Thank you all for this opportunity and on behalf of Vuka Environmental Comm. I would like to welcome our Air Quality Bill. This new bill is reflecting a change in this country since APPA was developed by the old regime.

There are so many good things about the bill. It can be even more interesting if there can be implementation and compliance because we have so many good laws and regulations but the problem start when it comes to practice and implementation.

Issues

We have a huge problem in our community in Richards Bay which makes us unhappy about the bill when pollution results in death of innocent people, then the sanction or punishment must reflect that lives were lost on this incident and it is murder. The preventative measures must give guarantee that no life would be lost over the similar incidents again.

FOSKOR gas leak last year was a typical example of what happens when industries put human lives in danger to achieve production targets.

There was an incident again last week where people's lives were in serious danger Were last years commitment that FOSKOR made after the first incident met, were they monitored and checked? I doubt it very much! Since this was the second incident, that we know of, the plant C of Foskor was supposed to be stopped until declared safe by independent specialist.

We need strong legislation, We need strong government implementation. We as communities are strong and able to work with government to make sure incidents of this nature will never happen again in our beautiful Zululand.

Thank you