In 2004, the President announced the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), which has a focus on using government expenditure to provide employment opportunities and training to unemployed people. The refocusing of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism's social responsibility programme on the EPWP has provided additional guidelines to the programme that include; a focus on labour intensive projects; accredited training; the definition of a job opportunity as an employment of six months or more; the utilisation of 305% of project funding for community wages.

With the aim of sustainable job creation, it has been made a requirement that at least 10% of workers must be provided with an exit opportunity in the form of a permanent job or a funded training opportunity. According to the 2004-2005 Annual Review of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the National Treasury allocated R386 Million to Departmental Social Responsibility and Projects Programme for 2004-2005 financial years, all of which had been spent by 31 March 2005. This was allocated to 163 projects with focus to working for tourism, pe9ple and parks, sustainable land-based livelihood; working for the coast and, working on waste.

2. STUDY TOUR

As part of conducting its oversight function over the implementation of Social Responsibility Project of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, a delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism conducted a study tour to Umtata and Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape Province from 10 to 12 August 2005. The main objective of this oversight was to monitor and assess the economic impact of 1 km coastal zone that restrict development and viability of local government, visit the location of poverty alleviation projects and interact with stakeholders to solicit input on barriers that inhibit successful implementation of poverty alleviation and job creation.

3.FINDINGS

During the visit, the delegation of the committee held meetings with the Executive Major of OR Tambo District Municipality, Government Officials, Executive Mayor and Councillors of Port St Johns District Municipality and, conducted site visits to the location of poverty alleviation projects in Umtata. In the meetings with the Executive Majors of OR Tambo and Port St Johns District Municipalities a number of challenges, opportunities and concerns were raised that relate to eco-tourism development. Some of the major problems mentioned by the Executive Mayor of the OR Tambo District Municipality that inhibit eco-tourism relate to non- utilisation of indigenous knowledge in projects development, lack of capacity for community participation, underdevelopment of airport and lack of investment in tourism and poverty alleviation projects.

While acknowledging the nature of problems, the Executive Major cited the creation of tourist's attraction sites such as Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu, Mandela's Birth Place in Mvelo, Sabata Dalidyebo Kingdom of Abtaxi owners for purpose of tourism, formation of local and regional tourism boards and, establishment of tourists' roads as opportunities that could contribute to eco-tourism development and benefit the indigenous people in Umtata During the meeting between the delegation of the committee and Councillors of the Port St Johns District Municipality, the Executive Major expressed several concerns about eco-tourism development. Some of the concerns expressed relate to the financial implication of environmental impact assessment, non-flexibility of 1KM coastal zone and lack of balance between environmental protection and development.

In addition to the formal meetings held, the delegation of the committee visited three Poverty Relief Projects (i.e. Mthatha Greening and Cleaning, Siyalola Recyclers Community) in the OR Tambo District Municipality funded by the Expanded Public Works Programme of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

About 300 people, mostly women, are benefiting from all the three poverty relief projects funded from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tounsrn's poverty relief programme, now renamed social responsibility and projects. The deliverables in these projects include job creation, training, planting of trees in the community and schools, collecting waste for recycling purposes, glass cutting, manufacturing of toilet paper, skills development of youth and women.

4. RECOMMENDATIONS

Noting that the delegation of the committee could not visit poverty alleviation projects in Port St Johns as planned, concerns on poverty alleviation projects funded by European Union and problems of sewerage system in the areas where poverty alleviation project are implemented, it is concluded and recommended that:

41. The OR Tambo District Municipality must ensure that all the damaged sewerage pipes are repaired or old one removed in order to ensure the successful implementation of the Mthatha Greening and Cleaning Project.

4.2. The Portfolio Committee should make a follow-up with Department of environmental affairs and Tourism to account on poverty alleviation projects funded by the European Union

4.3 The Portfolio Committee should consider undertaking oversight visit to Port St Johns with the objective of visiting poverty alleviation projects and soliciting community input on the socio-economic benefits of the projects in terms of job creation and poverty alleviation and tourism promotion.

4.4. The Portfolio Committee in collaboration with the Provincial Standing Committee must monitor the implementation of the recommendations made in this report.

1. BACKGROUND

As part of conducting its oversight function over the implementation of Social Responsibility Project of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism as contained in 2005 Estimate of National Expenditure (ENE), a delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs and Tourism undertook a provincial oversight visit to Umtata and Port St Johns from 10 to 12 August 2005.

1.1. OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this oversight visit was to monitor and assess the economic impact of 1 KM coastal zone that restrict development and viability of local government, visit the location of poverty alleviation projects and, interact with stakeholders such as provincial department, district municipality and community members to solicit input on factors that inhibit or promote successful implementation of poverty alleviation projects within the framework of extended public works programme.

1.2. DELEGATION

A multi- party delegation of the Portfolio Committee under the leadership of the

Acting-Chairperson, Mr DAA Olifant, ANC consisted of Mr. J Combnck, Mr A

Mokoena, ANC, Mrs R Ndzanga, ANC, Mr. M Kalako, ANC, Ms C Zikalala, IFP

and Committee Secretary, Mr M Manele.

1.3. REPORTING

Having conducted its oversight visits to Umtata and Port St Johns from 10 to 12 august 2005, the Portfolio Committee reports to Parliament as follows:

2.1. VISITS TO POVERTY RELIEF PROJECTS

During the period of the visit, the delegation of the committee conducted site visits to poverty relief projects (i.e. MTHATHA GREENING AND CLEANING PROJECT, SIYALOLA RECYCLERS COMMUNITY PROJECT) in Umtata that are currently funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism under the Social Responsibility and Projects as contained in 2005 Estimate of National Expenditure.

2.1.1. MTHATHA GREENING AND CLEANING PROJECT

The MTHATHA GREENING AND CLAENING PROJECT is one the poverty alleviation project funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. The main activities of the project include planting and beautification of trees; gardening of vegetables in homes and schools and environmental rehabilitation in mthatha. The project started in December 2004 and will end in March 2007. The total budget of the project is R10 million. The main objectives of this project are to: create job as part of the expanded public works programme; alleviate poverty in the urban renewal area of Ngangelizwe; arouse the interest of the public in environmental related matters and, ensure that the area of Ngangelizwe is green and clean

2.1.2. SIYALOLA RECYCLERS COMMUNITY PROJECT

The project got funding from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and has up to date managed to put in place a management structure, acquired a truck, machines and equipment and created 80 jobs for local community. The intention of this project is to create a friendly tourist environment through collection of waste, creating jobs and developing skills for all the previously disadvantaged communities.

The main activities of the projected reported to date include collection of waste for recycling purposes, bailing of waste and sending it to end-users, glass cutting, manufacturing of toilet papers, door to door collection of recyclable waste, provision of skills to youth and women. Despite the progress made in respect of

2. MEETING WITH OR TAMBO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

On the 10 August 2005, the delegation of the committee had formal meeting officials from the Department of Economic and Environmental Affairs and the Executive Major of OR Tambo District Municipality. In her presentation, the executive major briefed members of the delegation on problems and opportunities related to eco-tourism development.

The problem related to eco-tourism development include; investors enticing communities with offers of money and share schemes for their lands; Building of capacity for the community to be able to participate in developmental projects; Leaderships programmes currently not benefiting the local communities; Indigenous knowledge not used in the implementation of community projects; Underdevelopment of air port; Lack of blue flag status for coffee bay; Community participation and investment and, European Union members have recruited local and creating consortiums and trust so that members of the community could sign 25 years leases

While acknowledging the nature of problems, the Executive Major cited the creation of tourist's attraction sites such as Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu, Mandela's Birth Place in Mvelo, Sabata Dalidyebo and taxi owners for purpose of tourism, formation of local and regional tourism boards and, establishment of tourists' roads as opportunities that could contribute to eco-tounsm development and benefit the indigenous people in Umtata.

The OR Tambo District has a population of 1,7 million people and currently has the following tourists attraction sites, Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu; Mandela's Birth Place in Mvelo; Sabbath Dalidyebo - Kingdom of Abathembu; Umtata dam; OR Tambo Cultural Village and Gardens of Remembrances; District spending funds to assist taxi owners for purpose of tourism; formation of local and regional tourism boards and, establishment of tourists roads.

creating jobs for local people, ensuring environmental cleanliness and awareness, the closure of Spoornet between Umtata and East London, non-acceptance of paper and boxes by the local companies currently cause a transport and market problems and sustainability of the project.

3. MEETING WITH PORT ST JOHNS DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

On the 11 August 2005, the delegation of the committee had formal meeting with the Port St Johns District Municipality. The Executive Major, raised number of concerns related to eco-tourism development in the area of Port St Johns. The following are the concerns raised by the executive major for the consideration of the committee and follow up with the Department of Environmental Affairs and

Tourism:

Blanket on 1 KM no go zone area will create problems due to being no flexibility. A consideration should be given to nodal development as reflected in our spatial development framework plan, which in various meeting has generated environmental support.

The Major commented that department seems to prioritise the protection of

flora for more highly than consideration being for indigenous people. In his opinion, the current policy should be reviewed to give adequate consideration to both the indigenous people and the environment in which they leave.

Environmental impact assessment and scooping report as required by law have various financial implications, from our limited budget we believe consideration should be given by our department to subsidise if nit fully financed of these studies done due to your legislation.

Places like East London that fall in IDZ (industrial development zone) obtain various dispensations from national government to assist them to develop their IDZ's.

Port St Johns has been identified as one of the six-tourism node in South Africa. No dispensation or consideration is afforded to our town in any manner whatsoever, for instance our share of MIG is only five million which has limited impact over an area of 1296 square kilometres. The limited resources make it extremely difficult to fast track the development of this tourism node. We believe that the department of tourism and environmental affairs should budget for the provision of funding to the

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Having conducted an oversight visit to Umtata and Port St Johns on 10-12 August 2005, the Portfolio Committee concludes and recommends as follows:

4.1 Noting that the delegation of the committee could not visit poverty alleviation projects in Port St Johns due to ineffective communication between the provincial department and district council and misrepresentation of the provincial department, it recommended that:

4.2. In order to improve future co-ordination of oversight visits; there should be effective communication between the provincial department and district municipalities and that proper representation of departmental officials in formal meetings be improved.

4.3. Noting also that there are sewerage system problems in the areas where poverty alleviation project are implemented, it is recommended that:

41. The OR Tambo District Municipality must ensure that all the damaged sewerage pipes are repaired or old ones removed in order to ensure the successful implementation of the Mthatha Greening and Cleaning Project.

4.2. In future, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism should brief the committee on the status of poverty alleviation projects across all the provinces.

4.3. The Portfolio Committee should consider undertaking a oversight visit to Port St Johns with the objective of visiting poverty alleviation projects and soliciting community input on the socio-economic benefits of the projects in terms of job creation and poverty alleviation.

4.4. The Portfolio Committee in collaboration with the Standing Committee must monitor the implementation of the recommendations made in this report.

4.5. More should be done by the South African airways to develop airport in Umtata so as to promote tourism and contribute to job creation and poverty alleviation.

SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

MR DAA OLIFANT [MP] DATE