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17 Jul 2012

The Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi will officially launch the Waterberg-Bojanala Air Priority Area (WBPA) and the Waterberg-Bojanala Monitoring Network on Friday, 20 July 2012 in Limpopo.

The Waterberg-Bojanala Monitoring Network comprises three air quality monitoring stations bought by the Department of Environmental Affairs for the Priority Area.The stations were bought by the Department in order to monitor and report on the status of air in the WBPA. The stations are situated in Lephalele, Thabazimbi and Mokopane.

The declaration of the Waterberg-Bojanala Districts as a Air Priority Area was recently gazetted by the Department in Gazette No. 35435 of 15 June 2012.This was after research information indicated that the ambient air quality within the Waterberg District Municipality may exceed national ambient air quality standards in the near future; and that a trans-boundary situation exists between the Waterberg District Municipality and the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality in the North West which may cause a significant negative impact on air quality in both areas. The same trans-boundary air pollution impact was found to also be a possibility between South Africa and its neighbours, particularly Botswana.

The declaration of the WBPA as well as the opening of the stations are part of special interventions by the Department to improve and/or retain good air quality in the WBPA.

The WBPA covers the Bojanala District in North West and the Waterberg District in Limpopo and includes the local municipalities of Thabazimbi, Modimolle, Mogalakwena, Bela-bela, Mookgopong and Lephalale in Limpopo, and Moses Kotane, Rustenburg and Madibeng in the North West Province.

Media are invited to attend this event:
Date: Friday, 20 July 2012
Time: 10h00
Venue: Mahwelereng Community Hall, Stand Number 2304, Zone A, Mahwelereng, Limpopo

Media RSVPs: Xolani Ngqoshela at 012-310 3078/ XNgqoshela@environment.gov.za Gaopalelwe Moroane at 012-310 1770/ GMoroane@environment.gov.za
Nwabisa Tsengiwe at 012-310 3198/ Ntsengiwe@environment.gov.za

Enquiries:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
E-mail: mbelengwap@dwa.gov.za

Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs
17 Jul 2012

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