

Chapter 15



LINKS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

Rejoining the rest of the world

Under  apartheid , many countries did not want to have links with South Africa. This has now changed. We are setting up strong links with other countries. This means that decisions taken in other parts of the world affect us. Changes in other countries also affect us. Also, South Africa has agreements with and responsibilities to other countries.

South Africa was not officially part of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). But our government has committed itself to the principles and agreements of that conference. These principles and agreements are in a document called Agenda 21. Agenda 21 promises money to poor countries, to help them protect the environment and get rid of poverty. But so far no money has been given to these countries.

South Africa is a member of over twenty international environmental conventions*. But the government must still look at the following issues:

1.  Should the new government ratify the conventions that it has signed, including the Law of the Sea, Climate Change and Biodiversity.
2.  South Africa should show that it is committed to not bringing hazardous waste to Africa. It should sign and ratify the Bamako Convention (see Chapter 11).
3.  South Africa should encourage national debate on the Convention on Drought and Desertification.
4.  South Africa should ratify the Framework Convention on Climate Change. This would show that we support the interests of developing countries.
5.  South Africa is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We must work to set up a treaty which will make Africa a continent on which there are no nuclear weapons.

Many big international companies are setting up factories in South Africa. We must make sure that these companies do not bring dirty industries into South Africa. We do not want them to pollute our country. In the same way, South African companies are setting up factories in other countries in Africa. We must make sure that these factories do not pollute those countries.

The World Bank and the IMF

South Africa is already linked to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The Reconstruction and Development Programme depends on other countries lending us money. But we must be very careful. The World Bank and the IMF have lent money to other African countries. But they have only done this if the countries set up Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs). These are programmes to change the way the economy of the country is run. These programmes have resulted in more poor people in these countries. They have made life worse for women, children, old people and the unemployed. They have caused damage to the environment. We must make sure that this does not happen in South Africa.

The World Bank has other projects that have also damaged the environment. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project will pump water from the Orange River in Lesotho to Gauteng. The World Bank supports this project. Already the environment and the people in the Lesotho mountains have suffered from this project. The Orange River could also be seriously damaged by the project. There might not be enough water left to keep the river flowing properly. This will affect people in Namaqualand and parts of the Northern Cape province.

South Africa must set up better ways to measure what effect big projects will have on the environment.

Some people want South Africa to set up Export Processing Zones (EPZs). In these special areas, industry does not have to worry about labour laws or about laws protecting the environment. EPZs weaken the ability of workers to demand a living wage. EPZs also allow damage to be done to our environment.

Southern Africa

Until very recently, South Africa did not have good links with other countries in Southern Africa.

There are some problems facing Southern Africa in relation to protecting our environment. These include: an environment that is easily damaged; low levels of technology in rural areas; lack of protection of natural resources; lack of capacity to manage the environment properly; and weak laws.

It would be better if countries in Southern Africa worked together to protect the environment. Some of the issues on which these countries could work together are listed here:

Population and migration: Many people move from one country to another in Southern Africa. With peace in Mozambique and Angola and democracy in South Africa, people will travel more.

Management of resources across borders (grazing, wildlife, forests and minerals): The natural resources in Southern Africa will need careful management. Joint management plans between countries will become more and more important.

Management of shared rivers: The Southern African region often has droughts. Shared rivers should be managed together. South Africa is already taking water from Lesotho. As we need more water we might use other rivers like the Zambezi.

Energy: South Africa can produce more electricity than it needs. We could sell this electricity to other countries in Southern Africa.

Pollution that crosses borders: Air and water pollution travel easily across borders. Countries in Southern Africa must make laws and agreements to control this problem.

Scientific and technical cooperation: South Africa is more advanced in some scientific and technical areas than its neighbours. But we can also learn from other countries in the region about things like social forestry and land ownership.

Pest control: Pests, such as locusts, don't stop at borders. Countries must work together to control pests.

Food security: South Africa must co-operate with other countries in Southern Africa to make sure that we produce enough food for our people.

Trade: South Africa can become very important in the Southern African economy. Investors from other countries might choose to put their money into South Africa. Southern Africa has quite a few trade agreements. The size of the South African economy will mean it is stronger than its neighbours. The governments will have to make sure that South Africa does not dominate other countries.

War, the army and the environment

South Africa has the most powerful army in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa can also make a lot of weapons.

The  apartheid  government destabilised our neighbouring countries, especially Mozambique and Angola. This damaged their environment as well. Producing and testing weapons, building military bases, and getting rid of toxic wastes, has all damaged the environment. Actual war and fighting has also damaged the environment.

The SANDF owns large pieces of land. This includes land for testing missiles. Parts of natural protected areas in St Lucia and De Hoop were also used for this. The SANDF is one of the biggest landowners in the country. The testing of chemicals for use by the army as upset communities living next to the testing sites.

Some people think we should keep making weapons so that we can sell them overseas. Other people think that South Africa should help to make peace in Africa. The scientists who helped to make South African nuclear weapons could help to develop clean technologies instead.

People are beginning to realise that environmental issues are important for national security. There could be conflict over access to environmental resources in the region. Southern Africa could get caught up in the "greenwar factor". In the "greenwar factor" damage to the environment causes local conflict and violence. This then leads to civil war or wars between countries. These wars cause more damage to the environment.

Environment and trade

South Africa's economy should grow for the next few years. But the new government has debts that it will have to pay off. It will also have to find money for the RDP. We must sell more of our products overseas. This will give us more money to pay our debts to other countries and to buy the things from them that we need. Most of the products that we sell overseas are minerals and agricultural products. This means that our farms and mines will have to produce more. This could do more damage to the environment.

Many countries recently made an agreement called the Uruguay Round Agreement of the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT). This agreement sets out the way that trade will happen between countries. It is meant to make it easier for developing countries like South Africa to sell their goods to rich countries. But it will only help us if we join with other poor countries to look after our own interests. One issue that we must look at is agricultural exports and how they will affect farming in South Africa.

The agreement says that governments must stop giving subsidies to industries. Some subsidies to farmers may still be allowed. Subsidies for environmental projects and research will probably still be allowed.

The agreement says that countries have the right to own information and ideas that come from that country. This includes community knowledge about the environment. The government must set up systems to protect these rights. This is important for the protection of local and traditional knowledge, farmers rights and community management of natural resources.

Under this agreement, proposals will probably be made on how to protect the environment. There will probably be rules about how products must be packed and what information is on the label. These rules are to protect the environment. We must look at how they will affect our trade.

Environmental issues are becoming more important when we try to sell products to other countries. Agreements between countries might stop them buying products that damage the environment. This means that if our industries do not look after the environment they might not be able to sell their goods to other countries. Our industries might have to clean up so that they can sell their products to other countries. This would be good for our environment.

When we make agreements with other countries South Africa must remember that we need development, we need more industry, we need more jobs. But we also need to protect our environment. We must also make sure that companies from other countries do not bring dirty factories to South Africa that will pollute our country.

Recommendations

1.  The government must work with other countries in Southern Africa to make sure that new trade agreements protect the environment. They must develop trade and environment policies at the national, regional and international levels. These policies must help Southern Africa achieve sustainable development.
2.  The government must try to stop other countries dumping their products in South Africa. Countries with low environmental standards must be helped to raise them. South Africa should lead this process.
3.  The government should ratify the Law of the Sea Convention. This convention would help to control sea pollution and to protect our fish. It would also help to control mining in the deep sea.
4.  The Convention on Biodiversity has been ratified by South Africa. But laws must be made to protect the rights of local communities.
5.  The Proposed Policy on Global Environmental Change should be looked at again before the Climate Change Convention is ratified. We must have a public participation process and a framework policy before we ratify this convention.
6.  The government should sign and ratify the Bamako Convention to stop people bringing hazardous waste into South Africa from outside Africa. We should also make our own laws to stop this.
7.  South Africa should work with other countries in Southern Africa to set up a proper environmental management strategy.
8.  The government should put less money into military research. It should rather put money and scientists into developing cleaner ways for industry to work. It should also put money and skills into cleaner ways to produce electricity and energy.





