“I refused to sign. I cannot sell out my people. And if need be, I will die for my people.” Tragically, grandmother Fikile Ntshangase’s words became a reality when she was gunned down in her home at Ophondweni, near Mtubatuba, on the evening of 22 October 2020. Mama Ntshangashe was the Vice-Chairperson of a sub-committee of the Mfolozi Community Environmental Justice … [Read more...]
West Coast communities say no to mining
The West Coast Food Sovereignty and Solidarity Forum and the communities of Koekenaap and Lutzville on the West Coast are protesting tomorrow at a meeting between Minister of Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe and a mining company, Mineral Sands Resources (MSR) because of their plans to expand mining along the West Coast without any consultation. Despite not honouring the … [Read more...]
NGOs call for a tougher Climate Change Bill
In its formal response to the Department of Environmental Affairs’ proposed Climate Change Bill, the Life After Coal Campaign has called for a far more robust and proactive Bill. Life After Coal is a joint campaign of non-profit environmental justice organisations groundWork, Earthlife Africa and the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER). “While we applaud the Department for … [Read more...]
Public participation needed for effective environmental governance
“I think we understand why we are all here,” said Janet Munakamwe, Action 24 workshop facilitator, as she held a copy of the Constitution of South Africa in the air. “The key is in the preamble of the Constitution – the first three words are ‘We, the people’,” replied Bongani Dlamini, from Youth@SAIIA. These were the opening remarks of the Action 24 workshop in Gauteng, one … [Read more...]
Fracking plans need a unified voice now
Minister Shabangu’s announcement last Friday of the Department of Mineral Resource’s pro-fracking decision to cabinet ripped like wild fire through environmental circles the past week. If there is one issue that can unite all the different green role players in this country, I think it’s this one. The sensitive Karoo ecology is regarded as the heartland of the country by … [Read more...]
Our democracy is at risk!
South Africa's democracy is at risk! An unconstitutional Secrecy Bill is in Parliament and a Media Tribunal has been endorsed by the ANC, which would muzzle the media, and threaten democratic freedoms. This story by the international pressure group Avaaz writes that their initial massive public outcry had forced the government on the back foot. Now they want more people to … [Read more...]
