DA submits parliamentary questions on status of South Africa's air quality monitoring stations

5 November 2023

The Democratic Alliance (DA) remains deeply concerned about the current state of South Africa's air quality monitoring stations. Following the alarming information shared in the recent Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) portfolio committee meeting, we have taken concrete steps to seek transparency and accountability from DFFE.

The DA has submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment requesting detailed information on the following pertaining to the status of air quality monitoring stations under government control in South Africa:

1. A list of which air quality monitoring stations are currently operational, non-operational, and those not recording data adequately.

2. Clarification on which government bodies or departments have jurisdiction over these air quality monitoring stations.

The DA believes that without an accurate and transparent disclosure of the operational status of these monitoring stations, South Africa cannot effectively tackle the air quality challenges we face, nor can we uphold the ambitions of the Climate Change Bill. Reliable air quality data is critical for both public health and formulating strategies to meet our climate action commitments.

We await an urgent response from the Minister that will outline the specifics of the situation. The people of South Africa deserve to breathe clean air, and this begins with having a fully functional air quality monitoring system in place.

The DA is committed to ensuring that the government’s obligations to environmental and public health are not merely rhetorical but are backed by action and results.

Issued by Hannah Shameema Winkler, DA Member on the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, 5 November 2023