National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16

The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16 details the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). It records a total of 2,647 EMIs, with a significant increase in proactive inspections and a rise in administrative notices. The report highlights enforcement trends in 'brown' (pollution/waste), 'green' (biodiversity), and 'blue' (marine/freshwater) sectors, noting a stabilization in rhino poaching numbers. It also documents specific legal cases, legislative updates, and capacity-building efforts for inspectors and prosecutors.

• The Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI) consists of 2,647 designated inspectors, including 2,411 national and provincial EMIs and 236 municipal EMIs. Grade 5 EMIs (field rangers) make up 67% of the national and provincial register, totaling 1,639 individuals.
• National enforcement statistics for 2015/16 show a 0.8% increase in registered criminal dockets (1,261) and a 25.65% increase in administrative notices issued (916). Conversely, convictions decreased by 20% from 65 in 2014/15 to 52 in 2015/16.
• Compliance monitoring saw a significant rise in activity, with 3,687 facilities inspected. Proactive inspections increased by 98.7% (from 1,247 to 2,474), and reactive inspections increased by 178% (from 440 to 1,224).
• The most prevalent environmental crimes vary by sector: the 'brown' sub-sector is dominated by the unlawful commencement of environmental impact assessment listed activities, while the 'green' sub-sector is characterized by illegal hunting and illegal entry.
• Rhino poaching in South Africa showed a slight decrease, with 1,175 rhinos poached in 2015 compared to 1,215 in 2014. The report attributes this stabilization to the Integrated Strategic Management Approach for Rhinoceros.
• Industrial enforcement is shifting from comprehensive audits to targeting substantive environmental concerns identified in baseline audits. A noted risk is that major polluters, such as Evraz Highveld Steel, entering business rescue proceedings creates uncertainty regarding the funding of environmental remediation.
• The national hotline received 819 complaints and section 30 incidents in 2015/16. Power generator sectors accounted for 43% (103) of the 239 reported section 30 NEMA incidents, followed by rail transport at 25% (60).

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2016). National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/necer2016.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16. 2016. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/necer2016.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16 |date=2016 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/necer2016.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2016national, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2015/16}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2016}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/necer2016.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }