Currently the Director: Legal Support NEMA (since September 2011) in the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa.

Amanda started her career in 1992 in the Department of Welfare working on the then Fundraising Act, 1978. Was appointed in the then Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in 1997, now Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and has been working in various positions in this Department since 1997, covering policy and legislative developments, and providing legal support and advice.

Her work mostly relates to legal issues focusing on integrated environmental management, the bulk of which was EIA / Impact Assessment related, but more recently there has been a strong push towards finding alternative responsible mechanisms to ensure environmental management and where possible seeking relaxation of strict command and control regimes.

Responsibilities:
• Drafting and legal vetting of legislation including subordinate legislation such as regulations, norms and standards and a variety of legal Notices
• Drafting and legal vetting of environmental management instruments supporting environmental management
• Providing legal advice on the development and implementation of a variety of legal instruments both to internal and external stakeholders
• Close liaison with provincial environmental departments and Department of Mineral Resources and Energy who are implementers of national environmental legislation

Amanda has been involved in various national legal reform processes, including the development of new laws and amendments to facilitate alternative methods to impact assessment. This included the finalization of the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Act, 2022 and the publication of the Proclamation to bring the bulk of the provisions of this Amendment Act into effect on 30 June 2023.

Amanda has been registered as an environmental assessment practitioner with EAPASA since 2021.

Ms Lize Redelinghuis obtained her LLB degree from the Potchefstroom Campus of the North West University in 2011, after which she completed her articles and was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court in February 2014. Thereafter she joined an environmental consulting firm as a health, safety and environmental (SHE) legal specialist during which she conducted SHE legal compliance audits, compiled legal registers, provided SHE legal opinions and SHE legal training to mining and non-mining facilities throughout the country. She enrolled for a LLM in Environmental Law and Governance at the North West University which she obtained cum laude in 2017, while receiving a merit award for best performance in the programme. She joined the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in 2018 as Deputy Director responsible for providing legal support to the Environmental Management Inspectorate. She’s been living out her passion and calling by serving the Inspectorate in this role ever since by, amongst other things, providing legal opinions and prosecutorial support, drafting legal articles, providing environmental training to Environmental Management Inspectors and playing an active role in drafting and reviewing national environmental legislation.

Monique is a registered EAP with over 15 years experience. She conducts environmental authorisation processes in terms of NEMA and monitors construction in terms of EMPr's and conditions of authorisation. Monique also works closely with an attorney to advise on the legal aspect of activities. She is passionate about education and equipping young professionals with the skills they need.