputy Environment Minister Narend Singh has called for stricter penalties, including jail time for CEOs and municipal managers, to deter environmental crimes. Speaking at the Green Scorpions’ biennial conference on November 18, Singh criticised monetary fines of up to R20 million as ineffective for wealthy offenders.

In an interview with Radio Islam International, Minister Narend Singh stressed that biodiversity loss is a significant issue, not just in South Africa but worldwide.

Singh recently attended the 16th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) on Biological Diversity in Cali, Columbia. He noted key environmental threats, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

He stated that while we often focus on the COP for climate change, there are also COPs dedicated to biodiversity and desertification. “It is an accepted fact that there is a great loss of biodiversity, some through natural attrition but mainly through crimes such as wildlife poaching, poaching of exotic plants, parrots and other kinds of crimes such as polluting of the rivers, streams and drinking water, these are the kind of crimes we have the Green scorpions going after and bringing to book people causing these kind of crimes,” he said.

The minister stressed collaboration between agencies like the South African Police Service, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and Interpol to combat these issues. He also called for action against municipal sewage pollution, noting the futility of fining municipalities that use ratepayers’ money to pay penalties.

“A number of these complaints and charges we bring up take a long time to come before the courts, although they have given some hefty sentences like for rhino poaching, we had two of our own SANParks staff a few years ago, aiding and abetting poaching, they got 20 years imprisonment,” he said.

He pointed out that just this week, it was reported that a municipality in Gauteng received a R160 million fine, which was later reduced to R40 million, for transgressions related to wastewater management from 2018 to the present. However, the case only reached court now. “When you look at that R40 million, if they have to pay that fine, it is paid by the ratepayers of that town, and yet we find negligence in the officials, town management, and political leaders dealing with these waste management issues. Even if you impose a fine of R20 million rand, which has been imposed on the industry, yes, we use that fine for particular rehabilitation within that environment, but it is not good enough. People are responsible for what is happening and must face the wrath of the law by even being given prison sentences,” he said.

Singh also emphasised targeting high-level offenders and transnational syndicates involved in crimes like rhino poaching and rare plant trafficking. “We are also working with Interpol and other international agencies to deal with wildlife trafficking,” he said.

The Green Scorpions have been meeting since November 18th, alongside representatives from the Department of Mineral Resources, provincial Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs), local authority EMIs, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the South African Police Service (SAPS). “They all came together, and I look forward to the outcome of these four days of discussions,” Singh added.

He appealed to the private sector to partner with the government, as they do not have infinite resources to deploy enough EMIs and modern systems and technology. He urged them to contribute towards preventing biodiversity loss. “We have a common purpose; we are not at odds with what we do. We all want to prevent crime and apprehend transgressors. Rising out of this I hope they can work together,” he said.

Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to enforcing environmental accountability and ensuring the safety of communities and ecosystems.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Deputy Environment Minister Narend Singh, here.