7_1 April 2002

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Contents of April 2002

EDITORIAL
Addressing the problem of invasive alien plants

PUBLISHER’S COMMENT
Special joint venture publication for World Summit

UPFRONT
News

LETTERS

TREE OF THE ISSUE
Andrew Hanky chooses the Common Hook-thorn

WORDS ON WASTE

FEATURES

How green will the summit be?

Operation Wildflower

Balancing conservation and intervention

Studio from discard construction materials

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EDITORIAL

Addressing the problem of invasive alien plants
An interesting partnership has been formed between the South African Nursery Association (SANA), Working for Water and the National Department of Agriculture (NDA) which will address the problem of invasive alien plants in gardens across the country. The initiative aims to ensure that nurseries do not stock invasive alien plants and that nursery staff are able to offer the customer who wants to buy one of these plants an indigenous or a non-invasive exotic alternative.

A system of endorsement is being developed in conjunction with the NDA for nurseries that conform to the new legislation – the amended regulations of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act which list 198 declared weeds and invader plants (see article in Nov/Dec 2001 issue of Urban Green File) that either need to be removed by the land owner, or may not be planted or sold in the future.

The programme is three-pronged and the initial phase, a research project, will survey a random selection of government and private sector nurseries, countrywide – with the permission of the nurserymen. The aim of the survey is to establish the current situation concerning the stocking and selling of listed invasive species (not for prosecution purposes) and the attitude of staff and customers towards the problem of invasive species.

The second phase will be the development of an accredited training programme for nursery staff which will include the identification and control of invading alien plants and potentially invasive plants; and the promotion of indigenous and non-invasive exotic alternatives to invasive plants. The pilot training scheme to be managed by BC Landscape Training will begin in June.

Thirdly, the partnership will develop and pilot a communications campaign, aimed at nurserymen and their customers along with related stakeholders such as landscape architects and contractors and horticultural educationalists, to promote alternatives to invasive alien plants. This third phase will include the promotion of partnerships between established and emerging, community-based nurseries, as sources of alternatives to invading alien plants. SANA Growers Sector is compiling a list of alternative plants which will be promoted to the gardening public in a major spring campaign.

Lesley Henderson, author of the book Alien Weeds and Invasive Plants, has provided the partnership with a list of the most serious invader species for each major urban centre countrywide.

For more information on this innovative programme contact Kay Montgomery who has been appointed by SANA to run the project. Tel: (011) 453 3270. Email: kay@wordlink.co.za

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PUBLISHER’S COMMENT

Special joint venture publication for World Summit
Johannesburg based Brooke Pattrick Publications (publishers of Urban Green File) and London based ICG Publishing (publishers of Sustainable Development International) will produce a special joint venture publication for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. This editorially independent publication will focus on international and South African examples of appropriate business practices in sustainable development. The publication will be on sale at selected Exclusive Books outlets and certain Summit venues during the World Summit and will also be mailed to the subscribers of Sustainable Development International and subscribers of Urban Green File.

The international section will be handled by ICG Publishing from its London offices and the South African section by Brooke Pattrick Publications in Johannesburg. The South African section will focus on the relationship between business and sustainable development and cover the following sectors: Property and Construction, Mining, Water, Energy (oil, gas, electricity, renewables), Forestry, Tourism/Hospitality, Waste, Chemicals, Manufacturing (including motor vehicles and equipment), Tourism and Environmental Planning (including urban design and landscaping).

The publication will comprise a series of background articles on sustainable development as well as an overview of sustainable development in each of the above-mentioned industries. Each sector will be afforded a chapter with case studies of sustainable development in that industry (mining, water, energy, etc).

We are pleased to announce that Michelle Nel and Tim Anderson will join Urban Green File’s successful editorial team of Carol Knoll, Leigh Darroll and Gerald Garner for this Summit publication. Michelle Nel was voted SAB Environmental Journalist of the Year in 2000. Tim Anderson prepared the formal submission to the first UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio ’92), Business and Environment in Southern Africa: Conditions, Problems, Opportunities and Recommendations (ISBN 0-620-16620-7) – the publication was a formal submission from the Swiss-based international Business Council for Sustainable Development, and was prepared at the behest of prominent businessman Raymond Ackerman, who at that time was one of the four African council members of the BCSD.

Twenty thousand copies of the special issue will be printed: 1 000 will be mailed to Urban Green File’s paid-up subscribers and 5 000 to Sustainable Development International’s readers. The remaining copies will be on sale at Exclusive Book outlets and at certain Summit venues.

This Summit publication will present businesses in the aforementioned sectors with an excellent opportunity of illustrating their corporate responsibility through social and environmental initiatives.
Gerald Garner, (Publisher)

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UPFRONT

Tshwane’s success in international competition Nations in Bloom 2001
The international Nations in Bloom competition for local communities is now in its fifth year. Its objective is to encourage good environmental management and the creation of liveable cities. Judging criteria include enhancement of the landscape; heritage management; environmentally sensitive practices; community involvement; and planning for the future.

The 2001 finals were held in Shenzen in the People’s Republic of China in December. Thirty-four towns and cities from 14 countries were represented in five different categories based on population size. Tshwane (Pretoria) came joint third in the category for cities with an average daytime population of over 1million.

The written submission (one of the competition’s entry requirements) by the Metropolitan Municipality of the City of Tshwane states that: “Accepting that the only way to acquire long-term economic progress is to link with environmental protection, we acknowledge that the state of the environment is critically important to the well-being of the residents of Tshwane – and that if Tshwane wants to claim its place as an internationally acclaimed city where communities prosper in a healthy environment, we cannot afford to ignore the Rio Declaration.”

The City Council is the largest owner of open space in Tshwane and is responsible for the management of 11 880 ha, including 1 596 ha of parks, 3 375 ha of road verges and 6 919 ha of nature areas and undeveloped open space.

One aspect of heritage management mentioned in the submission is Museum Park which is a relatively new initiative dedicated to the preservation of museums and heritage sites in the city centre and it includes new uses for the City Hall as an Arts and Crafts Centre, the old State Mint which now houses the National Cultural History Museum, the Mint Master’s house which is home to the Inner City Enviro Centre and the old fire station which is being developed into a discovery centre focussing on children.

Pretoria’s heritage parks and gardens are described in the entry – places such as Burgers Park (winner in the ‘larger parks’ category of Urban Green File’s Townscape Millennium Open Spaces Competition – see Jul/Aug 1999 issue), Magnolia Dell and Springbok Park, amongst others, along with Tshwane’s flagship nature reserve, the 3 800 ha Rietvlei reserve, which boasts 1 800 head of game, and falls under the preservation of natural heritage.

The enhancement of Tshwane’s landscape includes the relatively recent extension of Nelson Mandela Drive, with the planting of 1 000 White Stinkwoods (Celtis africana) along this entrance road, along with 1 500 shrubs and 150 000 groundcovers; while the development of sportsfield and playparks in historically disadvantaged communities has been a priority. Environmentally sensitive practices cited in the submission include water management, controlling air pollution and waste disposal, along with a growing recycling industry.

A major initiative is underway to develop understanding in the community that environmental well-being is related to economic and social well-being. The Inner City Enviro Centre has initiated programmes such as the Pretoria Water Action Group which with the active participation of school children helps to clean-up and monitor Pretoria’s waterways. An Environmental Awards System for the Youth (see May/June 2001 issue of Urban Green File page 58) has been established, designed to meet the objectives of the formal school curriculum by encouraging schools to undertake recycling programmes and create vegetable and flower gardens.

According to the submission, planning for Tshwane’s future is restricted by budgetary limitations – inevitably meaning finding ways of doing more with less. “Our challenge is to maintain the standards in our major tourist parks, city entrances and traffic islands, to conserve the diversity of natural habitats and to develop these areas so that they are perceived as valuable to all sectors of society, at the same time as developing more play and sporting facilities in the historically disadvantaged areas.

Nations in Bloom 2002, to be hosted by Stuttgart, Germany, will include the new NIB Bursary Awards which give winning cities a cash award of up to �10 000. The organisers of Nations in Bloom have called for South Africa to submit entries from other towns and cities in forthcoming competitions.
Contact Alan Smith Chief Executive of Nations in Bloom. Email: Nationsinbloom@aol.com Website: www.nationsinbloom.com

Woolworths leads with Badger Friendly honey
The honey badger is listed as Vulnerable on the Red Data List, which means that the animal may become endangered if there is any further decline in its numbers. The reported escalation of damage to commercial apiaries in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga has resulted in some of the bee farmers trapping these rare animals with the aim of killing or wounding them.

According to a pamphlet put out by Cape Nature Conservation in conjunction with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the Wildlife and Environment Society, the honey badger is a generalist predator with a preference for rodents and reptiles, as well as other invertebrates such as scorpions and spiders. In spite of their name, honey badgers are not attracted to beehives by the promise of honey but rather by the bee larvae that provide a nutritious meal. They also prey on snakes and mammals.

Killing the honey badger that attacks the beehive is not the answer, as they are not territorial animals and other badgers in the vicinity may also become problematic. Adequate beehive protection can minimise conflict between badgers and beekeepers and the educational pamphlet describes effective measures that beekeepers have used to protect their apiaries against badger attack.

Woolworths, in conjunction with a number of environmental and beekeeping organisations, has compiled a Badger Friendly Code of Practice. This comprises a number of requirements that bee farmers need to comply with before they can be accredited as Badger Friendly honey producers. As from February 2002, all Woolworths honey suppliers have had to conform to this Code of Practice and they are audited by a third party to ensure compliance. Woolworths will be labelling all its honey with a Badger Friendly logo.

“The senseless killing of honey badgers is both inhumane and unnecessary. More than needing to know that our products are derived from trustworthy and environmentally considerate sources, we believe we have a role to play in bringing about change that preserves and adds value to the world we live in,” comments Woolworths head of food technology, Johan Ferreira.
Website: www.honeybadger.com (beekeepers and badgers link)

Richards Bay Minerals wins gold award for Mining Environmental Management
Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has won a Gold Award in the Large Open Cast category of Excellence in Mining Environmental Management (EMEM) Awards. This is one of the inaugural National Awards which will be presented by the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) every second year, while provincial awards will be made in the intervening years. RBM won the KZN Award in the same category in 2001.

The DME has initiated the EMEM Awards to recognise those mining operations, which not only reflect environmental responsibility, but excel at this and go beyond mere regulatory compliance. The fundamental objective of the EMEM Awards is the achievement of sustainable development, through:
•            motivating the industry to excel in environmental management;
•            public recognition of those mining companies which have excelled in their environmental management endeavours;
•            highlighting examples of excellence in environmental management in the mining industry, so that others are made aware of new technologies and techniques which have been developed and implemented successfully;
•            promoting environmental awareness within the mining company as well as outside; and
•            encouraging continual improvement in the environmental sphere.

George Deyzel, RBM’s managing director acknowledged the value of the award by saying that to receive recognition for environmental management efforts would encourage employees and contractors to strive for even better results. “As a world leader in the mining and beneficiation of mineral sands, our goal is to attain a leadership position in sustainable development in the mining industry. We are aware of the various effects that our operations have on the environment and local communities and recognise that much work has to be done before we can be confident that our contribution to the global transition to sustainable development is as it should be.”

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LETTERS

Windmills in the sea
In a world of increasing population and pollution, the search for sustainable energy becomes more urgent. Nature provides two free energy sources – the wind and the sun – and South Africa has an abundance of both. It is good news, therefore, that Darling in the Cape may develop South Africa’s first wind farm.

Quite simply, a wind farm is a group of wind turbines (usually four) which generate electricity. The heart of a turbine consists of three parts: the generator, gears and rotors or propeller. This ‘gondola’ usually stands on a steel or concrete column, 50m high and 4m thick – but there are even larger ones evolving in Holland.

Intense research in Northern Europe has determined the optimal aero-dynamic form of the rotors – and the three fins are so sensitive that they must be assembled in near windless conditions!

In 1996 private enterprise took the lead in Darling and the CSIR identified a site 12km north of the town on Moedmag Heuvel where wind velocity will be monitored over twelve months. Impact studies are being undertaken by Cape Town University, giving farmers and local residents the opportunity to ask questions about the size and position of turbines in the landscape – of which they have no experience.

On a recent visit to Holland and Denmark, I was struck by the dozens of wind parks in farming areas. In conversation I heard that there had been no disturbance of crops or animals and little noise.. The European Union appears to approve since it will give farmers a 20 year subsidy to develop wind farms.

To meet its Kyoto obligations to reduce ‘greenhouse’ gases , the Netherlands has made large investments in wind farms. Recently a demonstration project was approved in the North Sea – since the sea catches more wind and there is less visual impact. The site is 8km offshore at Egmont north of Amsterdam. To start with only 100 megawatts will be generated, but the target is 2 750 megawatts by 2020.

When we asked how these giant ‘windmills’ would be erected offshore, we found that four giant caterpillar tractors would slowly wade into shallow water with the shaft balanced above them, in a manner rather similar to the NASA system of moving giant rockets into position for blast-off – but the sea bed is more tricky. A testing time lies ahead with unknown challenges, since structures in the North Sea must be extremely robust. For example, concrete is cheaper than steel and need not be painted or rust-proofed. However, a system using both materials is the latest proposal. Resonance and vibration should be prevented at all costs, otherwise the windmill could shake to pieces.

Perhaps the aesthetic impact of a wind farm is problematic in historic landscapes but design methods exist which can reduce the impact on the skyline, especially in hilly terrain. We need also compare the impact of these windmills on the landscape with the impact of our giant coal-fired power stations and their collieries. Residents of Mpumalanga know about the smoke, smell and ash. Let us hope that South Africa will join the ‘wind club’ and not miss the boat.
Professor Wallace van Zyl, Fish Hoek
Ed: Our editorial contributor Leigh Darroll wrote an article on the Eskom Wind Energy Research and Demonstration Centre, which is another wind energy project at Impact Assessment stage in the Cape, for our sister publication African Energy Journal, in the July/August 2001 issue – and she will be doing a follow-up article for Urban Green File.

Adhering to an environmental ethic
Thank you for your interesting editorial about veld collected plants and rocks in the November/December 2001 issue of Urban Green File.

I am sure that there are ecologists and conservators who could provide more rational and scientific insights, and guidance into the question of ‘harvesting’ seeds and plants from the wild, and I hope that you can solicit some intelligent input from these sources.

The statement that “ ‘...after all, the muthi collectors do it without repercussions, as do the millions of people in the previous homeland areas in their search for firewood...’’’, obviously points to a lack of environmental control there, but is not an excuse for professional landscape architects to indulge in similar, unsustainable Third World practices.

Self-righteous breast-beating will not provide any answers – especially when I recall a number of years ago being told personally by a landscape contractor that he had been instructed to collect mature trees from the bush by the landscape architect for a ‘prestigious’ project in the Eastern Cape – which he then did using a front-end loader and leaving craters in his wake.

Our role is not to satisfy the demands of the client at any cost – but to ensure that we adhere to an environmental ethic based on a sound knowledge of ecological systems. The ‘instant’ landscapes, which seem to be the order of the day, are another form of our perverted consumer driven, ‘take-away’ society.
Bernard Oberholzer, landscape architect

DACEL’s precautionary approach
I presume that the editorial of January/February 2002 is referring to the following report with regards to Agapanthus africanus being cited as one of the top six priority species threatened by the medicinal trade: Mander J, Quinn N and Mander M, 1997. Trade in Wildlife Medicinals in South Africa. Institute of Natural Resources. Investigational Report No154 prepared for Traffic East/Southern Africa.

This study clearly states its own shortcoming in the methods section, namely that incomplete species distribution descriptions from southern African herbaria were used in the calculation to determine the priority medicinal species. Museum records and range maps seldom represent accurate and complete distribution for species but as the study was a national one this was the best available approach. Although Agapanthus africanus was calculated as being in the top six medicinal plants, if one considers that the plant has been cultivated extensively in gardens and along roadsides, it is clear that this plant is not a conservation concern.

A more accurate picture can be obtained when a smaller area has been considered using information that has been ground truthed by experienced people. Ms Michele Pfab of Scientific Services, DACEL, has in an extensive study of threatened plants in Gauteng placed plants in various categories which indicate their conservation importance and whether these are key species which could possibly halt a development. It is this study not the medicinal plant report quoted above which environmental practitioners should be consulting when undertaking environmental work in Gauteng Province and that other provincial authorities should strive to emulate in the future.

DACEL is not perfect but in context their precautionary approach is based on the difficulties involved in tracing where a plant has come from and the reality that many so called plant rescuers are not motivated by conservation ethics but rather by profits. Perhaps Urban Green File should practice some real journalism and track down the numerous allegations of these instances which abound in botanical circles. The editorial takes a very one sided position against DACEL. There are various initiatives which show that DACEL is working towards solutions for providing legitimate sources of indigenous plants and examples where they have taken a stand against developments. One of the most exciting projects is the Abe Bailey Nature Reserve Medicinal Plant Nursery near Carltonville, which has involved local traditional healers in the challenge to conserve South Africa’s natural heritage.
Cathy Dzerefos, consulting ecologist, Haenertsberg, Limpopo Province

Ed: Urban Green File is well aware of the fact that there are private plant collectors, landscapers and nurserymen who ‘collect’ plant material from the environment illegally – it was for this reason that we made the statement in the May/June 2001 issue that: “We strive to report only on projects where we know that the plant material has been cultivated and not stolen from the natural environment.” It was to back up this statement that we questioned Patrick Watson about the origin of the plant material (which was clearly veld collected) used at The Apartheid Museum (see his reply in Nov/Dec 2001 issue).

In my experience, however, most respectable landscaping companies and nurserymen (members of SALI and SANA) are perfectly prepared to work with nature conservation to find a sustainable solution to this complex problem. An example of this willingness to co-operate was the excellent attendance of growers of indigenous plants (95% of those invited) at a meeting at Random Harvest Nursery, some two years ago, when DACEL started to revise their Nature Conservation Ordinance and called for input. Self-regulation is surely an alternative route to DACEL’s ‘precautionary approach’ which makes it almost impossible to harvest seeds for the growing of indigenous plants, legitimately.

DACEL indicated that they wished to reply to the Jan/Feb editorial comment and Charles Craib’s letter in the same issue, but unfortunately were unable to let us have their reply in time. We encourage them to continue the debate and to answer the suggestions that the permit system for seed harvesting be revised along the lines recommended and after further input has been obtained from the growers. It seems that other provinces have a more lenient approach to seed collecting and issue blanket permits for limited collection to reputable growers. We hope to have further input from DACEL in the next issue – and to hear from other nature conservation authorities, countrywide.

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TREE OF THE ISSUE

Andrew Hanky chooses the Common Hook-thorn
Acacia Caffra
The choice of this issue’s Tree of the Issue was made by Andrew Hankey, specialist horticulturist and assistant curator at the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden in Witpoortjie, Gauteng. Andrew has chosen Acacia caffra because he feels it is one of the most versatile and underrated of our common indigenous, deciduous trees. He says it will perform well in cultivation literally anywhere in the country. “The tree has so much character – no two trees are quite alike and this is a wonderful attribute. The tree attains an old gnarled look with its rough, dark grey bark and branching starts low down on the trunk – or it can be multi-stemmed. It has the kind of character that makes it suitable for illumination in the garden or parkland,” says Andrew. “It has so much to offer as a horticultural specimen and yet it is almost totally ignored by landscapers. It may be because it is so common that it is overlooked.

“Generally, it is a small to medium tree (5-7m in height), although it can reach larger proportions in warmer regions (10-15m in the lowveld). It has a beautiful rounded crown and it produces a spectacular display when it flowers between September and November, with the long creamy catkins often appearing before the leaves, especially in drier areas. The light-green feathery leaves on slightly drooping branchlets are a particularly ornamental feature of the tree. When it gets older it is inclined to be more open canopied and attract hemi-parasites such as bridlimes (Tapinanthus spp) and mistletoes (Viscum spp). These are, however, to be encouraged as they are bird magnets attracting both nectar-eating and fruit-eating birds. Mistletoes seldom do the tree harm – and it is only if it becomes totally overrun that some removal will be necessary.” (The December 2001 issue of SA Gardening published an article by Andrew on the value of indigenous mistletoes in the garden.)

Andrew emphasises that the Common Hook-thorn itself is a marvellous tree for attracting wildlife. It’s coarse textured bark attracts insects and birds such as the Woodpecker, the Wryneck and the Redbilled Woodhoopoe scour through the crevices in the bark for beetle larvae and spiders. Dead branches attract hole-nesting birds such as Barbets and Woodpeckers. The flowers with their sweet scent attract a whole host of insect species which in turn attract insect-eating birds like Flycatchers, Swallows and Bee-eaters. The clusters of flat brown pods are parasitised by specific beetles and the Cape Weaver can be seen rifling through the pods for beetle larvae. The pretty leaves attract tiny sap-sucking insects which small birds such as Prinias and Fairy Flycatchers favour.

“In my experience Acacia caffra is a medium to fast growing tree putting on up to 1m in cultivation, annually. It is frost resistant and fire resistant when it is mature and can, as a result, be planted in an area of natural grassland. It makes a good, free-standing specimen on a lawn in full sun but will grow just as easily in the semi-shade of a mixed bush clump or grove of the same species. It serves well as a street tree if it is pruned up to be single-stemmed when it is young. Another advantage that it has over other popular garden acacias is that it does not have long, white thorns and won’t litter lawns with thorns. Its small hook-thorns are usually lost with maturity,” comments Andrew.

He adds that he has not found the root system to be aggressive except when the tree is situated on shallow, rocky soils. He has not seen the Hook-thorn lifting paving. He warns though that like most trees, the soil around a mature specimen should not be unduly disturbed, particularly through change of levels, as this can affect the tree adversely and lead to its death.

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WORDS ON WASTE

Capacity building in waste management benefits the environment
Comment from the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa
Domestic households and trade generate 12-14 million tonnes of general waste per year in South Africa and municipalities are legally responsible for the management of this waste. The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA) is developing a training framework to prevent the potentially negative impact on the environment of the incorrect handling of this huge volume of waste. Carol Knoll talked to the IWMSA president, June Lombard, and the Institute’s administrator, Liz Kneale, about education, training and professionalism in the waste management field. The main thrust of the IWMSA is technology transfer and skills development. Correct integrated waste management improves the quality of life of the man on the street as well as the quality of the environment. Other waste related issues that came up during the informal interview are touched on in this report and warrant further discussion in the future.

The Institute was established in 1976 to promote the science and practice of sustainable waste management and was born out of the need to establish an holistic waste management ethos in the country and subsequently the sub-continent. Current membership exceeds 650 and there are five branches of IWMSA in South Africa and chapters in Botswana and Zambia.

The change in municipal boundaries countrywide has created an even greater need for capacity building in the waste sector at local government level. The IWMSA’s membership drive is focussing on municipalities at present with the aim of sharing information in this area where new municipalities, in particular, are often uncertain about what to do with their waste. There is a lack of capacity, of systems, of skills and often of financial resources and the IWMSA has identified the need to encourage municipalities to become members to help instil in their councillors and employees an understanding of correct waste management principles and an environmental awareness.

An element of the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) that is required by law from every municipality is an Integrated Waste Management Plan which links into the National Waste Management Strategy (see article in Mar/Apr 2000 issue of Urban Green File) and the IWMSA is prepared to assist municipalities in the setting up of such a plan. Municipalities with good waste management plans have a significant positive impact on environmental quality and the IWMSA is working systematically to make a difference in this area. In the light of the Polokwane Declaration adopted at the National Waste Summit in September 2001 which commits government, business and civil society to reducing the amount of waste going to landfills, it is important that waste minimisation is built into management plans and that local councils put pressure on business and industry to avoid and minimise waste wherever possible.

“At last minimisation is part of government policy so that the potential problems can be assessed well in advance before the waste is generated,” says Lombard. “The environment has a finite capacity to assimilate wastes and what goes into landfills should be as little as possible. It is important that right in the forefront, at land use rezoning stage, for example, the Environmental Impact Assessment should require waste minimisation to be taken into account.”

In South Africa, at present, there is no formal career path for someone who is interested in waste management to follow. There is a need to create a waste management profession. In accordance with various legislation, the IWMSA is using a three-pronged approach to create a national qualifications and training framework for the waste industry. The first step is to identify the skills and knowledge required in the waste management sector. Unit standards of on-the-job performance for the skills and knowledge are identified and these are combined to form a qualification. A qualifications and training framework is being developed to equip all participants in the waste management sector with the relevant skills and knowledge. According to Lombard, this will create a “ladder of qualifications” to make it possible for a municipal street sweeper or refuse vehicle driver to become a waste manager.

As a second step, the IWMSA is in the process of liaising with various Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to assist in the development of Skills Development Plans. Kneale who is responsible for this liaison says there is a vital need to promote skills at grassroots level in the waste management sector. The IWMSA has recently established an affiliated organisation namely the South African Waste Management Employers Association which will work in conjunction with the Institute to set up structures to facilitate and promote skills development – it is important that government, employers and labour should come together in these discussions. The IWMSA’s role is to set standards in the whole skills development process – and to play a role in quality assurance and assessment.

“Training providers will play their part through offering a variety of opportunities from short courses to tertiary qualifications. The emphasis, however, must be on meeting the need for training at lower levels in order to accommodate unskilled and semi-skilled workers up to junior supervisor levels. There are already existing courses at tertiary levels. This training will have to equip participants to meet the requirements of the unit standards of performance, covering all aspects of integrated waste management and catering for all levels of participants. Each course will be worth a certain number of credits which can be accumulated to achieve a specific qualification,” says Lombard.

The IWMSA will also, as a third step towards professionalising waste management, set up a programme of continuing professional development. IWMSA has created a separate category of Fellow of the Institute which can be applied for by those who have been members of the Institute for five years or longer – and to attain and maintain this Fellowship, the member will have to participate in a process of continuing professional development based on attendance at seminars, workshops and the Institute’s biennial congress, Wastecon.

Another need for skills development is linked to the Extended Minimum Requirements initiative which is being instituted by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). DWAF is responsible for the permitting of landfill facilities and has recognised the fact that there are an estimated 15 000 informal and unpermitted dumps in existence countrywide, with no formal guidelines to promote their upgrading. There is a vital need for capacity building in this sphere to ensure that these sites are operated and regulated by competent people. The Extended Minimum Requirements are currently being drafted to cover the upgrading of emerging landfill sites, as well as include training associated with the running of waste management facilities and the auditing of such facilities. DWAF is in the process of workshopping these minimum standards with stakeholders with the eventual intention, when all education standards and qualifications are in place, of linking a permit for a waste facility to a certificate of technical competency or some kind of qualification accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Lombard and Kneale spoke about an assortment of other waste related issues, giving the Institute’s view and their own opinions, in some instances, as private consultants in the waste industry. Asked about self-regulation, Lombard said that the IWMSA encouraged self-regulation but that forward-looking companies were well aware of the benefits of self-regulation and were in the process of implementing it. “If you regulate yourself, you make yourself as efficient as possible, and this makees good business sense. Many companies have achieved or are striving for international standards such as ISO 14001. The waste companies that are globally competitive will have to comply with international best practice. This usually means that, initially at any rate, waste management costs will increase, as the waste company who has spent the money on becoming ISO 14001 compliant will pass the costs onto its clients. Clients will have to pay more for waste to be handled correctly and this will put pressure onto them to reduce their waste. As we have said, waste needs to be dealt with at source. There are enormous costs involved in having, for example, large quantities of hazardous liquid waste removed. How much better for the industry involved and the environment if that waste is reduced – in this case by reducing the water content.”

There is merit to recycling, says Kneale, but recycling can be seen as just delaying time before the item goes to landfill anyway. “It is, however, better to recycle than to dump but it is even better to minimise – the process must be started way back at the design stage of the product.”

Recycling leads on to talk of waste separation and Lombard comments that waste separation is a mindset and that it is very difficult in a country with such a wide diversity in its society to inculcate that kind of mindset. “We have to start in our schools and make it a life-style choice. If you educate the children there is an element of spillover to the parents – and maybe then the packaging won’t be thrown out of the window. I think waste separation is achievable but in the long term. “

Talking about litter clean-up campaigns, Kneale with her long experience in Keep SA Beautiful, says that they are worthless without the back-up of an educational programme. “The problem largely is that in clean-ups, those people who are doing the picking up did not do the littering. If I pick up what I have littered, I learn.”

“We’ve got to make it socially unacceptable to litter,” says Lombard, “and socially unacceptable to dump illegally. We have to change the mindset of the man in the street. The man in the street is your best monitor – if he buys into the idea he will blow the whistle on his fellow citizen. There is no enforcement, at present, of laws concerning littering – usually people don’t even know that there is a law. Viable, practical systems must be put in place for waste separation and these need to be facilitated by municipalities. You have to keep pumping energy into a system. Keep telling people to recycle and not to litter. We need to open people’s minds to correct wastes management to enable them to make sustainable lifestyle choices.”

Kneale concludes by referring to necessity as being the mother of invention: “We can’t teach people in rural areas anything about re-use. Everything is re-used – glass jars, plastic packets, cans..... The re-use or recycling of waste has to be either contextually appropriate or it needs to make economic sense.”

Referring to reducing waste that is already in existence, “Reduce, Re-use, Repair and Recycle” are the four ‘Rs’ of good waste minimisation, while another slogan promoted by the IWMSA is “Manufacture wisely. Buy wisely”.

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FEATURES

How green will the summit be?
Certain projects will create a lasting legacy of sustainable development
Businesses are concerned that the ‘Greening the Summit’ initiative may obstruct local economic development opportunities. Yet some of the proposed projects will create a lasting legacy of sustainable development, reports Gerald Garner.

Mary Metcalfe, MEC for Gauteng’s Department of Agriculture, Environment, Conservation and Land Affairs (DACEL) recently stated that the World Summit on Sustainable Development, (taking place in Johannesburg from 26 August – 4 September) would be the first UN Summit where a conscious effort was made to minimise the environmental impact of the summit itself.

Jeremy Burnham is a project manager at the Johannesburg World Summit Company (JOWSCO) for the Greening the Summit initiative. The initiative is being implemented by The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and executed by DACEL in close partnership with JOWSCO. DACEL has recruited the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN-SA) as the Contracts Management Agency. The project, is funded by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF). Although they are not criticising the concept itself, some businesses have expressed concern about ‘greenwashing’ attempts that ignore job creation and economic development opportunities. They argue that sustainable development encompasses the triple bottom line and say that decisions should not only be based on environmental impacts but also on social and financial impacts.

Dr Lorraine Lotter, chairperson of the Chemical and Allied Industries Association registered her concern when Burnham addressed the Business Consulting Forum (BCF) on the Greening the Summit initiative. Burnham recommended that the use of plastic packaging for summit gifts, foods and beverages should be avoided. “The perception exists that plastic is not an acceptable material because it is not bio-degradable. However most plastics are recyclable,” comments Lotter. Her concern was sparked by a comment that Summit delegates would be drinking out of environmentally friendly, imported, ‘corn cups’ rather than plastic or polystyrene cups. Although the corn cups appear to be the best environmental solution, it is not necessarily the most appropriate in terms of sustainable development. “Why import cups at a huge cost if a local manufacturer can supply another product that will benefit local economic development?” she asks.

Lotter has volunteered on behalf of the Chemical and Allied Industries Association to collect all plastic waste from Summit venues and separate this into different categories for recycling and is awaiting a response from JOWSCO. “It is important to look at the entire life-cycle cost of a product, before deciding if it is appropriate to use it or not. Sometimes, making a judgement on one factor only can lead to a wrong decision,” comments Karin Ireton of Anglo American. “The ecological, social and financial impact of transporting the imported corn cups by air and then by truck to venues should be taken into account. Locally manufactured products which provide local employment and which can be recycled or reused should be seriously weighed up against imports. “

It appears that South African businesses are keen to participate in the Greening the Summit initiative and to contribute local expertise and technology. Companies such as Mondi Recycling have offered to remove all waste paper and cardboard for recycling from Summit venues free of charge. The Institute of Waste Management is also engaging with Burnham on ways to minimise waste and achieve ‘zero litter’.

Many other greening methods are currently being investigated by Burnham’s team. These include the use of bio-diesel in vehicles and even electrically powered vehicles for transporting delegates to and from the Ubuntu Village. JOWSCO’s service providers will be encouraged to reduce their energy and water consumption. Hotels and guest houses, for example, will be encouraged to use low energy light bulbs and dual flush toilets. Because of the high visibility of waste and litter, these two aspects will be prioritised. “We are aiming for a zero litter event and will promote awareness and implementation of the five Rs (reduce, re-use, replace, recover and recycle),” says Burnham.

Metcalfe is of the opinion that it will be impossible to ensure that the entire Summit is 100% green. “Our aim is to raise awareness and stimulate debate about sustainable development in the public domain.” Metcalfe adds that it is important to look at the greening initiative critically. “If the resultant opinion is that the Summit was damaging to the environment, or did not in all ways contribute to sustainable development, then that in itself will contribute to the general understanding of sustainable development issues.” She also stresses that the Summit is about showcasing alternative solutions. “We are keen to initiate sustainable changes to how South Africans relate to the environment. An example would be the FEDHASA initiative where hotels are encouraged to switch to environmentally friendly practices and technology and these are being recognised through the Imvelo Awards. We don’t want window dressing, we want businesses, governments and civil society to develop a permanent system that acknowledges greening standards within every institution. We would rather sacrifice short-term gains for long term change,” comments Metcalfe.

Saliem Fakir, overall co-coordinator for the Greening the Summit initiative at the IUCN adds: “It is important to realise that we are not trying to achieve the impossible. The entire Summit will not be green – however, we are attempting to achieve as much greening as possible within the limited time available.” Fakir views the initiative as a pilot project. “We hope to learn a lot from this process and hopefully future Summits can use this project as a precedent study for other greening initiatives. Fakir concludes that the Greening the Summit project will not have influence over the entire Summit. There will be side events staged by businesses, NGOs and local governments and these will have impacts that they cannot monitor. “We should not raise expectations that everything will be green, but at least people will be more aware of environmental and sustainable development issues.”

A lasting legacy after the Summit
One of the most significant projects in the Greening the Summit initiative is the Johannesburg Climate Legacy. This project aims to measure, monitor and minimise the carbon footprint of the Summit. Various South African organisations, including NGOs, the Business Coordinating Forum, DACEL and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) have teamed up with a variety of international partners, such as UK based Future Forests, American based Climate _Neutral Network and the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) with regional offices in South Africa, as well as Business Action for Sustainable Development and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to define a portfolio of legacy projects.

The Johannesburg Climate Legacy will utilise the mechanism of carbon sales as a way to fund development projects that will leave a legacy after the Summit has finished. These projects will offset the carbon dioxide emissions that result from the Summit and thereby ensure a net neutral carbon effect on the world’s climate.

Burnham hopes that a consumption barometer to illustrate the neutral carbon project will be installed at the Ubuntu Village, the main public venue for the Summit sited at the Wanderers Cricket Club. This will be in the form of screens displaying the carbon footprint, energy consumption and CO2 emissions generated by the Summit at all times.

A four-step process will be followed to achieve the zero carbon status. Firstly, the greenhouse gas ‘footprint’ relating to the Summit will be assessed and this will provide a figure for the tonnage of CO2 equivalents that must be offset. This will be followed by the identification of development projects that can be used to offset the greenhouse gas emissions and the raising of funds from corporate ‘Johannesburg Climate Legacy Investors’, donor agencies and individual delegates. Finally, the projects will be developed and monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that the carbon offset that was promised is delivered, and that the Summit can be certified as having achieved a net zero impact on the earth’s climate.

The majority of emissions at the Summit will relate to the air transport of delegates to South Africa, their hotel stays during the event and the energy used at the Summit venues themselves. Assuming that 60 000 delegates attend the Summit, estimates for the resulting tonnage of CO₂ emissions range from 400 000 to 500 000 tonnes. The money raised to offset these emissions will provide an income stream to the selected development projects.

The design and development of the offset projects will be done in South Africa and IIEC-Africa will be responsible for project monitoring and verification and for developing local skills and building long term capacity. It is envisaged that Climate Neutral Network (CN) and its advisory body will have to review and reassess projects for delivery of emissions on a bi-annual basis for the project lifetime (between 1-5 years). CN has extensive experience in assessing carbon emissions and has recently certified the 2002 Winter Olympics as a zero carbon event. Future Forests will provide on-the-ground project management resources in the run up to, and during, the Summit (between April and September). The aim is for CN and Future Forests to develop the capacity of local organisations to perform and manage emissions assessments in the future.

In addition to the volume of carbon offset provided, Legacy Projects will be selected for their contribution to sustainable development. Legacy Projects will probably include energy efficient housing that reduces CO₂ emissions, photo-voltaic electricity systems and water heaters, solar thermal energy pilots, wind energy pilots, energy efficiency programmes, photo-voltaic electricity systems for rural clinics, community forestry and eco-tourism initiatives linked to forestry projects.

“The cost of the Johannesburg Climate Legacy will be funded through the sale of Legacy Certificates. Each of these will have a face value of (for example) $1000 and will be available for purchase by corporate investors or lower value certificates of (for example) $200 for purchase by individuals that wish to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable development and the Summit in a tangible manner. The sale of certificates before the Summit will ensure a lasting Legacy,” comments Karin Ireton of Anglo American – a participant in the Climate Legacy initiative.

What about the street trees?
A Johannesburg business newspaper recently reported on the rapid rate at which trees are being felled in Sandton to make way for widened roads that will accommodate the increase in traffic expected during the Summit. While most of these trees are exotics, and a number of them declared invaders, Urban Green File expresses its concern and hopes that new, indigenous trees will be planted!

Urban Green File supports Johannesburg Climate Legacy
Brooke Pattrick Publications – publishers of Urban Green File – is producing a special publication dedicated to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in conjunction with London based ICG Publishing – publishers of Sustainable Development International. The publication will cover the role of business in sustainable development and be on sale in Exclusive Book outlets and at Summit venues. Brooke Pattrick Publications and ICG Publishing hope to participate in the Johannesburg Climate Legacy project by purchasing legacy certificates to fund development projects, so as to offset the emissions created by the production of this publication.

Changes in venues:
Urban Green File reported in the January/February 2002 issue that the Ubuntu Village – the hub of the World Summit – would be located at Innisfree Park. The venue has subsequently been changed to the Wanderers Cricket Club.

The Civil Society Process will now be hosted at the Expo Centre (previously known as Nasrec) and no longer at Gallagher Estate, as earlier indicated by the Johannesburg World Summit Company.

A lasting legacy after the Summit
One of the most significant projects in the Greening the Summit initiative is the Johannesburg Climate Legacy. This project aims to measure, monitor and minimise the carbon footprint of the Summit. Various South African organisations, including NGOs, the Business Coordinating Forum, DACEL and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) have teamed up with a variety of international partners, such as UK based Future Forests, American based Climate _Neutral Network and the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) with regional offices in South Africa, as well as Business Action for Sustainable Development and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to define a portfolio of legacy projects.

A four-step process will be followed to achieve the zero carbon status. Firstly, the greenhouse gas ‘footprint’ relating to the Summit will be assessed and this will provide a figure for the tonnage of CO₂equivalents that must be offset. This will be followed by the identification of development projects that can be used to offset the greenhouse gas emissions and the raising of funds from corporate ‘Johannesburg Climate Legacy Investors’, donor agencies and individual delegates. Finally, the projects will be developed and monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that the carbon offset that was promised is delivered, and that the Summit can be certified as having achieved a net zero impact on the earth’s climate.

In addition to the volume of carbon offset provided, Legacy Projects will be selected for their contribution to sustainable development. Legacy Projects will probably include energy efficient housing that reduces CO2 emissions, photo-voltaic electricity systems and water heaters, solar thermal energy pilots, wind energy pilots, energy efficiency programmes, photo-voltaic electricity systems for rural clinics, community forestry and eco-tourism initiatives linked to forestry projects.

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Operation Wildflower
Plant rescue at andalusite mine
The management of Annesley mine and the local community granted Operation Wildflower permission to organise a number of plant collections on the site of a new exploration area. This open cast andalusite mine in the Penge area falls within the Sekhukhuneland Centre of Plant Endemism and is in close proximity to the main site office of the Lebalelo Water Supply Scheme at Havercroft (see article on Vegetative Rehabilitation in the January/February 2002 issue of Urban Green File). The area has a rich diversity of plant species, 4, 5% of which are endemic (restricted to the area) and succulent species, which are favoured by Operation Wildflower members, abound. Carol Knoll attended the plant rescue held in late February this year.

Operation Wildflower is an incorporated organisation (not for gain) which has been in existence since 1963 and was registered as a Section 21 company in 1967. Dr Carl Biccard-Jeppe was a founder member and has remained on the Board of Trustees throughout the years. The main objective of the organisation is to rescue indigenous vegetation that would otherwise be destroyed by development. Operation Wildflower has about 150 members and, although it is a national organisation, it is most active in the four provinces that comprised the former Transvaal.

West van der Vyver is the present chairman and he and his wife Anna, who is the secretary, have been members of Operation Wildflower since the early seventies and active at committee level for ten and seven years, respectively. They were there to patrol the Annesley mine rescue site from the start of the collecting operation at 7:00 hrs on Saturday 23 February, having put up the Operation Wildflower directional signs to the scheduled site the previous afternoon. The rescue was carried out under the supervision of the chief nature conservator of Northern (Limpopo) Province Environmental Affairs, Daniel Manamela, who issued the necessary permits to the collectors. Only members of Operation Wildflower are entitled to take part in these rescues. Daniel had alerted Operation Wildflower to the possibility of a plant rescue and put them in contact with the mine management, initially.

The plant rescue took place on tribal land and permission had to be sought from the branch of SANCO (South African National Community Organisation) operational in the area. SANCO looks after local communities countrywide, overseeing their educational, health, housing and transport needs. With the earlier rescue at Annesley mine late last year, Daniel had put West and Anna in contact with SANCO and the community organisation, after establishing that Operation Wildflower was a non-profit organisation, were prepared to accept a donation to the community for collecting on their land. Individual collectors employed members of the community to help with the labour of digging and carrying plants, resulting in an injection of money into this impoverished community.

Members were briefed about the parameters of the rescue site and other requirements prior to the start of the operation. West commented that the Annesley site was of above average difficulty to control because it was not fenced off as most rescue sites are and because of the involvement of the local community. The area demarcated for collection by the quarry manager was 10m on either side of the road and 10m on either side of the series of prospecting benches in the exploratory area.

A problem arose almost immediately when members of the local community appeared carrying specimens of the unusual Adenia fruticosa (Poison Vine) which had been carelessly hacked out of the ground. Adenia fruticosa subsp fruticosa is endemic to the Sekhukhuneland Centre. The previous plant rescue in the area had alerted them to the fact that this plant was in demand. West strongly advised collectors not to buy these plants to discourage the locals from continuing to dig them out, and because there was no certainty that the plants had been removed from within the demarcated area. Daniel also spoke out about the need to stay within the collection area. Sadly, a number of uprooted Adenias were, however, left lying on the site as a result of this.

West commented that this was the first time that a situation exactly like this had arisen, but said that Operation Wildflower members had been reprimanded in the past for collecting outside the demarcated boundaries and that a few had been deprived of membership, as a result of their transgressions. He said, however, that collecting outside of the zoned area seldom occurred. He pointed out that Operation Wildflower was a conservation organisation and that those people who were at rescues with the sole purpose of making money out of their finds had sometimes been problematic in the past. He said that it always perturbed him when he saw plants for sale in nurseries, often at inflated prices, that had been veld collected. He commented that plants collected from the wild were easy to identify because they bore certain marks and had definite charactersitics that nursery propagated plants did not have.

Anna and West, who are dedicated conservationists, have created a succulent garden with specimens collected from all over the four northern provinces and their interest is in preserving these plants for their own pleasure and for educational purposes. Groups of school children visit their garden to learn about the role of these plants in the wild.

Asked to give his opinion on plant rescues, Daniel said, quite simply, that it was better that Operation Wildflower took the plants rather than have the mine destroy them. He felt that the organisation was playing an important role in saving the plants of the Northern Province and had also helped nature conservation to identify important plants and increase its knowledge about plants in their area. He spoke about a local nursery that Northern Province Environmental Affairs had helped to start in Penge in conjunction with the municipality, the neighbouring mines and an NGO called Home Grown Solutions. Five neighbouring villages are involved in the project and two people from each village are being trained to work in the nursery which is situated at the Penge water purification centre.

Daniel said that Operation Wildflower had helped to identify some of the plants in the area that were now being propagated in the nursery. One of the aims of the nursery is to save the Lydenburg Cycad, Encephalartos inopinus, which grows in the Penge area – the mature specimens of which are subject to fairly extensive poaching. The idea is to stop poaching by involving the community in propagating the cycad from seed, for sale in the nursery. Members of the community know where the rare specimens are and are keeping nature conservation informed, which will add to the chances of the plants being preserved in situ. Having taken ownership of the project, they will work towards protecting the threatened plants.

West said that one of Operation Wildflower’s biggest stumbling blocks was that the organisation was not being informed about sites scheduled for development in time to organise rescues. At least two months lead time is necessary. The property owners have to be contacted, as do the authorities – a suitable date has to be scheduled and members informled about the rescue in good time to make the necessary arrangements. West has put out a call for assistance from environmental consultants and developers, countrywide, saying that timeous warning, as soon after the Record of Decision has been lodged as possible, will help the oganisation access more sites and save more plants – and increase its membership. Species lists and site plans from Environmental Impact Assessments are useful and assist Operation Wildflower in its reconnaissance visits.

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Balancing conservation and intervention
Khayelitsha Wetlands Park
Article by environmental scientists Lisa Parkes of Ninham Shand and landscape architect Michelle Robertson Swift of OvP Associates

Khayelitsha Wetlands Park forms part of the greater Khayelitsha Wetlands Area located in the lower reaches of the Kuils River, which forms an integral component of the Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS) for the City of Cape Town. The wetland, one of the largest in the Cape Metropolitan Area, stretches from where the Kuils River crosses the N2 to Baden Powell Drive for a distance of about 4km and has been the focus of several studies in the past. The wetland area has undergone severe changes in ecological functioning over the past few years due to the impact of human activities. Numerous studies, including management studies, have been undertaken in the area and the recommendations of these studies have finally borne fruit.

One of the success stories has been the rehabilitation and landscaping of the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park undertaken by local consultants and the Tygerberg Administration. The aesthetically pleasing, environmentally friendly landscape design has enhanced the area and created a valued amenity for the impoverished community of Khayelitsha.

Over the years, the entire wetland region has been highly modified from its original state. A change in the ecological functioning of the wetlands has occurred, due to the impact of human activities such as the development of wastewater treatment works and the draining and infilling of the wetland to allow for the establishment of the Khayelitsha settlement. In addition, rapid urbanisation in the catchment of the Kuils River has led to an increase in stormwater volumes and polluted run-off and the discharge of treated sewage effluent. Furthermore, dumping and inappropriate development within the floodplain is leading to increasing degradation of the ecological and amenity value of the Kuils River corridor.

The Khayelitsha Wetlands now comprise scattered open water bodies, some of which are colonised by the invasive exotic Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), while Water Cress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum), Persicaria lapthifolia and P. serrulata (Hanekam) are prevalent on the edges of these water bodies. The indigenous Lemna gibba (Duckweed) and the invasive introduced Azolla filiculoides (Red Waterfern) cover large areas of open water under certain conditions. The channel fringes and wetland are dominated by Typha capensis (Bulrush), which forms large stands that overpower the indigenous sedges and Paspalums. The channel bank and floodplain communities are found around the wetland in higher areas, which are seasonally wet, rarely water-logged and which could be prone to seasonal drying. Here Stenotaphrum secundatum (Buffalo Grass) and Cynodon dactylon (Kweek) are found, often in the form of a lawn, which has presumably been cropped by cattle. Seasonal fringe communities support species such as sedges, Paspalum spp, Bolboschoenus maritimus and Chondropetalum tectorum (Vlei Riet). Localised places may also have the introduced grass, Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyu) that has become invasive. The Red Data species, Chondropetalum rectum, one of the Cape reeds, is found in seasonal pans but is infrequent.

The Khayelitsha Wetlands Park is situated to the east of Spine Road Extension and is possibly the most utilised ‘gateway’ into Khayelitsha. The area designated for the park extends about 1,8km in length and incorporates at its eastern end an existing local park known as Macassar (see article in Urban Green File July/Aug 1998). The wetland occurs within an urban setting and is surrounded by roads, low cost housing and informal settlements. Cattle grazing, harvesting of plant material and invasion by exotic plants and animals all represent threats to the integrity and sustainability of the wetland. The wetland is of conservation value and hosts a mixed species heronry of regional importance, while it also serves as a nesting site for a diversity of migrant birds.

Typha: problems and management
Bulrushes infest most of the open water in the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park. Not only has this increased water levels and flood risk, but it has led to repeated complaints from the local community about ‘pollen’ from Typha being a nuisance and sometimes affecting their health, causing loss of fishing opportunities, stagnating water, increase in solid waste build up, deterioration in water quality and the total loss of vistas over the water. Furthermore, the extensive Typha stands have reduced habitat diversity, pushing out other emergent and submerged plant species, which has been detrimental to bird and other wildlife diversity.

The Bulrush has become increasingly problematic in most of the water bodies on the Cape Flats and is now considered a ‘weed’ in the Cape. This encroachment of the Bulrush has made it difficult for recreational users to access water bodies. In addition, the Bulrushes tend to encourage siltation and in some cases impede the natural flow of the water. As with the Khayelitsha Wetlands, areas of stagnant water have resulted, with related odour and insect problems and the risk of disease. The seeds released by this troublesome plant cause skin irritation and respiratory problems and tend to stick to clothing.

Technically the reduction of Typha is best achieved by mechanical cutting to below the water level in areas where the plant is already sparse or possibly dredging to create ponds with a depth of 1,5 m at which Typha is unlikely to re-establish. In dryer areas a longer term option of controlling the Typha would be to remove it and replace it with an alternative reed such as Cyperus texilus which can be harvested for crafts such as basket weaving and could lead to a more stable and sustainable wetland.

One method of maintaining grassy pans is to allow the continued grazing of cattle, from late summer (March) to early winter (May/June), in any areas of the floodplain that are still grassy. The remaining grassy areas are probably the highest-lying parts of the floodplain, which dry out for sufficiently long in summer to prevent Typha encroachment. If open areas cannot be maintained, there is a risk that the system will devolve, through the silt-trapping action and in situ decay and regrowth of the reeds, into a delta-like arrangement of dense Typha islands and fairly fast-flowing channels. Formation of a deltaic system such as this would cause flood levels to increase in time and would decrease the nutrient-trapping ability of the floodplain vegetation. Controlled burning of the Bulrushes is a potential reedbed management tool, but could prove difficult to monitor and poses a potential threat to adjacent communities, commuters and power lines.

It was in the light of the Typha problem, and other nuisances associated with the wetland, that the Tygerberg Administration in conjunction with the local community realised the need to upgrade the wetland and surrounding /areas.

Historical overview
The Kuils River Flood Management Study (Ninham Shand et al, 1990) and Kuils River Environmental Management Study identified problems along the course of the Kuils River, one of Cape Town’s major urban rivers. These included poor water quality, flooding of adjacent houses and weeds congesting the flow of water. Furthermore, the studies undertaken identified a need to increase the environmental and recreational needs and the quality of life of the residents, as well as to develop transport corridors and residential, industrial and commercial areas, and suggested management actions.

The Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework (MSDF), initiated by the Cape Metropolitan Council (CMC) in 1996, and the Metro South East Plan both recognised the Kuils River floodplain and adjoining areas as a significant component of MOSS. The focus of MOSS is the area below the 1:50 year floodline of a river as well as adjoining land and open spaces adjacent to the river. MOSS links isolated open spaces and serves as a green ribbon or movement corridor for people and animals, as well as for the dispersal of seeds. The following urban needs/land uses have been identified as important components of MOSS: park, picnic and braai areas; sportsfields and walking or cycling paths; conservation areas and nature reserves; environmental education and ecotourism; traditional plant nurseries and areas for wood collection; urban agriculture and stock grazing; cultural activities and memorial gardens.

Within the dynamic and deteriorating context of the Kuils River floodplain, design and development considerations became apparent. These included the improvement and promotion of habitat diversity; improvement of water quality; promotion of education (both environmental and waste management); the promotion of conservation with an incentive and the need for a proper land use and management plan incorporating alien eradication and restoration of suitable indigenous vegetation – along with the need for quality public open space development providing recreational value, productive usage, economic opportunities and educational infrastructure, facilities and amenities.

The broad recommendations of the previous studies informed the subsequent Khayelitsha Wetlands Management Study (Ninham Shand et al, 1998), commissioned by the CMC’s Catchment Management Department and the City of Tygerberg. The study was undertaken as a pilot project to formulate land use and sustainable management plans for the Khayelitsha Wetlands and its fringes/green ribbon area. A project team under the leadership of Ninham Shand Einvironmental and Engineering Consultants undertook the study. The team included Chittenden Nicks and de Villiers, OvP Associates and Skakaza.

The main goals of the management study were to reduce the risk of flooding and alleviate stormwater drainage problems; understand the water quality function of the wetlands and enhance this where possible; develop a land use plan for the wetland fringes; and develop plans in an environmentally responsible and consultative manner.

The approach to the study involved collecting baseline information for each discipline, namely engineering, water quality, planning and environmental data. Each discipline addressed the issues of concern raised by stakeholders during the public participation process. Public participation formed an integral part of the study and this will be on-going as projects are implemented. The team then compiled a list of possible action projects or components for implementation. The final task of the study was to formulate an integrated management plan for the wetlands.

The study concluded that the Khayelitsha Wetlands required sensitive management intervention in order to realise their potential and prevent them from becoming a liability. A draft report was completed in March 1999, proposing three land-use zones: an urban nature reserve, an urban park and areas to be used for urban agriculture. Twenty priority projects were highlighted – one being that of the development of a landscaped park, known as the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park.

The following management policies or goals were proposed:
*            Ecological: protect areas of high conservation value such as the heronry and areas of limestone fynbos and manage the wetland in order to maximise its biological diversity.
*            Water quality: maximise the fitness for use of the water for at least intermediate contact recreation and reduce nutrients so that the risk of algal bloom is minimised.
*            Flooding: reduce the stormwater inconvenience to residents and minimise the flood risk to humans and urban development.
*            Planning: maximise the recreation, amenity and sustainable utilisation of the natural resources in order to improve the quality of life of the community.

Khayelitsha Wetlands Park: Phase 1 and the masterplan
The first phase of implementation, funded by the CMC’s Catchment Management Department, was completed in June 2000 – representing a successful transition from planning to implementation in the short space of one year. The funds were administered by Tygerberg Administration: Roads and Sormwater Coastal Branch.

Priority items and actions were identified for planning and implementation through consultation with the local communities as well as other key stakeholders and authorities. To ensure that ad hoc implementation (as funds became available) did not take place, it was decided early on in the process that the project team would look at firstly refining a conceptual overall masterplan for the entire Khayelitsha Wetlands Park, based on the initial concept proposed in the Khayelitsha Wetlands Management Study, as well as subsequently, the detailed planning and design of a first phase of implementation.

In view of moving towards an overall masterplan, the following predominant issues became evident upon observation, closer investigation and discussion with local communities: the general perception of the wetland as a ‘backyard’ to the urban area, due primarily to a lack of knowledge about the function and value of wetlands, resulting in a huge litter problem as well as illegal dumping; the extent of alien infestation and Typha invasion of water bodies; and the general need for recreational amenities and facilities. The latter was evident because of the use of the water bodies for swimming, although the water quality was not appropriate for contact recreation and health problems resulted.

The above issues were viewed as challenges requiring innovative and creative thinking to provide opportunities. For example, the issue of swimming in the open water bodies initiated the exploration and design of what has been termed a ‘splash fountain’, which in essence is a paved surface interspersed with various posts that spurt water. These are activated by controlled time flow taps mounted in the paved surface. Children running through the fountain trigger the tap buttons with their feet. The robust design additionally became a hard surface which has served as a gathering place as well as a vertical visual landmark (due largely to the positioning of a windmill feature at the top of each post), enriching urban legibility in an otherwise sterile landscape.

Opportunities presented by this urban wetland park include the establishment of habitat diversity; environmental education (including waste management education); ecotourism; economic benefits (harvesting of reeds for craft making, involvement in tourism-related activities, market gardening, etc); visual relief in an otherwise dense, monotonous urban environment; recreation (both passive recreation – picnic spots, nature walks, etc – as well as active recreation – kick-about areas, play areas, the splash fountain, etc); and social benefits (community gathering spaces, involvement in management, venue for special events such as the taking of wedding photographs, etc). The site also presents the opportunity to recognise natural processes within a natural as well as an urban context, such as stormwater harvesting, use of water from the wetland for irrigation and others.

Taking into consideration all the above issues, opportunities and constraints the masterplan comprises the following components:
•            a gateway structure on Spine Road, on the western edge of the Park;
•            a primary pathway along the electrical pylon service road moving from the west (Spine Road) to Macassar Park in the east, with tree planting and lighting along the pathway;
•            a semi-public open space edge adjacent to Silvertown, providing opportunities for urban agricultural allotment areas as well as gardens for the residents of Silvertown (an informal settlement with no private open space) and a green buffer between the urban nature of Silvertown and the wetland area;
•            a planting restoration programme establishing zones of indigenous vegetation, promoting habitat diversity and opportunities for environmental education, socio-economic opportunities and eco-tourism.
•            areas for passive recreation;
•            the creation of a waterfront development along the western edge of Macassar Park (or the eastern end of the Wetlands Park) which will include a pavilion structure for environmental education, community gathering, special functions, ecotourism talks, etc; and
•            the restoration and development of the water edges of the three open water bodies located within the park, which will include boardwalks, viewing decks, interpretative/directional signage and nature trails where appropriate.

Implementation of Phase 1, based on priorities identified by the community, authorities and consultants, was focused on the construction of the ‘splash fountain’, upgrading of the existing pathways, gateways and the retaining seat wall; additional tree planting and irrigation; clearing of Typha from a portion of the eastern pond and earthworks for the construction of berms to act as wind barriers, as well as to form a platform at the water’s edge which will eventually accommodate the pavilion structure.

Khayelitsha Wetlands Park: Phase 2
Continuing this history of quick succession from planning to implementation, more funds became available from CMC Administration: Catchment Management, towards the end of 2000 and these were administered by Tygerberg Administration: Civil Engineering.

A workshop was held bringing together various internal Tygerberg departments (including Engineering, Conservation, Environment, Planning) to review the masterplan and identify priority actions for Phase 2. It was decided that Phase 2 would focus on a portion of the eastern water body and would entail: ‘opening up’ of this water body by clearing the Typha: reshaping the edge to provide opportunities for passive recreation, as well as improving visual-scenic attributes; and the implementation of appropriate landscaping measures to provide environmental education as well as economic opportunities.

Environmental engineering component
The wetland component of the project entailed re-establishing the open water body and increasing water circulation to improve the water quality and minimise the risk of flooding. Ninham Shand recommended that the southern half of the Typha covered wetland be excavated to a depth in excess of 1,5m, in order to limit subsequent invasion by Typha. This created some challenges as the machine could only operate in water up to 0,5m in depth. Accordingly, a series of temporary berms was constructed perpendicular to the banks of the water body, so that the machine could access the area. Excavated material was then placed behind the machine, on an area lined with a geofabric and later removed together with the berm. The highly organic material was used as topsoil in the area and to create an informal sportsfield and landscaping features, including a wind protection berm and amphitheatre adjacent to the water body.

During excavation areas of conservation value, including the island, were maintained. It is believed that Pond Weed (Potemogeton pectinus) will rapidly colonise the denuded areas of the floor of the pond from the northern portion. This will provide the desired habitat as well as contribute to improved water quality, thus minimising the risk of algal bloom. To facilitate water circulation, a tapering stand of Typha was retained between the extended downstream channel and the pond, thus ensuring that the water flows through the entire length of the pond, avoiding the previous problem of the water flow bypassing the southern portion of the pond.

Ninham Shand’s role was to provide engineering input into the stormwater outlet structures and flow related aspects as well as provide environmental, engineering and maintenance related comment on the landscaping proposals put forward by OvP Associates, and plan and assist in the supervision of the excavation of material from the channel and pond. During the course of the project, earthworks and construction activities were regularly inspected to ensure that minimal environmental damage was caused.

Although no formal Environmental Management Plan was drawn up for the works, Ninham Shand monitored the activities on a regular basis. Determining the depth to which the excavators had dredged the bed of the wetland proved to be problematic. In a moment of brilliance, one of the project managers suggested using a paddle-ski to cross the water body and using its paddle to gauge the depth of dredging. This innovation proved to be invaluable in establishing the rate of success of the dredging operations and was a source of entertainment to many passers-by.

This phase was completed in June 2001 and a 12 month maintenance contract followed which involved the use of two members of the local community who received training in soft landscaping maintenance and who provided general day to day supervision of the park. A comprehensive photographic record of the rehabilitation of the pond was kept and this should prove invaluable in terms of monitoring the response of this dynamic system and the rate of colonisation by Typha.

Conclusion
The Khayelitsha Wetlands present a number of management challenges and need to satisfy both ecological, social and stormwater functions. While such large-scale manipulation of wetlands is viewed by some people as insensitive destruction of sensitive ecosystems, the truth is that in urban systems human intervention is not only inevitable, but also frequently ecologically desirable. From a social perspective the Khayelitsha community is an impoverished urban community, debilitated by many of the hardships of township life and the success of the project has related to the quick succession from planning to implementation due to exemplary community involvement, ownership and commitment.

The wetlands landscaping project has contributed to the upliftment of the area by making use of the local labour force and has set a trend for the future implementation and construction of proposed developments in the area. In addition the resultant wetland area will serve as a living laboratory, which could be of immense value to the community, youth, educationalists (�40 000 students and teachers in Khayelitsha) and conservationists in Khayelitsha. The project involved extensive, meaningful ‘hands on’ community involvement in planning, implementation (including local artists), maintenance and on-going management. It also emphasised the importance of partnerships formed in order to realise the vision – within the broader Khayelitsha community itself and between metropolitan and local council authorities, including inter-departmental local authority relations, and relations between the local council and local communities, consultants and local communities, contractors and local communities, as well as with various consultants implementing projects in the same area.

A final aspect is the uniqueness of having a wetland so closely interwoven with day-to-day living activities within a dense urban environment. The overriding success has been the realisation of a vision which balances both the urban/social needs of the site with its conservation needs and the simultaneous appreciation of its multi-dimensional potential. It is hoped that the ultimate result will be a wetland and landscaped urban park that is an asset and not a liability to the community and the authorities of Khayelitsha.

Project team Phases 1 and 2

Client: Cape Metropolitan Council Administration’s Catchment Management Department
Administered by: Tygerberg Administration: Roads and Stormwater Coastal Branch and Civil Engineering
Public communications: Skakaza
Town planners: Chittenden Nicks and de Villiers
Environmental and engineering consultant: Ninham Shand
Consulting engineers: Maxplan
Landscape architects: OvP Associates
Contractors: Imba Plant Hire (clearing of Typha), Ilizwe Civils (hard landscaping and splash fountain), Cape Waterplant (splash fountain and irrigation), Umnyama Landscaping, Green Palette Design, Hortulana (soft landscaping)

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Studio from discard construction materials
Salvaging construction waste
Architects Sue Clark and Jens J�terbock of the practice Equilibrium, designed and built their suburban studio in Pretoria largely using materials that were to be discarded from other construction sites – either to be scrapped and recycled or dumped as waste. This project points to an opportunity for systematising the collection of such cast-offs for use in other buildings. Sue Clark described the project for Urban Green File.

Often two problems can resolve themselves in a mutual solution. This is how it happened for Equilibrium. The first problem was a mass of steel sub-frames which had been used to support the window openings in a large office building during its construction and, with the project completed, they were due to be dispatched to a scarp yard. Although this provides for the steel to be recycled, only a fraction of the expense of the steel, the labour, and the energy spent in manufacturing the sub-frames is recovered. The second problem was that with a small home, a six-month old son and a range of hobbies, in addition to our architectural work, we were running out of space. A separate studio could accommodate the wood and steelwork, pottery, painting and sculpture, and take the noise, heat and mess that these activities generate away from the dwelling area.

The studio was designed as a simple, uniform space to suit the module determined by the steel sub-frames, which measure 1,2m by 1,39m. The frames are fabricated from 75 by 25mm rectangular tube, with diagonal bracing of 25 by 25mm square tube. Of the 87 frames collected from the construction site, 83 were used, welded edge to edge to form the wall- roof- and doorframes of the studio. Additional steel had to be bought for bracing, roof purlins and for the construction of frames for working surfaces, shelves and drawer units. Standard steel window sections (F7 and T13) were also bought, to provide closed and opening sections in the wall frames.

Glass had previously been rescued from a reconstruction site, before being consigned to the dump, and had been kept in storage with the prospect of a studio on the horizon.

Construction began with the casting of the reinforced concrete base slab, 4,5 by 12,72m. The wall frames were then erected: the bottom row of sub-frames was secured to the slab edge with anchor bolts and the second row welded to the base frames to create a wall height of 2,4m. Thus a long rectangular ‘box’ of frames was constructed, with gaps left where doors were to be fitted.

The roof structure was fabricated on the ground. Each arched truss comprises five of the 1,2 by 1,39m braced frames. These were held in position on a jig and welded together before being lifted manually onto the top of the walls and there welded into place. At this stage the studio resembled a jungle gym.

F7 steel sections were welded into the wall frames that were to be glazed or closed with fibre-cement panels. Some of the fibre-cement boards had also been retrieved as discard material from a different construction site. They suited the studio design in that they could be cut to size to sustain the rhythm of the steel frames and they offered a lightweight means of wall closure, providing, at the same time, a degree of thermal insulation.

For the ceiling, damaged stock and off-cuts of insulating board, that would otherwise have been discarded, were sourced from a supplier. The ceiling boards were cut to size and simply dropped into each sub-frame of the roof structure. Corrugated iron roof sheeting, which was bought new, was then fixed to the structure and once it had been secured to the purlins flexed perfectly to the roof form. The sheeting is sized to provide generous eaves on all four sides of the building, shading it from direct sunlight. The roof appears to float over the studio as the supports from the wall frames are recessed and the gap is closed with glass, creating a narrow clerestory ribbon window.

Opening windows are hinged at the top edge and fitted with long stay-rods that allow them to be opened to an almost horizontal position, so providing for generous ventilation. Half of the fixed wall panels are glass and, with the large opening windows, this promotes a sense of being in the garden while working in the studio.

In the interior, 18mm thick pine shutter-board, which is most economically priced, is used, varnished, for work surfaces, solid shelves and cupboard doors. Weld-mesh racks do not catch dust and in a storage structure allow for everything to be seen, even if it is stored above eye-level. Drawer units are fitted with discarded ammunition cases which were salvaged from a site adjacent to one of the working sites where they had simply been dumped. They are ideal for heavy items such as tools and equipment and were found in a range of sizes and materials.

Electrical cabling is channelled behind removable shutter-board panels at dado height, to provide convenient connections for power tools, pottery kilns and similar. From this level cabling is also carried up to the neon light fittings and to a central row of industrial lamps, which were found as rejects from yet another project.

All steelwork is painted battleship grey and this latticework is brought into relief by the glass and the warmer grey and mauve colours of the fibre-cement panels.

Even in the garden, precast concrete fence panels, that were saved when the boundary wall of a nearby property was demounted, have been reused as paving slabs on the paths that surround the studio and provide access to it. Again this demonstrates use of a waste material that would otherwise have had to be removed, at a cost, and would have taken up landfill space.

The Equilibrium Studio was built on weekends over the course of a year. All materials were transported by bakkie and no heavy plant or equipment was required in construction, all of which was done manually.

A construction waste salvaging system?
Clark points out that the kind of discard materials salvaged for this project are typically incorporated into the costs of larger building projects and, where they are required for temporary use, or judged unfit for purpose, they are often simply scrapped or dumped. This in itself incurs costs of on-site storage, transport and waste, amongst others. For this reason, as well as for considerations of sustainability and the environment, it makes sense to retrieve and reuse such materials wherever possible. Could a practical system be established whereby building materials designated for the dump or the scrap yard could be pooled at a central site (or series of sites) and from there sold on to wherever they might best be put to use? Surely this is a resource that could be used more efficiently?

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New use for a listed building
The Bus Factory, Newtown, Johannesburg
The Bus Factory in Newtown, Johannesburg, is housed in a building that dates from 1913 and is listed in the register of National Monuments. Leigh Darroll spoke to the newly appointed director of the project, architect Leslie Musikavanhu, and project manager Kevin Mansfield, about this initiative and the recycling of the building – which marks another milestone in the regeneration of the Johannesburg inner city and of Newtown in particular.

Almost abutting the M1 highway that defines the western edge of the central business district, The Bus Factory stands at 1President Street, in the southwestern corner of the Newtown precinct. It neighbours the once infamous Johannesburg Central Police Station and the Department of Housing, across the road from a series of buildings refurbished to house organisations such as The Dance Factory and Moving into Dance and, more recently, the offices for Blue IQ.

The building was designed originally to serve as a repair workshop for the trams that then operated in Johannesburg, and was subsequently used similarly for the city’s fleet of buses which replaced the trams in the 1960s. An industrial building, comprising four, huge, double-volume workshop bays – or adjoining sheds – framed by a modular steel structure, a ‘basement’ area of smaller enclosed workshop spaces, and a double-storey office and ablutions wing which opens off the ground floor bays at the northeast corner, it provides a floor area of more than 6500m2. When it was designated as a home for the planned skills training, production and trading in creative manufacturing industries that constitute The Bus Factory initiative, it was no longer in use, virtually derelict, and had been occupied by squatters.

Although the original 1913 structure of imperial steel was intact, the building had to be thoroughly cleaned of accumulated soot, grime and rubbish, re-clad and re-roofed, before the interior spaces could be refurbished.

The intention
In addition to offering an example of building recycling in the urban environment, The Bus Factory will function as an enterprise-generating job creation project with socio-economic benefits as well as tourism interest.

Mansfield, who is responsible for fine-tuning the content of the planned training courses, was careful to point out that this initiative is not just another craft market. The courses are being structured to ensure that they meet the standards required by the respective SETAs – Sector Education and Training Authorities and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA); that they are aligned with the marketing, finance and other such business skills programmes developed for the unemployed by the Department of Labour; and that they are relevant to market needs and opportunities identified in consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry.

“We are looking at nurturing and developing the creative product design and manufacturing talent that exists in South Africa to a greater production scale than can be achieved by artists operating on their own. The important step is to link the skills that do exist to business enterprise; to open the way to new markets, at home, across the continent and internationally,” says Mansfield.

Craft skills training will range from things like pottery, paper-making, spinning, weaving, cane-ware, candle-making, fabric-printing and millinery, to the heavier trades of metal work, welding, blacksmithing, carpentry and furniture-making. The point of difference is that the craft programmes will be supported by business skills training and an interface for wholesale and retail trading. The Bus Factory will operate on business principles, with an infrastructure to support design, marketing and sales.

“We aim to select the best trainers through assessment of their skills and artistry and people who apply for training will be assessed similarly, as well as on their willingness to learn, so that we can achieve the entrepreneurial results that the country needs,” says Mansfield.

Trainers will also be provided with studio space, where they can practise their crafts, and which would serve also as an incubation facility for new enterprises where trainees can learn the practical business operational skills that they would need to make the transition into formal market delivery. There is a possibility too that The Bus Factory will offer a residency programme for exchange students and/or trainers from other countries in order to extend its network of skills and trade opportunities.

Mansfield emphasises the importance of The Bus Factory becoming an income-generating centre, supportive of entrepreneurial development. A trade showroom will invite large-scale buyers to place wholesale orders and a series of smaller shops within the workshop space will provide a direct retail link to the market for on-site and outside producers.

Considerable research has gone into the concept with investigations of similar programmes in other countries. In India, for example, Mansfield reports that there are more than 400 such centres. He also points out that in India certain manufacturing industries are restricted to small business suppliers. “Light bulbs, for instance, are only produced by small-scale manufacturers – so there is a vast number of labour-intensive enterprises each supplying a defined locality across the country. This is the kind of innovative thrust we need to generate employment in South Africa.”

At The Bus Factory, the objective is to identify good design in local craftsmanship, market such products locally and abroad, establish production bases for those products – at sites independent of the training facility in addition to the limited production achievable there – and deliver at scale.

To date, the initiative has been funded by the Gauteng Department of Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation, providing the building and financing its refurbishment. The start-up phase of the training facility will be financed by donors and private sector corporations.

Refurbishment
No drawings of the existing building could be found in the City Council’s archives. The structure is, however, robust and in spite of the derelict state of the building it was assessed as structurally sound.

In the clean-up undertaken, all the steelwork was scraped and sanded, primed and repainted. Walls, floors, ceilings – where they exist in the double-storey office ‘wedge’ and the basement, and the massive concrete columns in the latter, were all sandblasted and then washed down to clear them of the accumulated dirt. All the windowpanes have been replaced and new steel window frames, replicas of the originals, have been installed where necessary. New steel roller-shutter doors have replaced the original doors to the workshop bays and the building has been re-clad and re-roofed, as it was previously, with corrugated iron sheeting. Profiled polycarbonate sections have been introduced to the roofs over the workshops to admit more natural light to the interior and new ventilator ridge caps have been installed.

In the office wing, timber roof trusses were re-fabricated to match and replace the existing deteriorated trusses, so keeping the same pitch and internal space. Some of the heavy structural timber beams and door frames on the ground level of this wing have been retained, cleaned and left unpainted, as has the original concrete stairway with its simple handrail cast as a single piece of iron.

The industrial aesthetic is preserved with the steel structure and cladding exposed, walls of raw brickwork, or facebrick in the existing, smaller internal buildings, and screeded concrete floors. At the basement level it is envisaged that rich colours will be introduced by bag-washing the walls.

Training and retail space
The main ground floor space of the workshop bays will be used for the training courses. Musikavanhu says that the possibility of using a number of double-decker buses from the Johannesburg fleet, which is currently being replaced, is being investigated. They could be refitted to provide training classrooms on the lower deck and office and administration space on the upper deck.

The history of the building is seen in the steel tram tracks that lead into the workshop bays and in the pits that enabled access to the undersides of the vehicles. While the pits will be filled to provide a continuous ground floor level, and to avoid safety and maintenance problems, they will be remembered in the floor finish – demarcated with a mosaic inlay.

A single-storey brick building has been newly constructed within the ground floor space to create a double row of small, back-to-back, roller-shuttered ‘compartments,’ which will provide lock-up retail outlets. Existing peripheral spaces, built against the western wall of the workshop, provide storage space as well as ablution facilities and a kitchen in the southwest corner. The kitchen will be partly rebuilt and equipped to service a restaurant and pub that will enhance the public appeal of The Bus Factory.

The volume of the ground-floor workshop also allows for multi-purpose use and it is envisaged that public functions, events and exhibitions could be hosted here.

In this area, minimal artificial light and ventilation is required. The pitched roofs over each bay incorporate ventilation caps and provision is made for mechanical extraction of hot air when required. A new fire safety sprinkler system has been installed.

Showroom and offices
The double-storey wedge wing at the northeast corner of the workshop space will accommodate offices and an upper floor trade showroom for products designed and made at The Bus Factory. This wing is accessed from the workshop floor and a second stairway has been introduced, newly crafted from scrap metal retrieved from a neighbouring building that was being demolished. The stairway is designed and made by the same artisans who created the boundary fence and gateway on President Street – David Rossouw and Guy du Toit.

Basement metal and woodwork
The basement spaces, framed by robust concrete columns and slabs, are being refurbished to house welding, forging, metalwork, carpentry and furniture-making training courses and studios. Respective occupational safety standards apply because of the nature of the work, which involves furnaces and the use of welding torches and woodworking equipment. A new fire safety system has been installed, as have new fire doors, and air conditioning, ventilation and smoke extraction systems.

Public access to this works zone is catered for via viewing platforms and a reception space at this level is being designed to offer another venue for small-scale public functions. The so-called basement is actually also accessible from President Street, near the intersection with Goch under the highway, because of the gradient of the street and the site. Thus heavy materials can be quite easily transported to and from these workshops.

At the time of writing, the refurbishment programme was nearing completion. The work is being undertaken by a group of small contractors, managed directly by the client. Pending the finalisation of the training courses and appointment of trainers, The Bus Factory is expected to open by mid-year. It is anticipated that the first intake of students will be involved in aspects of the interior work where they will have the opportunity to learn specific skills through hands-on experience.

Professional Team
Architects: SBT Juul (SA)
Consulting civil, structural, electrical engineers: PD Naidoo & Associates
Consulting mechanical engineers: DTM Spoormaker
Fire safety consultants: Chimera
Interior designers: Kiteworks
Lighting designer: Paul Pamboukian
Client: Bus Factory Trust