Facing the Music through Environmental Administrative Penalties: Lessons to be Learned from the Implementation and Impact of Section 24G?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2022/v25i0a13321

Keywords:

environmental right, section 24G, administrative penalties

Abstract

Section 24G was inserted into the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 to provide a mechanism for authorising activities that commence unlawfully. It contains South Africa's only environmental administrative fine - and a quasi one at that. The section has spawned much debate and controversy, including the fact that its existence and purported abuse undermine the fundamental objectives of environmental impact assessments - a cornerstone of government's legislative and decision-making response to the environmental right. This article presents certain results of the first part of an empirical study which explored the criticisms of section 24G; the extent to which it has a deterrent effect, and the lessons that can be learned in designing an administrative penalty system. Approximately 400 people, including representatives from government, the regulated community and environmental consultants were interviewed or surveyed. The results yielded several observations. This article focuses on the extent to which the section is used and the degree of awareness and knowledge about section 24G. The second part of the study probes the deterrent effect of section 24G in more depth by considering the influence that experience – either own or other's – has had on the regulated community.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bibliography

Literature

Department of Environmental Affairs 2014 National Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Strategy

Faure MG and Svatikova K “Criminal or Administrative Law to Protect the Environment? Evidence from Western Europe” 2012 Journal of Environmental Law 253-286 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqs005

Fourie M “How Administrative Penalties Can Change the Face of Compliance in South Africa” 2009 SAJELP 1-25

Hall J “In Search of Judicial Impact – A Consideration of Concepts and Methodologies” 2013 SA Public Law 58-72

Halliday S Judicial Review and Compliance with Administrative Law (Hart Publishing Oxford 2004)

Hugo RE Administrative Penalties as a Tool for Resolving South Africa’s Compliance Woes (LLM-dissertation University of Cape Town 2014)

INECE Principles of Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Handbook (International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement United States of America 2009)

Johnson CA and Canon BC Judicial Policies: Implementation and Impact (CQ Press, Washington, DC 1999)

Kohn L “The Anomaly that is Section 24G of NEMA: An Impediment to Sustainable Development” 2012 SAJELP 1-28

Kotter JP Leading Change (Harvard Business Review Press Boston 1996)

Murombo T and Munyuki I “The Effectiveness of Plea and Sentence Agreements in Environmental Enforcement in South Africa” 2019 PER 1-41 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2019/v22i0a5685

Paschke J and Glazewski J “Ex Post Facto Authorisation in South African Environmental Assessment Legislation: A Critical Review” 2006 PER 120-150

Retief F, Welman CNJ and Sandham L “Performance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening in South Africa: A Comparative Analysis between the 1997 and 2006 EIA Regimes” 2011 Southern African Geographical Journal 154-171 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2011.592263

Shapiro M “Towards a Theory of Stare Decisis” in Shapiro M and Sweet AS On Law, Politics and Judicialization (Oxford University Press, New York 2002) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/0199256489.001.0001

Stafford S “Do Carrots Work? Examining the Effectiveness of EPA’s Compliance Assistance Program” 2012 Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 533-555 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.21633

Steyn P “The Greening of our Past? An Assessment of South African Environmental Historiography” 1999 New Contree 7-27

Stubbs KS and Hall JH “The Quest for Efficient Enforcement and the Blurring of Lines between Criminal and Administrative Law: European Union (EU) and South African Perspectives” in Universality of the Rule of Law: Slovenian and South African Perspectives (Fourie E & Škerl JK (eds)) African Sun Media (2021) 107-136

Wasby SLThe Impact of the United States Supreme Court (The Dorsey Press Illinois 1970)

UNEP Environmental Rule of Law: First Global Assessment Report (United Nations Environment Programme 2019)

Case law

Eagles Landing Body Corporate v Molewa 2003 (1) SA 412 (T)

Magaliesberg Protection Association v MEC, Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development, North- West Provincial Government (1776/2010) [2011] ZANWHC 67 (15 December 2011)

Plotz N.O. v Member of the Executive Council for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape and Others Case no: 12736/2014, WCD, 20 May 2016, unreported

Pretoria Timber Treaters CC v Mosunkuto NO (53710/2008) (2009) ZAGPPHC 326 (22 September 2009)

S v Mellville Kirkwood District Magistrates’ Court, Case number: A 513/09, 18 October 2010

S v Nokomati Anthracite (Pty) Ltd Nelspruit Regional Court, Case No: SH 412/13, 28 August 2013

S v UNICA Iron Steel (Pty) Ltd (Temba, Hammanskraal) (unreported) case number 386/12/2013 (undated)

Silvermine Valley Coalition v Sybrand Van Der Spuy Boerdery 2002 (1) SA 478 (C)

Supersize Investments 11 CC v The MEC of Economic Development (70853/2011) [2013] ZAGPPHC 98 (11 April 2013)

The Body Corporate of Dolphin Cove v Kwadukuza Municipality (8513/10) [2012] ZAKZDHC 13 (20 February 2012)

Uzani Environmental Advocacy CC v BP Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd (CC82/2017) [2019] ZAGPPHC 86

Legislation

.

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

National Environmental Amendment Act 8 of 2004

National Environmental Amendment Act 62 of 2008

National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998

National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act 39 of 2004

National Environmental Management Amendment Bill, 2017 [B14D-2017]

National Environmental Management Laws Second Amendment Act 30 of 2013

National Environmental Management: Waste Act 59 of 2008

Government publications

GNR 1182, 1183 and 1184 in GG 18261 of 5 September 1997

GNR 385, 386 and 387 in GG 28753 of 21 April 2006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/221058706X00775

GNR 543, 544, 555 and 546 in GG 33306 of 18 June 2010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2150-1092.1983.tb01431.x

GNR 982, 983, 984 and 985 in GG 38282 of 4 December 2014

GNR 698 in GG 40994 of 20 July 2017

Internet sources

Calvo K, Platt L and Sunkin M 2007 Does Judicial Review Influence the Quality of Local Authority Services? ISER working paper 2007-34 https://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/research/publications/working-papers/iser/

-34 accessed 16 February 2022

Centre for Environmental Rights 12 May 2011 https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/CER-Submission-on-S24G-May-2011.pdf accessed 16 February 2022

Department of Environmental Affairs undated 20 Years of Environmental Impact Assessment in South Africa https://www.environment.gov.za/

sites/default/files/docs/publications/EIAbooklet.pdf accessed 16 February 2022

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs on the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill [B13-2012] 15 May 2013 available at https:// sabinet.co.za accessed 21 February 2022

Published

13-07-2022

Issue

Section

SARChi CLES Series on Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability

How to Cite

Hall, J. (2022). Facing the Music through Environmental Administrative Penalties: Lessons to be Learned from the Implementation and Impact of Section 24G?. Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 25, (Published 13 July 2022) pp 1-34. https://doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2022/v25i0a13321

Similar Articles

1-10 of 1038

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.