National Environmental Management Act, 1998
The National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998, abbreviated NEMA) is the statutory framework to enforce Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The NEMA is intended to promote co-operative governance and ensure that the rights of people are upheld, but also recognising the necessity of economic development. NEMA supersedes the Environmental Conservation Act, which was inadequate to deal with enforcement, administration, and governance, and was written to be more successful in these aspects. Purpose. To provide for co-operative, environmental governance by establishing principles for decision -making on matters affecting the environment, institutions that will promote co-operative governance and procedures for co-ordinating environmental functions exercised by organs of state; and to provide for matters connected therewith. Promulgation. Published as: The act repealed a large part of the Environment Conservation Act. 1989 (Act No, 73 of 1989).