Press release – 24th June 2002
Community members and NGO’s call
on members of Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs to act on concerns
raised
Monday, June 24, 2002, Cape Town, South Africa: Community
members from the four fossil fuel refining areas of South Durban, Secunda,
Sasolburg and Cape Town, as well as groundWork raised their concerns
to Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs in Cape Town today.
This presentation was made possible by Contact Trust, a non-government
organisation based at parliament that seeks to facilitate community voices
being heard in parliament.
Nicholas Kasa, from the Sasolburg Environmental Committee (SEC) raised
issue with the proposal by Peacock Bay Environmental Services (PBES) to
construct a hazardous waste incinerator in Sasolburg. This after both
civil society and the local political representatives of the people of
Sasolburg, unanimously vetoed the proposal. “We requested the Portfolio
Committee to raise our concerns presented here with the MEC for Environment
in the Free State, Mr Belot, and the Minister of Environment, Minister
Moosa,” reports Mr Kasa.
Andy Birkenshaw, of the Table View Residents Association (TVRA), presented
his concerns about the Caltex Oil Refinery in Table View, and requested
the representatives to take action to improve the plight of the people
of Table View and the surrounding neighbourhoods. “We have often addresses
the Portfolio Committee, and we want to see some action now,” stated Mr
Birkenshaw.
The ongoing pollution in South Durban was once again highlighted to the
politicians. Since Minister Moosa initiated his 7 point plan in 2000 to
improve the environment in South Durban, there has being ongoing accidents,
injuries and deaths at the petrochemical and associated industries in
South Durban, reported Mr D’Sa, Chairperson of the South Durban Community
Environmental Alliance (SDCEA). Industries have not being held accountable
to the deaths they have caused and the pollution than they have dumped
onto the community.
groundWork presented its plans for the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), and stated that they would seek to work with local
communities and international NGO’s to call on governments of the world
to development a international framework to hold multi-national corporates
accountable for their atrocities against the environment and humanity.
“The present case of Sasol facing a possible contempt of court action,
for not re-instating an injured worker, highlights the case of corporate
power. They will even challenge a democratic legal system, such as the
South African judiciary,” stated Bobby Peek, Director of groundWork.
For more information on the other sectors of the hearings
today, please call Linden Booth at 082 878 3688.
For more information on the above issues please contact:
Bobby Peek, groundWork: 082 464 1 383
Desmond D’Sa, SDCEA: 083 982 6 939
Nicholas Kasa, SEC: 073 187 6 393
Andy Birkenshaw, TVRA: 083 703 0 183
|
