10 July 2007 - Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - TUESDAY,
10 JULY 2007: On Tuesday, more than 100
Environmental Management Inspectors, commonly
known as the Green Scorpions, descended
on various international border posts across
the country to monitor incoming and outgoing
products. Inspectors joined their counterparts
in SARS Customs and the SAPS Border Police.
Environmental Management Inspectors were
present at the following border posts: Durban,
Cape Town and Port Elizabeth Harbours; O
R Tambo International, Cape Town International,
Lanseria and Wonderboom airports; Golela
Border Post and Sani Pass Border Post in
KZN; the Giriyondo border post with Mozambique
in Kruger National Park; Quacha’s Neck border
post in Eastern Cape; the Lebombo Border
Post in Mpumalanga; the Nakop and Vioolsdrift
Border Posts in Northern Cape; the Kopfontein
Borderpost in Northwest; the Ficksburg Bridge
and Maseru Bridge Border posts in Free State;
and Beit Bridge Border post in Limpopo.
The purpose of this event was to highlight
the illegal trade in endangered species,
which threatens South Africa’s natural heritage.
Globally, the illegal trade in wildlife
is worth more than R50 billion annually
- second only to the international drugs
trade.
Items that Inspectors were on the lookout
for at the border posts included species
banned for trade or controlled under the
international Convention on Trade in Endangered
Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) such
as ivory; rhino horn; abalone (perlemoen);
corals, fish and caviar; birds and eggs;
spiders and reptiles; leather, skin and
shell products; timber; and live wild animals.
They also monitored the movement of hazardous
chemicals and waste, and ozone-depleting
substances like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
banned for trade under the Montreal Protocol.
At O R Tambo International, Customs officials
came across four rhino horn in checked luggage.
They called in Gauteng EMIs, who seized
the rhino horn and quickly arrested two
Vietnamese nationals. A shipment of coral,
listed as a species banned for trade under
CITIES, was also seized by EMIs. EMIs also
found 5kg of dagga in the international
mail centre, highlighting the links between
trade in endangered species and drugs.
At the Durban Harbour, Environmental Management
Inspectors had the assistance of several
sniffer dogs from the SARS Customs Border
Control Unit trained to find rhino horn,
ivory, abalone, crayfish and other illegal
substances.
Mava Scott spokesperson for the Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, said
that the Compliance and Enforcement Day
set the scene for much closer cooperation
between Environmental Management Inspectors
and SARS Customs officials. “Environmental
criminals are very organised, which means
that we have to be even more organised,”
he said.
Mava Scott (Spokesperson)
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Honourable Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi’s
Speech For The Launch Of The Cradock Four
Garden Of Remembrance And Vusubuntu Cultural
Village
09 July 2007 – Speech - Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism
Program Director
Honourable Acting Premier of the Eastern
Cape, Mr T. Mhlahlo
Your Worship, Executive Mayor of Chris
Hani District Municipality, Cllr M. Sigabi
Your worship, Mayor of Inxuba Yethemba
Local Municipality, Cllr M. Zenzile
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio
Committee on Economic Development and Environmental
Affairs, Mr A. Mtsi
“Nations are built through sharing experiences,
memories and history. That is why people
have often tried to destroy their enemies
by destroying their histories, their memories
that which gives them an identity”.
Our people, especially our children should
always remember the very high price that
has been paid to achieve our freedom. We
must not forget the harsh conditions and
treatment that many of our people experienced.
There was total disregard for human life
as people, including school children were
shot, tortured and ill-treated.
22 years ago, June 1985 to be exact, our
brothers Matthew Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto,
Fort Calata and Sicelo Mhlauli met a gruesome
murder in the hands of the infamous seven
South African Defence Force security officers
while fighting for human rights – our human
rights.
Death Squad Police who were issued with
orders to kill as the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission later found set up a road-block
to intercept Matthew Goniwe’s car. The Cradock
Four activists, as they are known today,
were returning to Cradock from a United
Democratic Front meeting in Port Elizabeth.
The police abducted them. They were tortured,
stabbed and shot to death and subsequently
their lifeless bodies burnt in their car.
Burning of bodies was an infamous police
strategy to disguise the assassination as
carried out by other black political opponents.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the apartheid system
was about economic, political and social
factors. For instance our people were dumped
on barren and unproductive land while our
leaders were incarcerated, tortured and
killed. We were exploited, deceived, humiliated
and condemned to poverty of the worst type.
Hundreds of liberation fighters became victims
to this and other cold blooded assassinations
which included letter bombs, car bombs,
cross border raids, poisonous powder which
couldn’t be detected and many other devilish
tactics were used.
The blood of all liberation fighters who
were permanently removed here in Cradock
and elsewhere watered the tree of freedom
which we enjoy today. We must guard jealously
against anybody who threatens to take away
the democracy for which people paid with
lives to bring about its existence.
In loving memory of the brave action taken
by our fallen heroes, our department has
deemed it fit to ensure that their spirit
and memory live longer. To this end, we
have set aside R15 million for the construction
of Cradock Four Garden of Remembrance in
honour of our liberation stalwarts.
This initiative is aimed at creating opportunities
for job creation and poverty eradication
within the Cradock area. We believe the
broader goal of the Cradock Four was to
deliver human rights which would include
equal distribution of the wealth of this
country and our efforts to improve socio-economic
development in this area are aligned to
this goal.
In addition, our department has provided
R13 million for the construction of a tourism
centre, research on the history of Cradock,
construction of accommodation facilities
and refurbishments of existing infrastructure
at Vusubuntu Cultural Village. The plan
to include a Tourism Information Centre
demonstrates our collective intent to widen
the scope of visitors to all members of
the global community.
Tourists visiting this area will therefore
be exposed to the history of our struggle
for liberation, especially the contribution
that our fallen heroes and heroines made
towards the achievement of democracy and
freedom in our country. In this way, we
will be able to preserve our history and
culture for many generations to come.
History has to be intimately experienced
in order to be told well and I believe local
people are best placed to tell their history
better than anyone else. As a result, it
is of crucial importance that priority for
tour guides should be given to residents
of Cradock.
I’m very happy to learn that there is a
plan to train community members as tour
guides in order to make them competent to
provide the required services to tourists
and the entire community of Cradock.
Ladies and Gentlemen, hospitality and catering
industry has become big business with unsurpassed
potential to create job opportunities and
grow the economy. It came to my attention
that some of our communities are considering
building expensive hotels to attract tourists
and generate income.
Tourists visit South Africa and other African
countries to learn about our cultures –
our way of life. They want to experience
sleeping in our traditional huts and taste
our traditional food. Attempts to impress
them with hotels will prove to be a futile
exercise in the long run – they come from
their highly developed countries with lots
of best hotels ranging from 5 stars upwards.
Tourists’ decision to tour our country
is always a welcome relief for them to escape
hectic city life and relax with us. So let
us have pride to show and live our traditional
life and tourist will keep on coming. If
we design chalets the way our traditional
huts are built, we will certainly attract
more tourists who are searching for a refreshing
environment.
I would also like to commend the initiative
of the Greening Projects already introduced
in 6 schools. Involving learners in protecting
the environment is a step in the right direction.
This is a great investment for the future.
This initiative reassures me that the chain
to pass on valuable and beneficial knowledge
from generation to generation will never
be broken.
Between 1834 and 1845, the Anglo-Boer War
created a historic route which we know today
as the Great Trek route. Regrettably, there
are casualties in wars and this cause too
much anger and unprecedented pain as families
are robbed of their father figures who are
also bread winners. Turning our sorrow into
joy through construction of tourism monuments
and memorials which would generate foreign
currency, create job opportunities and improve
our lives is a better way of healing historical
wounds. This also helps to foster unity
and reconciliation amongst people from diverse
cultural backgrounds in our country.
For the Cradock Four, the best way to remember
and honour them is to ensure the viability
and sustainability of the Cradock Four Garden
of Remembrance as a vehicle for creating
a better life for all.
Thank you
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OFFICIAL SOD TURNING FOR CRADOCK FOUR GARDEN
OF REMEMBRANCE AND VUSUBUNTU CULTURAL VILLAGE
IN EASTERN CAPE
19 JULY 2007 - Media Statement - Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - MONDAY,
09 JULY 2007: “The blood of all liberation
fighters who were permanently removed here
in Cradock and elsewhere watered the tree
of freedom which we enjoy today. We must
guard jealously against anybody who threatens
to take away the democracy for which people
paid with lives to bring about its existence,"
said Deputy - Minister of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi
during the launch of the Cradock Four Garden
of Remembrance and Vusubuntu Cultural village
in the Eastern Cape, today (09 July).
Mabudafhasi officically turned the sod
for the construction of a memorial building
complex in commemoration of the Cradock
Four. The Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism has set aside
R 15 million for the construction of the
Garden of Remembrance in honour of the liberation
stalwarts. The Garden of Remembrance is
funded as part of the department’s social
responsibility programme which aims to contribute
to the poverty alleviation and development
efforts of government in general. The project
is now in the phase two component. Implementation
and construction already started in the
second week of June 2007.
22 years ago, June 1985 to be exact, Matthew
Goniwe, Sparrow Mkhonto, Fort Calata and
Sicelo Mhlauli met a gruesome murder at
the hands of the infamous seven South African
Defence Force security officers while fighting
for our human rights.
Death Squad Police who were issued with
orders to kill as the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission later found set, up a road-block
to intercept Matthew Goniwe’s car. The Cradock
Four activists, as they are known today,
were returning to Cradock from a United
Democratic Front meeting in Port Elizabeth.
The police abducted them. They were tortured,
stabbed and shot to death and subsequently
their lifeless bodies burnt in their car.
Burning of bodies was an infamous police
strategy to disguise the assassination as
carried out by other black political opponents.
Mabudafhasi said that the initiative is
aimed at creating opportunities for job
creation and poverty eradication within
the Cradock area. “We believe the broader
goal of the Cradock Four was to deliver
human rights which would include equal distribution
of the wealth of this country and our efforts
to improve socio-economic development in
this area are aligned to this goal,” emphasised
Mabudafhasi.
In addition the Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism has provided R 13 million
for the construction of a tourism centre,
research on the history of Cradock, construction
of accommodation facilities and refurbishments
of existing infrastructure at Vusubuntu
Cultural Village. Mabudafhasi indicated
that the plan to include a Tourism Information
Centre demonstrated our collective intent
to widen the scope of visitors to all members
of the global community
Mabudafhasi expressed pleasure on learning
of the plan to train community members as
tour guides in order to make them competent
to provide the requisite services to tourists.
"Tourists visiting this area will
therefore be exposed to the history of our
struggle for liberation, especially the
contribution that our fallen heroes and
heroines made towards the achievement of
democracy and freedom in our country. In
this way, we will be able to preserve our
history and culture for many generations
to come," she said
The Deputy - Minister commented that tourists
visit South Africa and other African countries
to learn about our cultures and our way
of life. “They want to experience sleeping
in our traditional huts and taste our traditional
food. Attempts to impress them with hotels
will prove to be a futile exercise in the
long run - they come from their highly developed
countries with lots of best hotels ranging
from 5 stars upwards,” she explained.
Mabudafhasi urged South Africans to have
pride in showing tourists our traditional
lifestyles. She added that if we designed
chalets the way our traditional huts are
built, we would certainly attract more tourists
who are searching for a refreshing environment.
The Greening Project at Nxuba ye Themba
was applauded by the Deputy - Minister.
To date six schools have already been completed
(3 in Cradock and 3 in Middelburg) and the
remaining five are currently underway.A
Youth centre, 2 graveyards(Cradock), Cradock
entrance from Middleburg, municipal nursery
and Nonzame monument are all in progress.
The Cradock entrance from Port Elizabeth
is almost complete. This greening project
has been allocated R4 000 000.
Mabudafhasi concluded by stating that the
best way to remember and honour the Cradock
Four was to ensure the viability and sustainability
of the Cradock Four Garden of Remembrance
as a vehicle for creating a better life
for all.
