The seventh national Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Lekgotla
This is a four-day event which will end on November 9.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2017/11/IMG_8766.jpg)
The seventh national Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Lekgotla is underway at Ingwenyama Conference Centre.
It is a biennial workshop by the department of environmental affairs.
This is a four-day event which will end on November 9.
The 2016/17 National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report (NECER) was launched.
ALSO READ:Cyril Ramaphosa announces Naledi Pandor as his deputy presidential candidate
The NECER also shows the fines that were imposed in the past two years.
“The amount of the fine is based on the nature of the offence,” said Sonnyboy William Bapela, chief directorate of compliance at the environmental affairs department.
This workshop provides a platform for the Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI) also known as the Green Scorpions to reflect on the work done over the past two years.
ALSO READ: IDOLS:Top three make their way to London
The Green Scorpions are a network of environmental compliance and enforcement officials from national, provincial and municipal government.
They share the same legislative powers and duties in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and they operate across the country.
“The new Green Scorpions logo was unveiled. EMI got the name Green Scorpion from the public because they were comparing us to the former Directorate of Special Operations also known Scorpions.
It is an independent multidisciplinary agency that investigates, prosecutes organised crime and corruption. When they gave the name at first we could not use it until it was raised during our previous lekgotla in North West,” said Bapela.