Briefings on environmental levies, and provincial elephant strategy implementation; with Deputy Minister

The Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment met to exercise oversight of environmental fiscal policy and biodiversity management. It received briefings from National Treasury on the collection and allocation of environmental levies and from KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo Wildlife on the implementation of the National Heritage Elephant Strategy. A planned briefing by the North West province on elephant management was postponed due to the province's absence. Members questioned whether revenue generated through environmental levies should be more directly allocated to environmental programmes, expressing concern that environmental protection and waste management remained underfunded despite substantial levy collections. Concerns were also raised about the institutional future and capacity of the Waste Management Bureau, the effectiveness of environmental levies in reducing pollution, and whether current funding arrangements adequately supported implementation. National Treasury maintained that environmental levies were intended primarily to influence behaviour rather than fund specific programmes and confirmed that a written response would be provided on the Bureau's future institutional model. The Department and the Waste Management Bureau highlighted ongoing engagement with National Treasury to improve funding arrangements and address capacity constraints. The Committee also examined KwaZulu-Natal's management of a growing elephant population and its impact on biodiversity and neighbouring communities. Members raised concerns about increasing human-elephant conflict, ecological carrying capacity, delays in elephant management interventions, the effectiveness of contraception, protection of endangered species, and the socio-economic benefits of conservation for surrounding communities. The province outlined measures including contraception, translocation, improved fencing, community partnerships, enhanced monitoring systems and biodiversity economy initiatives, while acknowledging that long-term population management would require broader national policy decisions. The Committee requested additional information on elephant management, human-elephant conflict and institutional matters.