Training "Green Scorpions" through ODL and MIT

Abstract

An American-Indian proverb says: Only when the last tree has been cut down; Only when the last river has been poisoned; Only when the last fish has been caught; only then will you find that money cannot be eaten. Unfortunately more often than not environmental crimes are crimes of greed. Environmental crimes have serious social, economic and material impacts on the daily lives of people and the continued existence of the world. Harming the environment is a crime just like any other crime. The real problem in South Africa concerning environmental crimes is the enforcement of the laws. In 2008 the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) as it was then known, approached the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of South Africa (Unisa) to help with the possible training of Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs), commonly known in the media as “Green Scorpions”. Advanced Short Courses (ASC’s) were developed to teach the EMIs specific skills as required by law. The College of Law was approached to cover the legal part of the course. The focus of this article will fall on the legal subjects to indicate the importance of legal knowledge for the EMI as well the challenges faced to teach legal concepts to students who have never engaged with the law, through distance learning.