When Dr Guy Preston moved from a university research post to a job in government 25 years ago, his to-do list was long and very ambitious, and his confidence was sky-high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was a know-it-all academic with a big wish-list of all the changes I was going to make. I wish I could find that list now \u00ad\u2013 of course, I didn\u2019t achieve any of these changes,\u201d he says somewhat wistfully in a recent post-retirement interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The many people who know him will chuckle at this critical self-assessment, because Preston, who stepped down as Deputy Director-General in the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) at the end of June, is renowned among his colleagues, staff, friends and even his critics as a passionate, highly driven and productive workaholic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through his huge body of work that helped shape contemporary environmental thinking and practice in this country, Preston is leaving an indelible stamp on the conservation of South Africa\u2019s unique natural environment and on the social upliftment of some of its most vulnerable communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This assessment was repeatedly emphasised by the dozens of people who gathered to pay tribute during a packed farewell online function for him last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of them was former cabinet minister Derek Hanekom (for a short time his political boss as acting environment minister), who described Preston\u2019s work as outstanding and highly deserving of a national honour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Deputy Director-General: Environmental Programmes, Preston was responsible for a total budget of just over R4 billion In the 2018\/19 financial year \u2013 the lion\u2019s share of the department\u2019s R7,43 billion total allocation. In this same financial year, the programmes created 26 929 Full Time Equivalents (FTEs) and 67 364 work opportunities. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Preston, who earned a PhD in environmental science from UCT, would not have taken the compliment for himself \u2013 his typical response is self-deprecatory, and he\u2019s always emphasised the huge role of teamwork with equally passionate and dedicated colleagues. But his personal contribution has, by any measure, been immense, and the visionary suite of 14 programmes that he led to promote environmental protection and social upliftment has become world-renowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Working For Water campaign manager<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s a watershed date in Preston\u2019s life: April 1995. This was when he was appointed Special Adviser to Kader Asmal, the charismatic law professor who had been appointed Water Affairs and Forestry minister in President Nelson Mandela\u2019s first cabinet of South Africa\u2019s new democratic era. In many ways, Asmal and Preston were kindred spirits, sharing a belief in how to get a job done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the first tasks that Preston undertook for Asmal was to author a National Water Conservation Campaign. Crucially, this campaign promoted the clearing of water-guzzling alien invasive plant species like pine trees and some Acacia species in water catchment areas. Serendipitously, this work coincided with a major roadshow by the Fynbos Forum that demonstrated to decision-makers just how much of South Africa\u2019s precious water was being consumed by such alien plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asmal was in the audience at one of the Forum\u2019s presentations, and his immediate response was to authorise an alien invasive plant clearing programme by his department, to be managed by Preston under the National Water Conservation Campaign. This programme would address two critical needs: it would make more water available, and it would create desperately needed employment for the poorest of the poor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remember the lead-up to this, during a function in Kader\u2019s office on the 15th floor of the Plein Street building when he came over to me and said \u2026 \u2018You must run this. I don\u2019t want the \u201cgrey-shoes\u201d bureaucrats doing so\u2019,\u201d Preston recalls. It was highly unusual for a Special Adviser to manage a government programme, and there was a bemused response to Kader\u2019s instruction from his senior officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n