SECTION 1 OVERVIEW EXECUTIVE REPORTS Chairperson’s Overview I found myself returning to my old love of botany, environment and biodiversity when I was appointed by Minister van Schalkwyk and the Cabinet as chairman of the SANBI Board in December 2007. I am honoured to play a leading role in an Institute that has such a long and proud history, and such an important future. I look forward to a fruitful and productive three years. SANBI is at an exciting point in its history with the appointment of its first CEO, Dr Tanya Abrahamse, in September 2007, and with its new structure, which was approved at the end of the term of the previous Board. The new organogram, in my view, reflects SANBI’s mandate as set out in the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), 2004. With this important tool, the transformation from the National Botanical Institute (NBI) to SANBI is well on its way. NEMBA gives SANBI a very wide mandate, and a range of potential responsibilities and roles. The greatest challenge for SANBI will be to strategically prioritise and focus on deliverables within the constraints of available human and financial resources. SANBI’s new Corporate Strategic Plan 2009— 12 – enthusiastically crafted by its staff and management and approved by the Board – will be the main tool to achieve this. However, given the broadness of the concept of biodiversity, the executive and Board will have to keep a watchful eye to keep SANBI focused and on track. Other exciting and important milestones for the Institute in the year have been: i) the acquisition of a new National Botanical Garden (NBG) in the ‘bulb capital of the world’ near Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape, the first new NBG for 25 years and the start of SANBI’s ambitions to have a national footprint with a presence in all key biomes; ii) the rise of SANBI’s leadership role in the important area of Climate Change and Bio-adaptation; and iii) the leading role SANBI now plays in Biodiversity Knowledge and Information Management and Policy Advice to support national, provincial and local government levels as well as other organisations in the biodiversity network and the public. I am cognisant of the fact that SANBI has come through a tough period this past year with, at first, uncertain executive leadership, and later the disciplinary process and eventual dismissal of the Chief Financial Officer. On the latter, I am confident that the CEO and her team managed the matter in the best interests of the Institute. I am also confident that SANBI’s financial management and other systems necessary for compliance with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and other National Treasury regulations have now been instituted and improved. With the key building blocks in place, SANBI is ready to play a positive role in managing and conserving South Africa’s unique ‘mega’ biodiversity into the future. The key challenge for the Board and the executive is to identify those priorities that are deliverable in a reasonable time frame. It would be a strategic mistake to try to deliver on every objective of SANBI at the same time. Mr T Sokutu Chair of the Board South African National Biodiversity Institute 8 SECTION 1 OVERVIEW EXECUTIVE REPORTS Chief Executive Officer’s Report The year under review saw SANBI making our final transformation from Gardens; excellent world class scientific research (including a Nobel the ‘flora only’ mandate of the National Botanical Institute (NBI), and taking Peace Prize for our climate change work and numerous other science on the challenges of the full spectrum of biodiversity, in all its richness and awards and prizes); energetic work in education and outreach; passionate, complexity. competent and knowledgeable staff at all levels; a well managed human Some of this shift had already started, albeit without significant structural resources system; a committed Board; and a supportive Minister and change to the organisation, in the years following SANBI’s establishment national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). through the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act Although the Chief Financial Officer was suspended in October, Acting (NEMBA), 2004. The key indicator of this transformation is the new CFO Prof. Gideon Smith, with his team and outsourced support, made a structure of SANBI, as reflected in the organogram on page 7 of this concerted effort to improve and ensure compliance with all policies and report. The organisation of the Institute was approved in principle by the procedures so as to fully comply as a public entity with the PFMA, other Board in November, and finalised at a historic management lekgotla held National Treasury regulations and directives, and build the foundation of in February. good governance. SANBI’s new structure is indicative of its functions as mandated in A proper and fair disciplinary process is an exhausting and expensive the Biodiversity Act, the headlines of which are Biodiversity Research, exercise. We are grateful to Chief Director: Human Resources, Mr Maano Knowledge Management and Conservation Management through an Netshiombo and his team, who ensured full adherence to relevant labour expanding NBG system, as well as ecosystem/biome-based projects and laws and human resources policies. The CFO, Mr Sunjit Singh, was other programmes. relieved of his post on 1 April. I was honoured to be appointed as SANBI’s first CEO in September, Two other milestones on the path to good governance and transformation and spent the first month familiarising myself and consulting with staff of SANBI this year were: at all levels, as well as with our key partners and stakeholders. Part of my introduction to SANBI included a tour of almost all of our Gardens. • the consultative risk assessment workshop, which saw all heads Together with senior staff in the temporary Operations Committee (OPCO), of cost centres coming together for the first time to craft our risk a review was made of SANBI’s mandate; commitments; projects and management plan. This ensured management buy-in and received assets; policies and procedures; business and procurement processes, high praise from the SANBI Board; and and financial management systems. • the management lekgotla, which brought together all managers and As with all organisations in transition that have had uncertainty at the key staff for the first time in 13 years to draft SANBI’s new Corporate leadership level, there were many areas of concern, such as ‘working Strategic Plan. in silos’; lack of integration and linkages; lack of representivity; poor I look forward to the guidance of the new SANBI Board Chairperson, Mr marketing and communications; lack of close adherence to some financial Tami Sokutu, and a close working relationship with him and other Board policies and procedures, as well as a lack of trust and a low morale. members. SANBI, in my view, is now ready to take on the challenges of There was also much to be proud of in SANBI, including the Kirstenbosch leading the sector, in partnership with the biodiversity network and DEAT, Garden brand, and an NBG system of hidden treasures in the eight other as set out in the Biodiversity Act. Members of the Board of SANBI, left to right: Front row: Ms T Dingaan, Dr P Hanekom, Dr T Abrahamse (CEO) Middle row: Prof. P Omara-Ojungu, Mr T Sokutu (Chairperson), Mr S Somyo Dr T Abrahamse Back row: Ms K Montgomery, Mr T Frost Chief Executive Officer Not present: Ms P Pyoos, Ms N Jezile South African National Biodiversity Institute 9 SECTION 2 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Performance PerformanceInformation Information 10 SECTION 2 PERFORMANCE INFORMATION PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Performance Indicators GOAL 1. To be the preferred national resource for knowledge SANBI staff produced numerous books, scientific papers and reports. management and information dissemination on biodiversity and its status Biosystematics Research and Biodiversity Collections made several and trends in South Africa. contributions to the Plants of the Week and produced 94 publications including: Bothalia 37, 1. SANBI co-hosted the first National Biodiversity Information Management Workshop on 6–7 November with DEAT and SAEON. SANBI Biodiversity Series 6: Invasive alien flora and fauna in South Africa: expertise and bibliography. SANBI co-hosted the 5th National Biodiversity Planning Forum at Mpekweni Beach Resort in the Eastern Cape, with Eastern Cape Parks and the Eastern SANBI Biodiversity Series 7: Handbook on project development planning for Cape Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs. biodiversity conservation. 140 people attended, representing national departments, all 9 provincial Flowering Plants of Africa Vol. 60. environmental departments and/or provincial conservation agencies, research Strelitzia 18. Babiana: (Iridaceae: Crocoideae), a revision of the genus in institutes, NGOs and biodiversity planning consultants. southern Africa. The Fynbos Research Strategy to support the implementation of the C.A.P.E. Strelitzia 19. The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland bioregional programme was finalised. (launched on 22 May in Cape Town and 24 May in Pretoria). The first Grasslands Research Task Team meeting was held on 31 January to Bothalia 37, 2. and the Bothalia index. develop a Research Strategy for the Grasslands Biome. Strelitzia 20. A brief history of the gymnosperms. The Mainstreaming Strategy of the Grasslands Biome was presented to the national capacity building workshop of the Convention on Biological Diversity in The Sappi Tree Spotting book was reprinted. Performance InformationRustenburg in February. The Trees of the Year 2007 poster was printed and distributed. A summary document for the Vulnerability and Impacts section of the Long- Publications produced by staff of the South African National Biodiversity Term Mitigation Scenarios was submitted. Institute 1 January 2007–31 December 2007 were published in Bothalia. The BGIS site supported land-use decisions through its Land-Use Decision More than 30 papers were published by Conservation Science staff.