The Western Cape needs a Commissioner for Environmental Affairs. The provincial Constitution does make provision for the office and it is significant for the province.
During the recent meeting of the Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, and the Constitutional Affairs Committee, the FF Plus strongly advocated for such an appointment to be made.
It was in response to the Department of Environmental Affairs' recommendation that the Western Cape Constitution must be amended by repealing Sections 71 through 77 in addition to removing the office seeing as it overlaps with functions already contained in national legislation. According to the Department, the office will simply be an unnecessary expense.
The FF Plus does not agree and feels that it is short sighted to place this important function under the control of the incompetent national ANC government.
The Western Cape Constitution was ratified by the Constitutional Court and it gives the province the power to decide whether or not an Environmental Affairs Commissioner should be appointed.
The FF Plus will not let the ANC take over this role. Because just like elsewhere in the country on provincial and local government level, it will merely deteriorate into disorder and dysfunction.
The FF Plus will keep fighting to ensure that the office and the function is not taken away from the Western Cape province.
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