Abstract:
The Constitution of Republic of South Africa, 1996 places an obligation
on municipalities to satisfy basic needs and to promote the social and
economic development of local communities. For this developmental role
to occur, municipalities often act as developers when providing services such as
housing, roads and sanitation. These activities may have environmental impacts
that need to be managed in such a way that resources are used optimally and
not at the expense of both present and future generations. An environmental
management system (EMS) is that aspect of a municipal institution’s overall
management structure and arrangements that addresses the immediate and longterm
impact of its activities, products and services on the environment. The EMS
can thus be seen as an important tool that can be used by municipalities to obtain
the sustainable utilisation of resources for the purposes of programme and project
execution in such a way that socio-economic development does take place, but in
a way that is not destructive to the environment.
This article pursues the objective of sustainability within the context of how an
environmental management system (such as ISO14001) may be utilised as a tool to
promote development within municipalities. To demonstrate this, the experiences
of the Mangaung Local Municipality in the Free State, are shared to describe the
process followed to implement such a system at the local government sphere.
