Cape Town - A delegation of members of Parliament took part in a clean-up mission at the Bokmakierie Canal in Hazendal along Jan Smuts Drive to raise awareness of the negative effect of single-use plastics on the environment.
The clean-up was an initiative of the voluntary South African Legislators for the Environment (Sale) forum which comprised members of the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and followed a fact-finding mission to Kenya earlier this year.
During the visit Sale assessed Kenya’s success in addressing plastic pollution through its ban on single-use plastic bags, as well as the potential to develop legislation in South Africa to help reduce plastic waste polluting the natural environment.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee, Faith Muthambi, said they were trying to get this campaign off the ground and there would be more clean-ups initiated by them in the future.
She said local communities and organisations would be involved.
DA forestry, fisheries and environment spokesperson Dave Bryant said members of Sale had been discussing exploring the development of a committee bill to propose bans on certain types of single-use plastics.
“This has been achieved in many other African countries and is making a significant difference in reducing the amount of plastic waste in the natural environment,” Bryant said.
Bryant said the effect of single-use plastics on the environment in South Africa was felt primarily in water bodies where plastics clogged up drainage systems, were ingested by fish and sea-birds, and created a mess.
Some other MPs who formed part of Sale and participated were Nqabisa Gantsho (ANC), Simphiwe Gcwele Nomvula Mbatha (ANC), Annerie Weber (DA), Cheryl Phillips (DA) and Nazier Paulsen (EFF).
Paulsen said: “We have tried in many ways to prevent single-use plastic from entering the environment’s litter, but this has not been very effective. The possible option is to ban single-use plastic. Even on my way to this clean-up there were plastic bags along the road.”
In April this year, Environment Minister Barbara Creecy announced new amendments to plastic bag regulations in a move to phase out certain types of plastic bags. She said any person who contravened the regulations could face a fine of up to R5 million or five years’ imprisonment.
