Chapter 2 - P rogramme 1 - Department of Defence

| Department of Defence | Vote 20 |
REPORT OF THE ACCOUNTING OFFICER
for the year ended 31 March 2008 (continued)
8.6.3 Operation Vuselela. The partnership between the DOD and Working for Water (WfW)
Programme of the DWAF to utilise military veterans to eradicate alien and invasive vegetation on
Defence controlled properties was successful. The project has resulted in the eradication of 5 000
ha of alien vegetation.
8.6.4 Energy Efficiency Campaign. In support of the government’s goal of sustainable utilisation
of natural resources, the demand side management initiatives by ESKOM and the Presidential
Priorities, the DOD has embarked upon an Energy Efficiency Campaign in order to reduce
the demand for electricity through participating in the National Energy Response Team of the
Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) through partnering in various government initiatives
on renewable energy such as biodiesel, wind and solar energy.
8.6.5 Committee for Environmental Co-ordinators (CEC). The DOD as government
department plays a big role in the interdepartmental committee that deals with environmental
issues across the government organisations. The Second Edition Environmental Implementation
Plan (EIP) for Defence was approved by the Plenary Defence Staff Council on 18 June 2007 and
adopted by the CEC in the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEA&T) on
15 August 2007.
8.6.6 Integrating environmental matters in exercises and deployments. The second
rotation of forces of Op CURRICULUM in Burundi included the verification and rotation of
environmental capacity as part of the deployment. During Ex SEBOKA 2007, an environmental
officer was deployed and awareness training provided on the implementation of environmental
considerations in this exercise to the members of 46 SA Bde. During Ex YOUNG EAGLE, an
environmental officer was deployed to ensure that the procurement of environmental technical
equipment required for rehabilitation measurers were available and to provide advice on waste
management and mitigation of the impact on the environment.
8.6.7 International Environmental Co-operation under RSA-USA Defence Committee.
The Integrated Waste Management (IWM) Guidebook and the 10-year Report on the Environmental
Security Working Group (ESWG) were finalised and printed in November 2007. A copy of
each was handed over to the Co-chairs of the DefCom in February 2008. Two environmental
members attended an Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM) workshop hosted by the
USA European Command in Botswana, which included a visit to the Botswana Defence Force’s
Taukgolo Training Area and afforded the DOD the opportunity to share unique challenges and
experience in this regard with other countries on the African Continent.
8.6.8 Restitution of Land. The environmental clean-up (excluding Unexploded Ordinances (UXOs))
at the Hell’s Gate Training Area was completed during 2007. The specialised rehabilitation of
UXOs by the DOD has to take place before the area can be handed back to the claimants.
9. Discontinued activities/activities to be discontinued
Discontinued activities and activities to be discontinued are described in the Annual Report.
10. New and proposed activities
New and proposed activities are described in the Annual Report.
235 Annual Report FY 2007 - 2008
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