Deputy Minister Narend Singh: Marine and Coastal Resources Management Engagement with Amakhosi and Izinduna
Programme Director;|
Honourable MEC Reverend Zondi;
Honourable MEC Reverend Buthelezi;
His Worship, Executive Mayor Xaba;
Distinguished Amakhosi present here today;
Respected Izinduna;
Senior officials from national, provincial, and local government;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Sanibonani.
It is a profound privilege to stand before you today in Durban to lead this critical engagement on marine and coastal resources management. I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the traditional leadership of this province for convening with us.
We meet here today at a pivotal juncture. Our coastal areas—specifically looking at the ongoing developments around uMgababa and Mnini—are facing real pressures. But beyond these immediate pressures lies a much larger conversation about how we protect our natural heritage while simultaneously creating economic opportunities for our people.
We sit in this room today not as opponents of development, and certainly not as strangers to this magnificent coastline. We sit here as dedicated partners who share an inescapable duty of care. We share a duty of care to the communities who live along these shores, a duty of care to the land held in trust, and a duty of care to a coastline that represents both a vital economic livelihood and a sacred cultural heritage.
I want to state unequivocally at the outset: our partnership with Amakhosi and Izinduna is not a mere diplomatic courtesy. It is not an afterthought, nor is it a box-ticking exercise for government. It is the fundamental condition on which any lasting, sustainable solution will rest. Without your leadership, wisdom, and active stewardship on the ground, statutory environmental laws remain words on paper. With your partnership, those laws become practical tools to uplift our communities and safeguard our lands for generations to come.
Before we address the specific spatial, fisheries, and enforcement challenges along the coastline, it is essential that we examine a broader issue that impacts both our land and our oceans: the challenge and opportunity of waste. It is a genuine pleasure to discuss an issue that presents both a significant environmental challenge and an important economic opportunity for our rural and coastal communities.
For far too long, society has viewed waste strictly through a negative lens—as garbage to be swept away, hidden, or dumped into landfills and river systems. When waste is collected, separated, and recovered properly, it becomes a valuable resource that is a catalyst for supporting livelihoods, building new enterprises, and driving a sustainable, inclusive green economy.
Our national strategy is firmly grounded in the National Environmental Management: Waste Act. This legislation places an explicit legal responsibility on the State to reduce the volume of waste generated across our nation and to actively promote the re-use, recycling, and recovery of waste materials in an environmentally sound manner. This legal mandate is precisely why our department is prioritising the active participation of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and local cooperatives in recycling and waste collection initiatives. Paper, cardboard, plastics, aluminium cans, and glass can all be diverted from landfills and processed back into the economy. Successful recycling, however, depends entirely on local geography. Shopping centres, schools, municipal offices, sports fields, taxi ranks, and community halls are primary sources of valuable recyclable waste.
In the recycling sector, two factors dictate commercial success: quality and quantity. The cleaner and better separated the material is at the source, the higher the price it commands from buyers. When recyclables are contaminated with organic waste, their economic value drops significantly, or they become completely unusable. Teaching our communities to separate waste at source directly translates into higher income for local collectors and enterprises. This approach brings us directly to the concept of the Circular Economy. In the old linear economic model, we extract natural resources, manufacture products, use them once, and throw them into a landfill or allow them to pollute our rivers and ocean. The circular economy completely replaces that wasteful model. Instead of discarding resources, we recover materials and keep them in productive use for as long as possible.
Waste reclaimers and informal waste pickers have quietly led this circular transition for decades. They are the unsung heroes of municipal waste management in South Africa. Through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, the law now obliges manufacturers and importers to take financial and operational responsibility for their products throughout their entire lifecycle. Through Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), substantial support is being directed down to ground level. This support includes: Capital Infrastructure: Direct investment in local buy-back centres, sorting facilities, and collection networks. Essential Equipment: Provision of protective gear (PPE), bulk storage bags, heavy-duty scales, mechanical balers, sorting tables, trolleys, and transport trailers. Skills & Training: Comprehensive programs in business management, financial literacy, quality control, separation-at-source methods, and tailored access to SMME funding.
Our ultimate objective is to transform community involvement. We must move far beyond occasional, once-off clean-up campaigns where people pick up litter for a day and go back to business as usual. We are building an organised, daily system of structured waste collection, material recovery, and commercial recycling. To achieve this, local entrepreneurs need functional physical infrastructure. Sorting and storing materials requires safe, secure, accessible sites equipped with suitable tools. These operational items are not luxuries; they are the foundational requirements for any business seeking to participate meaningfully in the national recycling value chain.
We must formally recognise and integrate waste reclaimers into this evolving system. Extended Producer Responsibility gives us the framework to formalise their role, safeguard their health, upgrade their equipment, secure fair market pricing for their materials, and divert millions of tons of waste away from our overburdened landfills.
Programme Director, as we shift our focus from land to the ocean, we must address the legal architecture that governs access to marine living resources. Marine fisheries in South Africa are primarily regulated under the Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA), along with its Regulations, Fisheries General and Sector-Specific Policies, Rights Allocations, and annual catch, processing, import, and export permits and associated permit conditions.
To address historical inequities, the Small-Scale Fisheries Policy was adopted in 2012. This policy provides a formal framework to recognise historically marginalised fishing communities and improve their access to marine resources. The Regulations Relating to Small-Scale Fishing establish the precise mechanism through which communities and fishers are legally recognised, co-operatives established, and small-scale fishing rights granted. It is crucial to understand that this legislative framework is structured around community participation through small-scale fishing co-operatives, rather than the allocation of individual commercial fishing rights to every single fisher. Small-scale rights are long-term rights. Access to specific marine species is governed by the total resource allocation granted to each individual co-operative, biological sustainability considerations, and applicable permit conditions.
In our engagements with communities, a common point of confusion arises regarding legal terminology. I want to emphasise a vital legal distinction today: a fishing right and a fishing permit are not interchangeable. Fishing Right (Issued once, long-term): establishes the overarching legal entitlement to participate in a relevant fishery. Fishing Permit (Issued annually): regulates the practical exercise of that right, specifying the exact species, geographical area, fishing gear/method, and environmental conditions under which fishing may take place in a given year.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) stands out as a pioneer in this transformation journey. KZN was one of the very first provinces in which the small-scale fisheries policy framework was actively implemented. In 2019, the Department formally identified and recognised 2,184 fishers in KwaZulu-Natal across 36 declared small-scale fishing communities. These recognised communities were subsequently assisted by government to establish registered co-operatives and apply for 15-year fishing rights. Since that initial benchmark, the Department has continued to engage with coastal communities across the province, assisting them to gain recognition as formal fishing communities and allocating small-scale rights in line with statutory provisions.
Addressing the Core Question: "Why can communities not simply be given more fishing permits?" We know this is a central issue raised by Amakhosi and community members alike. Government fully recognises the legitimate economic and food-security interests of our coastal communities. However, access to marine living resources cannot be granted solely on the basis of proximity to the coast or traditional authority jurisdiction.
Marine living resources are renewable, but they are strictly finite. The Department must continuously balance five competing imperatives: Ecological Sustainability: Monitoring the biological condition and health of individual fish stocks. Access Allocation: Balancing existing small-scale, commercial, and recreational fishing access. Transformation: Fulfilling constitutional and statutory transformation mandates. Livelihoods: Safeguarding food security and local economic survival along the coast. Biodiversity Protection: Maintaining Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and species-specific harvest limits.
The Department cannot lawfully create additional fishing access where the available marine stock cannot sustain further harvesting. Conversely, where resources can sustainably support greater participation, the appropriate mechanism is to adjust access through established fisheries management and allocation frameworks, rather than issuing ad hoc, unmonitored permits.
This balance is particularly delicate in KwaZulu-Natal, where various fishing activities—including traditional linefish, East Coast rock lobster, and specialised net fisheries—operate under vastly different biological, regulatory, and management constraints. Current DFFE permit documentation in KZN reflects specific allocations for East Coast rock lobster, commercial cast-net, mixed-shoaling-fish beach-seine, and shove-net fisheries.
Amakhosi often ask why members of their traditional communities cannot obtain full commercial fishing rights in addition to their small-scale co-operative rights. It is important to understand that these two sectors operate under entirely different statutory frameworks: Small-Scale Framework: Expressly designed to provide collective access, economic development, and security to historically marginalised coastal communities. Commercial Framework: Operates through competitive, sector-specific rights allocation processes managed under separate MLRA parameters.
Participation in a traditional community or membership in a small-scale fishing co-operative does not automatically confer a commercial fishing right. However, this does not mean small-scale fishers are restricted to subsistence harvesting or fishing only for household consumption. The Small-Scale Fisheries Policy expressly envisages robust economic activity, value addition, processing, and commercial sales.
Indeed, the MLRA definition of a small-scale fisher explicitly recognises participation in harvesting, processing, and marketing, permitting the consumption, barter, and sale of fish.
The objective must be to strengthen small-scale co-operatives into viable, highly profitable fishing enterprises, rather than viewing a commercial fishing right as the only path to economic prosperity. The primary implementation challenge in small-scale fisheries has shifted. The principal issue is no longer simply the allocation of paper rights. The urgent challenge today is whether co-operatives are equipped to convert those rights into sustainable livelihoods, profitable enterprises, and long-term community wealth.
To achieve this, government support must address the entire value chain: This requires a whole-of-government approach. While DFFE is responsible for fisheries management and regulation, the commercial success of co-operatives requires active investment from Provincial Government, Municipalities, Traditional Councils, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and state-owned entities. We want to move our discussions away from the single question of "how many permits can be issued?" and focus instead on: "how do we maximise the economic value generated from the fishing access communities already hold?"
A major obstacle for small-scale fishers is that they are often price-takers, forced to sell raw catches at low prices to middlemen because they lack cold storage, processing tools, or transport. The Small-Scale Fishing Regulations anticipated collective processing and marketing through secondary co-operative arrangements to build bargaining power. Fish Processing Establishments are separately regulated under the MLRA. The Department has recently revised the policy governing the allocation and management of rights to operate Fish Processing Establishments, which has been submitted for final ministerial approval. However, establishing a standalone processing plant for every individual co-operative is financially inefficient and unsustainable. A far more viable and profitable approach includes: Shared Processing & Cold-Storage Hubs: Strategically located facilities serving clusters of local co-operatives; Secondary Co-operatives: Aggregating catches across multiple communities to supply large buyers; Commercial Partnerships: Joint ventures with existing compliant processing facilities; Shared Infrastructure: Co-managed transport, ice-making machinery, cold-chain logistics, and community landing hubs.
Programme Director,
Beyond direct harvesting, the broader Oceans Economy offers diverse economic streams for coastal communities, including boat maintenance, eco-tourism operations, cold-chain services, and sustainable coastal aquaculture.
Traditional leadership is essential to effective fisheries governance. DFFE has been actively establishing local co-management structures in KwaZulu-Natal, starting in 2025 with the establishment of a local small-scale fisheries co-management framework within the Ugu District Municipality. We envisage a vital leadership role for Amakhosi in fisheries governance: Communication Bridge: Facilitating clear dialogue between fishing communities and government agencies; Governance Support: Strengthening the internal management and accountability of local co-operatives; Conflict Resolution: Mediating operational disputes within and between coastal communities; Resource Protection: Discouraging illegal harvesting, protecting fish nursery zones, and safeguarding marine habitats; Indigenous Knowledge: Assisting government to integrate traditional ecological knowledge into modern scientific management; Infrastructure Advocacy: Securing suitable community land for landing sites, processing hubs, and storage facilities.
Maintaining this clear boundary protects both Government and Traditional Leadership. It ensures that expectations are managed correctly, clarifying that traditional authority cannot override statutory fisheries legislation or authorise illegal marine harvesting. Poaching and illegal fishing directly harm legitimate small-scale fishing co-operatives. Unlawful harvesting depletes marine stocks, degrades local ecosystems, and undermines the long-term commercial value of legally allocated fishing rights. We invite Amakhosi and Izinduna to act as active governance partners in compliance by: Encouraging community reporting of illegal harvesting and unlawful marine trading; Discouraging the destruction of sensitive coastal habitats; and championing community acceptance of sustainable catch limits and seasonal closures.
Programme Director;
To demonstrate how ecological stewardship directly delivers socio-economic benefits on the ground, allow me to highlight several major projects currently operating across KwaZulu-Natal.
1. uThukela Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Project
This initiative proves that environmental protection drives economic diversification, enterprise development, and women's empowerment: Micro-Enterprise Incubation: 37 women supported through dedicated business incubation; Green Entrepreneurs: 23 tree entrepreneurs, 6 aquaponics participants, and 8 charcoal-production participants established; Leadership Development: 57 local women completed specialized leadership training; Nyembe Community Hub: Infrastructure providing 86 people with community garden access, 150 people with library access, and 919 people with digital computer access—boosting local food security and education.
2. iSimangaliso MPA Ecosystem-Based Adaptation Project
Targeting coastal communities dependent on marine resources, this project builds socio-economic resilience across the region: Livelihood Support: 409 people directly targeted for direct livelihood support, with 824 people benefitting under broader diversification indicators. Capacity & Awareness: 4,201 people reached through training and knowledge exchanges, while 1,896 people participated in dedicated awareness campaigns. Fisheries & Agriculture Support: Assisting small-scale fishers, traders, and processors to reduce post-harvest losses while providing micro-grants, business planning, and start-up training for community climate resource centres, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable tourism.
3. Ocean Stewards Programme
Building youth capacity since 2015, this initiative has developed a network of over 174 young ocean professionals. It provides mentorship, experiential research learning, and policy skills, creating a pipeline of youth leaders who actively participate in marine governance and community ocean stewardship.
4. iSimangaliso Wetland Park – Socio-Economic Beneficiation
iSimangaliso continues to prove that world-class conservation generates direct community benefits: Tourism Infrastructure: Handover of six KwaDapha community homestays (creating 10 construction and 4 security jobs) and provision of boats and engines to three Madlangula community concessionaires in Kosi Bay. Maritime Livelihoods: Additional community boats deployed in Enkovukeni, paired with equipment and compliance support for local fishing co-operatives. Skills & Education: NQF Level 4 tour-guide training, UNDP-funded rural enterprise development, and bursary support for 21 students pursuing tourism and conservation degrees. Community Resource Hubs: Five functional hubs established in KwaDapha, Mabibi, Enkovukeni, KwaZibi, and KwaSokhulu for education, turtle monitoring, and research, alongside Biodiversity Stewardship agreements with Traditional Councils to develop community conservation areas.
5. Working for Water & Youth Deployment in KZN
As highlighted earlier, our Working for Water programme in the King Cetshwayo District (Mthonjaneni Municipality) invests R3,956,000 to create 326 jobs across 1,000 hectares in partnership with uMngeni-uThukela Water and local Traditional Authorities: Yanguye Community (Ndabezitha Biyela): 116 participants. Msinsi Community (Ndabezitha Biyela): 96 participants. eShowe Community (Ndabezitha Mpungose & Ndabezitha Shange): 114 participants.
In parallel, our Youth Graduate model in uThukela District employs 21 young graduates running school education, waste audits, tree planting, and landfill rehabilitation across local municipalities.
The coastal development challenge at Umgababa and Mnini
Programme Director,
The principles of structured co-management and legal compliance apply with equal force to how we manage our coastal land. Our engagement today was triggered by the serious situation unfolding along the coast at uMgababa and Mnini. What began as localized complaints regarding the illegal clearing of coastal dunes and unauthorised construction has grown into a major challenge: uncontrolled development along a sensitive coastal corridor. Our concern is not restricted to a few isolated building sites. We face a risk where unlawful development becomes established while government authorities coordinate their responses. Respect for traditional leadership and respect for statutory law must travel together. One without the other will fail to protect this community.
Government joint inspections conducted on 11 March 2026 and 12–18 April 2026 by the DFFE, the EDTEA, and eThekwini Municipality identified multiple illegal activities. Because the land involves Ingonyama Trust administration, local Traditional Councils, and Coastal Public Property under the Integrated Coastal Management Act (ICMA), an effective response requires total intergovernmental coordination. In April 2026, formal legal notices were served, including NEMA Section 31L Compliance Notices and ICMA Section 60 Repair/Removal Notices. Advisory warnings were also issued to property practitioners selling tribal and coastal land without authorisation.
However, despite these initial steps, illegal construction was still observed taking place as recently as 8 August 2026. This demonstrates clearly that initial inspections and legal notices are not enough; we must establish firm control on the ground. Unregulated coastal building poses severe public safety and climate risks: Environmental Impact Assessments and municipal planning controls are not bureaucratic obstacles; they are structural safeguards engineered to protect human life and property.
Five-point action plan and conclusion
To move immediately from discussion to implementation, I propose that this meeting adopt five concrete commitments today:
1. Provincial Operational Leadership
The EDTEA will lead operational coordination alongside eThekwini Municipality, the COGTA, and the DFFE, with the full participation of Amakhosi and Izinduna.
2. Firm Timeframes for Consultations
We must establish an urgent, calendar of formal engagements between authorities and traditional leadership.
3. Single Consolidated Development Register
We will establish a single register tracking every development in the affected area, documenting its exact coordinates, construction status, required permits, responsible enforcement authority, and legal steps taken to date.
4. Coordinated Enforcement Plan
We will execute a joint enforcement plan for existing unlawful developments, aligning municipal, provincial, and national processes.
5. Joint Early-Warning Mechanism
Amakhosi and Izinduna will partner with us as early-warning observers, identifying and reporting new illegal site-clearing immediately so that action can be taken before buildings are erected.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the objective before us is straightforward: to halt unlawful development, resolve existing contraventions, build sustainable small-scale fisheries enterprises, and unleash the economic potential of the green and blue economy. Whether we are managing coastal land, building recycling enterprises, or supporting small-scale fishing co-operatives, success requires the exact same formula: strong partnerships, shared registers, technical infrastructure, legal compliance, and mutual respect between statutory state institutions and traditional leadership.
The law will be applied, and it will be applied with respect for traditional authority. Let us walk this path together to protect our environment, uplift our communities, and secure sustainable livelihoods for generations to come.
I thank you
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