SOUTH AFRICAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ON THE MOVE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The South African Constitution was framed in the context of attempting to promote citizen empowerment and the transition to sustainability. This article looks carefully at the provisions in the Constitution as they might apply to the transition to sustainability, notably the changing patterns of rights for citizens. The paper also examines the formation and innovative qualities of the 1998 National Environmental Management Act. This Act provides for a comprehensive commitment to environmental integration at all levels of government, and makes a tentative stab at the emergence of sustainability reporting. Fine legal words butter no implementation parsnips. The test will be in the conduct of these principles and procedures over the coming decade. This should provide a lively research arena for geographers, especially those interested in the relationship between implementive politics and transformational politics in the South African version of the sustainability transition.