ACT AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTERS
THE time has come for the government to impose harsher fines on companies that have been found to be responsible for serious environmental degradation.
The decision taken by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs, Barbara Creecy, to open a criminal case in connection with the chemical spill from the United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) warehouse during the July unrest should be applauded and encouraged.
Pesticide and agro-chemicals spilt into Ohlange River, uMhlanga Estuary and the sea as a result of the fire. Creecy's announcement comes after the release of a joint preliminary investigation report into the compliance profile of the Cornubia-based warehouse.
Companies need to know that they should respect and adhere to the country's environmental laws or face stiff punishment, including criminal prosecution and the jailing of their chief executives. In KwaZulu-Natal and throughout the country, big companies have been accused of polluting the environment without any serious consequences.
By opening a criminal case, the minister is finally standing up to the big companies. She is telling them that the government will no longer look away when acts of environmental pollution are committed. We hope that the police will do a proper investigation that leads to the company being punished if there is evidence of wrongdoing.
There is no doubt that the UPL spill has had a devastating impact on the environment, and the economy of KwaZulu-Natal has been left reeling. The tourism and hospitality sectors, which were already on their knees due to the Covid-19 lockdown, have been further destroyed due to the closure of North Coast beaches.
It is easy for UPL to defend itself by saying that the fires, which led to the pollution, were caused by rioters involved in the civil unrest. While that may be true, what is of concern is the allegation that there was “unlawful storage of chemicals classified as a dangerous good”. Only a criminal investigation can get to the bottom of such serious allegations.
For now, a clear and unequivocal message has been sent to those companies that, for far too long, have been allowed to pollute the environment with impunity.