By Nangamso Mabindla
18 October 2006

THE inaugural Air Quality Governance Lekgotla opened in East London, in Buffalo City, on Monday, 16 October. The gathering will be an annual event.

Officials from the three spheres of government attended the opening. Organised by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the aim of the week-long lekgotla is to encourage the government to take a progressive stance on the issue of air quality, which has global importance, and thus set precedence for governance in South Africa.

Speaking at the gathering, Martinus van Schalkwyk, the minister of environmental affairs and tourism, said that the lekgotla was the culmination of the Air Quality Act that came into effect in September 2005.

"The act provides for an implementation plan that shows we are serious about delivery. This lekgotla is a milestone that marks the first national gathering of government air quality managers and I urge these managers to work together as a team in the fight against air pollution."

During the week, government air quality officials will meet those from the private sector and civil society to develop a roadmap for air quality management for the next five years. Called the National Air Quality Management Framework, it will be published on the second anniversary of the Air Quality Act.

"This lekgotla provides an opportunity for government air quality managers to interact with their peers from other institutions, industry, academia and civil society," Van Schalkwyk said. "You will have a chance to debate [areas] of common interest around air quality and also to learn about new approaches, new ideas and best practice in this complex field of air quality management."

Buffalo City Acting Mayor Andile Ntoni said that the municipality had made strides in its fight against air pollution when became the first city in the province to have an air quality monitoring station, the first of four planned stations in the municipal area. "This morning we launched our own air quality monitoring station; now we will be able to measure the amount of air pollution in the city."

He said that the passing of the Air Quality Act was not going to change people's minds overnight. The government needed to have an educational programme directed at the city's industries and residents.

"Air pollution is not only a responsibility for a government department. It is everybody's responsibility and I hope that these annual lekgotlas are going to help us address air quality challenges."