[WSMDiscuss] (Fwd) more activists react to Durban's Rain Bomb - including street protesters, climate critics, labour
Patrick Bond
pbond at mail.ngo.za
Sat Apr 16 10:27:57 CET 2022
(As of yesterday afternoon, the KwaZulu-Natal death toll had reached 395
<https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/live-rain-flooding-hit-kwazulu-natal-20220412>,
of whom 350 were in Durban.
It appears that there are three processes underway in oppositional civil
society, which ideally would overlap and intersect, but don't always:
emergency relief and solidaristic mutual aid; condemnation of the state
for service delivery failure; and condemnation of the state for lack of
attention to climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience. Examples:
* 1) /emergency solidaristic relief:/ especially the Islamic charity
Gift of the Givers and Abahlali baseMjondolo
* 2) /service delivery failure critique: s/treet protesters, AbM,
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, National Union of
Metalworkers of SA, General Industries Workers Union of SA
* 3) /climate failure critique and "Just Transition!" demands:/ SDCEA,
Climate Justice Charter Movement, Oceans Not Oil, Extinction
Rebellion Gauteng, GIWUSA
And many more. In this article
<https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/04/15/durbans-latest-rain-bomb-kills-more-than-300-and-unveils-state-climate-sloth/>
we try to tackle all three, following some contextual analysis:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/04/15/durbans-latest-rain-bomb-kills-more-than-300-and-unveils-state-climate-sloth/
What is to be done, beyond the funding appeals, to change power
relations so this sort of disaster never happens again?
Short of voting out the rascals in power and socialising the means
of both production and combustion so as to compel a Just Transition, the
main local punishment to the state for its malevolence right now appears
to be street protest and delegitimation. Many ordinary people are
furious about the lack of services available, especially for those whose
families have suffered deaths, injuries and destruction of their houses.
And there's a commentariat properly placing blame - as does Zapiro in
the "Danger!" sign - on Durban's state failure.
But street fury is a feature of the Durban Rain Bomb that activists may
have picked up on (and that armchair academics like me are not so good
at interpreting). Municipal state hatred comes through clearly in the
media reports below. For example
<https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/live-rain-flooding-hit-kwazulu-natal-20220412>,
a man interviewed while blocking a main road, the M19 - also seen in the
pic below:
/Protester: It’s quite sad that the president was in Ntuzuma... I
think there’s a huge damage that has been done here but the
president couldn’t attend to our damage that we have here. /
//
/eNCA: This has been an ongoing fight for you. I’ve come here before
when there’ve been protests as well. Has government ever offered
residents here an opportunity to live anywhere else?/
//
/Protester: No it never happened, because what they told us in 2019
it was also a very sad story, when officials at that time - a deputy
mayor - at that stage she came here and said we have ourselves, we
have to identify the land. How we can identify the land who owns the
land? We don’t have those facilities to do that. Which means they’re
just pushing us away. But what I can say? They have to relocate us
here because, you can see, this is a a disaster area, yeah. This
place will be washed away in a few years to come... This place is
totally finished. They have to relocate us if it’s possible./
<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5nQ5xAn_UWsi9GUCwFn35jeBNN-RLNprbTKZLVYVWpQ_TWBQdWmX8THaioRwul5ie0cCuKj66dHjHcxz-PL58p586jElzDOmGg=s1200>Speaking
of street heat, we can be thankful that the alienation and economic
desperation that pulses through South Africa wasn't directed at
immigrants last Sunday, as we had all feared given that Operation Dudula
launched in Durban. But it failed miserably. On the other hand, the same
day, Zandile Gumede came back to power as ANC leader of the city, which
heralds the durability of talk-left walk-right Zupta politics in KZN.
And speaking of these political misleaders, I wonder if those doing
climate advocacy have a way to avoid the "*/Climate change dunnit!/**-
*/*not us!*" /spindoctoring of President Ramaphosa, Mayor Kaunda and the
other ANC leaders aiming to deflect attention from malgovernance.
In this context, an uptick of strong structural protest is needed too,
against the state’s leaders who arguable committed “culpable homicide”
as Vishwas Satgar <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DflA9qhQaZY> and
Charles Simane
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miOwofIElCw&feature=youtu.be>
eloquently explain, and as /Al Jazeera /also picked up on below.
Also, a petit-bourgeois boycott of Durban municipal service delivery
failure – and with it, the city elites’ image – is occurring informally,
because a great many holidaymakers who go to Durban every Easter as
chilly weather sets in here in Joburg, are staying away
<https://www.news24.com/amp/fin24/companies/travelandleisure/easter-holiday-r30m-lost-as-nearly-20-of-visitors-to-durban-cancel-bookings-following-floods-20220414>.
The main international-solidarity punishment for the SA state that can
be applied from below, especially in the UK, U.S., Germany and France,
is retraction of financial support for the establishment's "Just Energy
Transition" which is in fact a transition to 44% methane-coal-to-gas
instead of 100% renewables, as Climate Justice Charter Movement has
complained of here
<https://www.change.org/p/unfccc-and-ippcc-ch-make-ending-coal-gas-and-oil-investment-a-condition-for-financial-support-to-south-africa-cop27-climatechange-climatereport-frenchembassyza-germanembassysa-usembassysa-ukinsouthafrica-climateza-presidencyza-cyrilramaphosa>:
https://www.change.org/p/unfccc-and-ippcc-ch-make-ending-coal-gas-and-oil-investment-a-condition-for-financial-support-to-south-africa-cop27-climatechange-climatereport-frenchembassyza-germanembassysa-usembassysa-ukinsouthafrica-climateza-presidencyza-cyrilramaphosa
The SA green-left scene hasn't yet had a full airing of the Carbon
Border Adjustment Mechanism climate tax on SA exports, which the EU, UK,
U.S. and other imperialist-protectionist regimes will impose, perhaps to
the benefit of these activists trying to urgently decarb South Africa -
but mishandling Durban's climate-catastrophe adaptation won't look good
for Pretoria as those climate sanctions negotiations unfold.
Regardless of where your solidarity goes, there are profound lessons to
be learned from Durban this week.)
***
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/04/15/durbans-latest-rain-bomb-kills-more-than-300-and-unveils-state-climate-sloth/
April 15, 2022*
**Durban’s Latest Rain Bomb Kills More Than 300 and Unveils State
Climate Sloth*
byPatrick Bond and Mary Galvin
<https://www.counterpunch.org/author/ptrkbndmry3938/>
Floods again ravaged South Africa’s third-largest city, Durban, killing
at least 300 residents on Monday, forcing thousands more to evacuate
their homes, and preventing movement of people and emergency goods due
to collapsed roads and bridges. In many areas, broken water reticulation
pipes and the electricity system’s collapse have left taps dry and power
out for days. (Pictures are here
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-13-images-of-hell-the-death-and-destruction-in-the-aftermath-of-the-kzn-floods/>.)
The toll in lost human life exceeds Durban’s prior record of 64 deaths
from the “Rain Bomb” of April 2019, when 168 millimeters fell in 24
hours, doing at least $75 million in damage. In October 2017, 108 mm
fell in one day, killing 11.
Going back further, in 2011 Durban hosted the annual United Nations
COP17 climate summit, generally considered a global policy failure
<http://www.ephemerajournal.org/contribution/durban%E2%80%99s-conference-polluters-market-failure-and-critic-failure>
(though not according to U.S. State Department negotiator Todd Stern who
celebrated <https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/24887> to
Hillary Clinton what he termed a “significant success for the United
States”). Still, city officials appeared numb to the imminent threat,
not bothering to make basic infrastructure repairs
<https://elitshanews.org.za/2018/01/25/hostel-residents-forced-to-repair-their-own-roofs-while-salga-secures-free-housing-for-mayors/>
after 2017 even in high-profile sites like the violence-afflicted
Glebelands migrant labor hostel whose roof was not repaired two years later.
On Monday, the skies dumped 351 mm. Once again, it was obvious that
Durban municipality (officially known as eThekwini), KwaZulu-Natal
province and the national state government all lack a genuine commitment
to climate-crisis adaptation, including sufficiently robust civil
engineering and simple maintenance of already-inadequate stormwater
drainage systems. State housing provision and construction standards for
thousands of the city’s residential structures were revealed as
inadequate. Hardest hit were Durban’s poor communities: of the city’s
550 informal shack settlements, at least 164 are located in floodplains.
*Greenwashed Durban*
The municipality is often accused of slacking on climate protection, in
spite of backslapping rhetoric to the contrary – e.g., in 2020, claiming
<http://www.durban.gov.za/Resource_Centre/Press_Releases/Pages/EThekwini-Municipality-Lauds-Approval-Of-National-Climate-Change-Adaptation-Strategy.aspx>
“to be at the cutting edge of climate change action, assisted by its
progressive leadership and engagement within… the C40 Leadership Group”
(a network promoted
<https://www.bloomberg.org/environment/supporting-sustainable-cities/c40-cities-climate-leadership-group/>
by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg). There is far too much
praise by out-of-touch scholars
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=durban+adaptation&btnG=>,
although occasionally, journalists separate
<https://longreads.trust.org/item/Durban-climate-C40-cities-network>
fact from C40 fiction.
The 2019 Durban Climate Action Plan
<http://www.mile.org.za/Learning_Journey/Documents/Climate_Action_Plan.pdf>
lacks urgency, although at least it is premised on what climate
scientists were predicting a decade before: dry areas will be much prone
to drought, and wet coastal and eastern areas of South Africa much
rainier, with greater intensity of extreme weather events.
But no can deny Durban’s notorious green-washing
<http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,68,3,2875#Climate-dumb%20Durban's%20greenwash%20manual>,
which even entailed a 2014 WWF award nomination for which city
bureaucrats hired a professional internet trickster
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-03-28-durbans-greenwashing-deceits/>
who hijacked twitter accounts, partly to promote a failed World Bank
carbon-trading scheme <https://sci-hub.se/10.1080/13604813.2019.1689734>.
And in 2018, notwithstanding media reports
<https://mg.co.za/article/2018-09-14-00-ethekwini-probes-bribe-phonecall>
of then-Mayor Zandile Gumede’s impending prosecution on multiple
corruption and solid-waste procurement-scam charges, the San Francisco
Global Climate Action Summit’s “One Planet City Challenge” recognised
<http://www.mile.org.za/QuickLinks/News/Pages/news_20180913.aspx> Durban
as “a leader in climate action” because it “continues to combine
ambitious targets and focused action with community development
initiatives.” Gumede was from 2016 until her mid-2019 arrest and forced
resignation
<https://www.news24.com/witness/news/durban/former-ethekwini-mayor-zandile-gumede-charged-with-over-2000-counts-of-fraud-and-corruption-20210323>,
the C40 urban climate network’s Vice Chair
<https://www.c40.org/news/mayors-voices-gumede/>, again revealing the
shallow incompetence of global climate elites.
*Talk generous and green, walk stingy and dirty*
In the same spirit, immediately after Durban’s 2019 Rain Bomb, President
Cyril Ramaphosa visited <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljotRT-UZzw> –
alongside Gumede – to survey the damage, conceding
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnZF2V69t6w> that “the force of nature
is so huge and this is partly what climate change is about that it just
hits when we least expect it.”
As for emergency relief and paying for what termed by the United Nations
“Loss & Damage” costs, he promised
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnZF2V69t6w>: “I immediately contacted
our Treasury and said, do we have money to assist our people? And they
said ‘President, we have the money.’ So money will be mobilised to
assist our people. These are emergency situations that we budget for, so
resources will be mobilised in the biggest way so that our people who
are currently in need are assisted.”
Yet only $6.25 million was then provided by Treasury
<https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/r90m-made-available-for-storm-affected-residents-26040165>
to meet emergency housing needs: just 14% of thecity’s own estimate
<https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/city-to-cough-up-r11bn-for-floods-24337366>
of the April storm’s $46 million in residential damage, itself
considered low given the scale of the destruction and need for proper
reconstruction.
On Wednesday Ramaphosa returned to Durban to visit flood victims, and
pledged
<https://www.npr.org/2022/04/13/1092753563/flooding-climate-change-south-africa>,
“This disaster is part of climate change. It is telling us that climate
change is serious, it is here. We no longer can postpone what we need to
do, and the measures we need to take to deal with climate change.”
Notwithstanding soothing words, his hypocrisy was glaring, for prior to
2016, when he sold his private conglomerate Shanduka
<https://businesstech.co.za/news/trending/137391/south-africas-vice-president-offloads-mcdonalds/>,
Ramaphosa was so desperate to dig for coal that he failed to obtain
required water licenses
<https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2014-03-02-coal-giants-operations-not-a-blast-for-locals/>
(apparently due to regulatory corruption
<https://mg.co.za/article/2012-11-09-00-edna-molewa-accused-of-meddling/>),
displaced local residents
<https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2012-11-04-ramaphosa-group-in-mine-evictions-row/>
and also teamed up with the notorious Swiss-based corporation Glencore
at a time the latter was facing international lawsuits on dozens of
ethics grounds
<https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/04/23/a-giant-among-giants/>. (The point
was not lost on locals
<https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2012-11-04-ramaphosa-group-in-mine-evictions-row/>
who remember its founder Marc Rich’s role in apartheid-era
sanctions-busting.) A year ago, even some former Ramaphosa labor-based
allies rounded on him, given plausible concerns
<https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/ramaphosa-under-pressure-to-account-for-alleged-role-in-eskoms-troubles-20210411-2>
he favoured Glencore’s coal division at consumers’ expense during a
2014-15 electricity pricing battle when Ramaphosa was already serving as
South Africa’s deputy president.
Until South Africa was threatened
<https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/from-the-desk-of-the-president/desk-president%2C-monday%2C-11-october-2021>
with trade-related climate sanctions last year, Ramaphosa proved
resistant to activist demands that the state curtail its destructive
love affair with fossil fuels, electricity-intensive deep mining,
refining and smelting. For example, last July, in order to fight a
Mozambican insurgency in the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province, Ramaphosa
deployed more than 1000 army troops and much-needed helicopters (leaving
only one in Durban for emergency rescues this week). They are mainly
defending the interests of Western and Chinese oil companies
<https://journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/The_Thinker/article/view/1175>
drilling at the world’s fourth-largest methane field
<https://www.cadtm.org/Global-North-climate-reparations-to-prevent-Southern-fossil-fuel-conflict>.
The insurgents continue to operate from the shadows although Total has
announced a resumption of its gas drilling and processing.
Why the sudden turn to meth-addict energy? In 2020 Ramaphosa’s public
enterprise minister – who a decade earlier as finance minister had
arranged
<https://mronline.org/2010/04/13/the-bank-loan-that-could-break-south-africas-back/>
for the World Bank’s largest-ever loan, to pay for the world’s largest
coal-fired plants then under construction – hired a former executive of
Sasol known as “Mr Coal” to run Eskom, the electricity parastatal.
There, in mid-2021, he announced
<https://www.climatecommission.org.za/events/meeting-of-the-presidential-climate-commission-on-the-just-energy-transition>
44% of his “Just Energy Transition” funds – including $8.5 billion in
supposed decarbonization finance from last November’s Glasgow COP26 –
would convert coal-fired power plants into methane gas plants (and new
ones would be built). It is now widely understood that methane is far
more potent than CO2, and indeed is now measured
<https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/international/the-case-against-methane-emissions-keeps-getting-stronger/>
as eighty times worse over the course of a century.
The Ramaphosa government’s other ongoing contributions to the climate
crisis are prolific. The first presidential infrastructure priority
mega-project within the National Development Plan
<https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/ndp-2030-our-future-make-it-workr.pdf>
(whose 2012 deputy chair was Ramaphosa) is to export 18 billion tons of
coal from a site in his parents’ home province, Limpopo; if associated
rail and power infrastructure is ever completed, it will cost at least
$100 billion
<https://www.cesa.co.za/sites/default/files/20131112_Poobie%20Govender%20-%20CESA%20Presentation_FINAL.pdf>.
His Transnet team is hell-bent
<https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/columnists/2021-12-13-hilary-joffe-the-dead-hand-of-transnets-ailing-rail-network/>
on privatizing rail lines so as to increase coal exports – last year,
just 59 million tons thanks to thieves and vandals – back to 75 million
a year.
Also in Limpopo, his government promotes
<https://mg.co.za/opinion/2022-03-01-final-rubber-stamp-for-the-musina-makhado-special-economic-zone-travesty/>
the $17 billion Chinese-driven Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone
MMSEZ (located next to his traditional home village), one proudly
announced <http://www.dirco.gov.za/docs/2018/chin0903.htm> in 2018 after
he and Xi Jinping co-chaired the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation: “The
following projects within the MMSEZ have been prioritized for
implementation: a 4600MW coal-fired plant, a cement plant and other
metallurgical projects.” Even without the originally-planned coal
generator, which climate activists appear to have defeated
<https://www.news24.com/fin24/companies/coal-feet-limpopo-industrial-park-backed-by-china-ditches-plans-to-build-power-station-20220302>
last month, “other metallurgical projects” will emit 34 megatons of CO2
annually, according to officials
<https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/limpopos-r247bn-special-economic-zone-will-worsen-sas-climate-liabilities-20211217>.
Hence by 2030, if the project proceeds, they will comprise 8% of the 420
megaton national pollution target.
Meanwhile without presidential objection, Ramaphosa’s energy minister
recklessly pushes
<https://www.news24.com/fin24/economy/sa-is-praised-for-being-short-sighted-about-gas-and-oil-mantashe-20220225>
methane gas and coal, his environment minister rejects
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-11-environment-minister-barbara-creecy-slams-high-court-air-pollution-ruling-as-impermissible-interference/>
court orders to cut pollution at the two largest greenhouse gas emitters
(Eskom and Sasol), and his finance minister delays
<https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2022-02-23-treasury-kicks-the-carbon-tax-can-three-years-down-the-road/>
(by more years) ratcheting up what is an absurdly low carbon tax, one
currently just $0.42/ton
<https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/excise/environmental-levy-products/carbon-tax/>
due to exemptions, compared to most recent estimates of a $3000/ton cost
of carbon
<https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/sep/economic-cost-climate-change-could-be-six-times-higher-previously-thought>.
*The cost of */*not */*transitioning justly*
The latter point is vital, because by applying a rudimentary “polluter
pays” principle
<https://oceansnotoil.org/2022/02/12/setting-the-social-cost-of-carbon/>
as a means of raising funds – but in a progressive not regressive way
(as did French
<https://jacobinmag.com/2018/11/yellow-vests-france-gilets-jaunes-fuel-macron>
and Ecuadorean <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49929272>
governments in 2018-19, generating massive social protests) – funds
could be raised for not only Loss & Damage reparations, but also for
necessary climate-proofing investments in poor communities.
Thanks to dramatically-increased unemployment in these areas due to
Covid-19, there are pent-up supplies of construction laborers and
general workers who can repair and strengthen drainage systems, rebuild
damaged roads, construct sturdier houses and safer bridges, restore
wetlands and rehabilitate riverine systems to act as a sponge. Solar and
wind energy plus public transit improvements also need generous
subsidies. By one account, a “million climate jobs
<https://aidc.org.za/programmes/million-climate-jobs-campaign/>“ could
be provided here, were there the political will.
But government broke many promises to “build back better” after the
Covid-19 economic lockdown. Even though in October 2020, Ramaphosa
committed
<https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/ramaphosa-promises-800000-jobs-49be25c9-f79f-458f-bb66-3d521e703bc6>
the state to hiring 800 000 new workers, Treasury’s unprecedented budget
cuts kicked in
<https://aidc.org.za/call-on-parliament-to-reject-the-2021-budget/> soon
thereafter. That dried up the funding needed not only to repair damaged
infrastructure, but to implement a genuine “Just Transition”: support
for workers dislocated by decarbonization, whether in the coal fields or
South Durban’s refinery complex (where both Engen and Sapref recently
reached the end of their lifespans).
Had more state funds been available for Durban’s 2019 recovery – and
ring-fenced so as not to fall victim to Gumede’s alleged graft
tendencies – the necessary climate adaptation work could have taken
place. Yet as local journalist Des Erasmus remarked
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-13-ramaphosa-calls-kzn-floods-a-catastrophe-as-death-toll-climbs-above-300/>
this week, an underlying case of malgovernance cannot be disguised:
“Local and provincial government spoke of climate change until they were
reminded that notwithstanding climate change, poor infrastructure,
drainage and sewer maintenance, poorly-built houses, and allowing
residents to build homes on river banks had also significantly
contributed to the fallout.”
What sort of climate-resilient investments are needed? A first vital
step is improving early warning systems and flood preparedness, since
the SA Weather Service admitted
<https://www.news24.com/witness/news/kzn/kzn-floods-we-didnt-expect-that-much-rain-sa-weather-service-20220412>
that it vastly underestimated the storm’s power. Other labor-intensive
construction is needed for small dams and seawalls; stronger roads and
bridge reinforcements; better-quality pipes and water treatment; back-up
generators for pumping stations; firebreaks; and much more effective
stormwater drainage, including maintenance.
Most obviously, improvements in housing stability are required across
the working-class areas of the city, as well as for all structures built
on vulnerable hills and near oceans and rivers. And much more investment
is needed in green infrastructure, including better maintenance of
forests, floodplains and wetlands.
*Elusive red-green politics*
To get there, the balance of forces will need deep, urgent change. How
that happens is still unclear, given that although Ramaphosa is fast
losing power internally within his badly-divided ANC party – which
scored only 42% in the 2021 election (25% lower than it did 20 years
ago) and lost most major cities to centre-right opposition parties – a
new danger has arisen: far-right, xenophobic organizing in working-class
communities targeting African and Asian immigrants (reminiscent of
Brexit, Trump, Bolsonaro, Duterte, Orban, etc).
At the same time, there are major splits in the progressive community:
two different climate justice coalitions, a terrible cleavage in the
left labor movement
<https://aidc.org.za/amandla-81-editorial-take-back-the-unions-for-their-members/>,
ongoing disconnections between community activists fighting similar
battels but without organizational coherence, and other well-known woes
the independent left faces everywhere.
Desperation to change that power balance has led some brave climate
activists to call for international sanctions against Ramaphosa’s
government
<https://www.change.org/p/unfccc-and-ippcc-ch-make-ending-coal-gas-and-oil-investment-a-condition-for-financial-support-to-south-africa-cop27-climatechange-climatereport-frenchembassyza-germanembassysa-usembassysa-ukinsouthafrica-climateza-presidencyza-cyrilramaphosa?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_32365449_en-GB%3A4&recruiter=1252814831&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition>,
reflecting their valid sense that this kind of punishment is what
motivates elites, as demonstrated in 1985 when anti-apartheid sanctions
bit hard. In addition, a wedge may well be driven by the European
Union’s (and other Western) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism climate
tariffs sufficiently deep as to break the bloc of high-carbon emitters
away from the rest of the economy. Responding directly to the Durban
Rain Bomb
<https://cjcm.org.za/media/releases/89532199-89c9-404c-a8a3-158bc7ba05c8/download>,
that movement and Durban-based Oceans Not Oil
<https://oceansnotoil.org/> also opened a case of culpable homicide
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miOwofIElCw> against top government
officials, including Ramaphosa.
Another place to look for optimism is ordinary Durban residents, who are
striving to provide mutual aid (especially the respected emergency
relief group Gift of the Givers
<https://giftofthegivers.org/make-a-difference/banking-details/>) and
toughen their already-vibrant critiques
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTRz0aXmvA0> of local, provincial and
national governments. Over the past half-century, the city’s activists
have often been at the epicenter of such struggles: in 1973 with port
worker organizing that helped seed a national labor movement; in
mid-1980s community-based anti-apartheid resistance; in the late-1990s
“We are the Poors” movement that reignited urban social movements; in
the 2005 rise from the shacklands of the impressive group Abahlali
baseMjondolo (now raising funds
<http://abahlali.org/supporting-abahlali-basemjondolo/> to support flood
victims); and in environmental justice advocacy by the NGO groundWork
<https://groundwork.org.za/> and especially the South Durban Community
Environmental Alliance <https://sdcea.co.za/>.
Working-class residents battered by the rains and flooding, and furious
with the lack of state support in several parts of the city, are already
out protesting
<https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/flood-victims-protest-in-call-for-housing-water-and-electricity-restoration-0c9a7447-dcec-4ff9-9c8b-0dfaff9cae64>
against municipal state failure, mainly by blocking key arterial roads.
Desperate people also broke into shops
<https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/watch-law-enforcement-deployed-to-deal-with-looting-incidents-after-kzn-flooding-cf6ff691-b1b8-48c8-8c72-3a6301f8ba4b>
and shipping containers
<https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/watch-law-enforcement-deployed-to-deal-with-looting-incidents-after-kzn-flooding-cf6ff691-b1b8-48c8-8c72-3a6301f8ba4b>
in search of food, water and anything of value. But while social
psychology is stressed, it did degenerate as far as feared: on the prior
Sunday, April 10, a downtown march by the xenophobic movement (called
Operation Dudula, meaning “to drive back”) was a failure
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-11-operation-dudula-launch-march-in-kzn-a-damp-squib/>,
attracting only a few dozen local participants. Nevertheless, as another
sign of the times
<https://mg.co.za/opinion/2022-04-13-south-africa-is-not-above-political-turmoil/>,
on the same day, former mayor Zandile Gumede was voted by ANC members as
head of the ruling party’s Durban branch, which in recent years was the
single largest in the country, although her ongoing prosecution on
corruption may prevent her from serving. All these political processes
in Durban confirm once again how dynamics remain fluid and difficult to
predict.
They may help the broader society determine, once again, how to fight
oppression with an organizational response, one that transcends
handwringing, meagre reforms and charity, no matter that emergency
relief is needed for hundreds of thousands of people right now. The one
certainty is that the latest Durban Rain Bomb heralds far more profound
climate injustices to come.
/Patrick Bond and Mary Galvin teach at University of Johannesburg, in
sociology and development studies, respectively./
***
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/3077282/police-fire-stun-grenades-at-protesters-affected-by-kzn-floods/
/Citizen/
*Police fire stun grenades at protesters affected by KZN floods*
*/The protesters blocked a main road after being told to leave a school
they were sheltering in/*
Police had to fire stun grenades and tear gas to disperse protesters
blocking the M19 highway in Durban on Thursday.
The protesters were calling for more aid to be sent to them in the
aftermath of the devastating floods across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Some of the protesters were carrying small axes and pangas.
The protesters had blocked the highway by dragging a roadside barrier
across the tarmac.
According to TimesLIVE
<https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-04-14-police-fire-stun-grenades-teargas-at-protesting-flood-victims-in-durban/>,
the community that staged the protest were unhappy that they were asked
to leave a school they were taking shelter in after the floods had
destroyed their homes at the Quarry Road informal settlement.
The protesters allege that the principal of the school asked them to
leave after being told b a local councillor to do so.
*Service delivery after KZN floods*
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala on Thursday said the floods has disrupted
service delivery, including water supply and electricity, in many parts
of the province.
“We are doing everything in our power to return everything to normal
[but] some of this will take a bit of time caused by a force of nature
that we could not control,” Zikalala said.
The premier added that 341 deaths have been recorded so far from the floods.
He added that 55 people were injured while more than 248 schools
<https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/education/3076549/kzn-floods-248-schools-damaged/> have
been damaged.
Zikalala said teams are working on fixing damaged roads in an attempt to
make areas around KZN accessible.
“Bayhead Road, which is completely closed as it has collapse, is a
strategic route for movement of cargo [and] its closure will have a
severe impact on economic activities of the province and the country.
“Trucks are unable to access container terminals. M7 is also
experiencing some failures so there is currently mop-up work to clear
that particular area,” he said.
***
/The Independent/
https://news.yahoo.com/south-african-police-disperse-crowd-103422686.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIwKkYe5nmPVMr4j7_3zONEDfy2fABpXoRLJhf3UwfSPKzQBYv27vgqPoKEewdr3Vq3AAGwE_z5vQ3FeWi2nf1qNimr2kvhZNY0Yp87fnfDl9W3p7LaA55WzBGTLVXJN4l21UX8dEBzzd36NT7cKO7kVXQ7xHjffpXP9koUBDl_9
*South African police disperse crowd demanding more aid after deadly floods*
*Samuel Webb*
Fri, April 15, 2022
Police in South Africa fired stun grenades and teargas at protesters
calling for more aid after devastating floods tore through Durban.
Residents blocked a road with steel barriers after claiming that the
eThekwini municipality had evicted them from a school they had been
using for temporary housing after the floods, according to a report on
South Africa’s /TimesLive /website.
Protesters wielding /panga/ (machetes) chanted songs mocking the police
in a bid to have officials address their concerns, the website reported.
Heavy rains and flooding have claimed the lives of at least 306 people
in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, which includes the
city of Durban.
The death toll is expected to rise given that scores of people,
including whole families, are missing, local officials have said.
On Thursday, the Queen expressed her sympathy
<https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/harry-ap-meghan-elizabeth-ii-windsor-castle-b2058670.html> for
the people of South Africa, saying: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the
tragic loss of life and destruction caused by the recent floods in
KwaZulu-Natal province.
“My thoughts are with all those who have lost their lives, their loved
ones, homes and businesses. The United Kingdom stands in solidarity with
South Africa
<https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/prince-harry-meghan-markle-relationship-b2058618.html> as
you recover from these terrible events.”
The persistent rains have wreaked havoc in the province, destroying
homes, collapsing buildings and washing away major roads.
The damage to Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area is
estimated at $52m (£40m), eThekwini’s mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said.
At least 120 schools have been flooded, causing damage estimated at more
than $26m (£20m) and forcing officials to temporarily close all schools
in the province.
At least 18 students and one teacher from various schools have died in
the floods, education minister Angie Motshekga said.
“This is a catastrophe and the damage is unprecedented. What is even
more worrying is that more rain is expected in the same areas that are
already affected,” Ms Motshekga said in a statement.
***
https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/live-rain-flooding-hit-kwazulu-natal-20220412
<https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/live-rain-flooding-hit-kwazulu-natal-20220412>
*KZN Floods: eThekwini mayor says protests are delaying flood recovery*
eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, has asked for patience
from protesting communities as the City works to restore services.
*Protester: It’s quite sad that the president was in Ntuzuma... I think
there’s a huge damage that has been done here but the president couldn’t
attend to our damage that we have here. *
*eNCA: This has been an ongoing fight for you. I’ve come here before
when there’ve been protests as well. Has government ever offered
residents here an opportunity to live anywhere else?*
*Protester: No it never happened, because what they told us in 2019 it
was also a very sad story, when officials at that time - a deputy mayor
- at that stage she came here and said we have ourselves, we have to
identify the land. How we can identify the land who owns the land? We
don’t have those facilities to do that. Which means they’re just pushing
us away. But what I can say? They have to relocate us here because, you
can see, this is a a disaster area, yeah. This place will be washed away
in a few years to come... This place is totally finished. They have to
relocate us if it’s possible.*
***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXkIWJvcsi0
Protest in Durban after flooding cuts water, power
Apr 14, 2022
Sharjah24 News <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9j7m_ojWQuVlpwq2FxuRuA>
34.3K subscribers
Residents of Bhambayi township in South Africa’s eastern city of Durban
protests against the lack of public services after floods cut water and
electricity. Demonstrators blocked the street with rubble and burning
barricades to demand that city authorities repair damaged infrastructure
that left them without running water or power for days, they say.
***
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2022-04-14-protesters-block-durbans-m19-and-stone-cars-after-being-removed-from-temporary-shelter/
South Africa <https://www.timeslive.co.za/times-live/news/south-africa/>
Protesters block Durban’s M19 and ‘stone cars’ after being removed
from temporary shelter
14 April 2022 - 13:38 By TIMESLIVE
About 100 people from informal settlements around the M19 near Reservoir
Hills took to the streets, burning tyres and allegedly stoning cars in
protest at being removed from a temporary shelter after their homes were
destroyed in the floods.
Image:Supplied
About 100 people from informal settlements around the M19 near Reservoir
Hills, Durban, took to the streets, burning tyres and allegedly stoning
cars in protest against being removed from a temporary shelter after
their homes were destroyed in the floods.
Durban metro police’s senior superintendent Parbhoo Sewpersad said
between 80 to 100 protesters were unhappy about being moved from a
school on Thursday and “started burning the roadway” and stoning passing
motorists.
“They were taken to the school from the informal settlement which
borders the river which had burst its banks as a temporary measure
because of the danger. However, they had to be moved from the school on
Thursday and were due to be housed in a nearby community hall. This made
them angry,” he said.
Sewpersad said they had called the local councillor to intervene and
negotiate with the disgruntled residents.
*TimesLIVE*
*****
https://www.africanews.com/2022/04/14/protesters-in-durban-demand-action-after-flooding-cuts-water-and-power/
<https://www.africanews.com/2022/04/14/protesters-in-durban-demand-action-after-flooding-cuts-water-and-power/>
South Africa floods: Protests over disruptions in electricity and
water supply
Community members of the Quarry road informal settlement block the road
during a protest for water and electricity services, north of Durban -
Copyright © africanews
RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP or licensors
By Rédaction Africanews <https://twitter.com/africanews>
with AFP
Last updated:11 hours ago
South Africa <https://www.africanews.com/country/south-africa/>
Around 100 residents of Bhambayi township in South Africa’s eastern city
of Durban took to the streets to protest against being removed from a
temporary shelter after their homes were destroyed in floods.
Demonstrators blocked the street with rubble and burning barricades to
demand city authorities repair damaged infrastructure that left them
without running water or power for days.
The Residents of the informal settlements around the M19 near Reservoir
Hills had been moved from school acting as a temporary shelter and were
due to be housed in a nearby community hall.
Durban metro police’s senior superintendent Parbhoo Sewpersad said the
local councillor has been called on to intervene and negotiate with the
disgruntled residents.
The anger has spread to communities north of Durban, with protesters in
eThekwini calling for the municipality to speed up the restoration of
services and provide housing.
In neighbouring township Ntuzuma, angry communities frustrated by the
failure of the municipality to quickly restore power and water services
closed roads and were ready to picket.
Protesters are demanding that alternate housing be provided after their
informal dwellings were destroyed on Ramnath Road in Coniston, KZN,
during the downpour on Monday.
Burning tyres are strewn along the southbound lane while debris has been
used to block off the opposite lane.
Flooding in the Durban area has taken over 300 lives and has been
described as a “catastrophe of enormous proportions,” by President Cyril
Ramaphosa.
Thousands of people have been made homeless, roads and bridges swept
away and at least 248 schools have been damaged.
The government has declared a state of disaster in the region and
pledged relief to those affected.
***
https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/flood-victims-protest-in-call-for-housing-water-and-electricity-restoration-0c9a7447-dcec-4ff9-9c8b-0dfaff9cae64
<https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/flood-victims-protest-in-call-for-housing-water-and-electricity-restoration-0c9a7447-dcec-4ff9-9c8b-0dfaff9cae64>
Thobeka Ngema
·
Dailynews <https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews>
· News <https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news>
· Kwazulu Natal <https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal>
Flood victims protest in call for housing, water and electricity
restoration
/Burning tyres are strewn along the southbound lane while debris was
used to block off the opposite lane in Canelands when flood victims
protested. | Facebook/Reaction Unit South Africa/
Published Apr 13, 2022
Durban - Protests spread in communities north of Durban as communities
called for the eThekwini Municipality to speed up the restoration of
services and provide housing.
On Tuesday evening, protest action was reported in KwaMashu.
/Daily News/ senior reporter Sihle Mavuso was in KwaMashu and reported
that the community staged a protest by closing roads with burning tyres.
They wanted the eThekwini Municipality to swiftly restore power
following the floods.
He said sections like G, D, M and K were without power and water since
5am on Monday.
There were also reports of protest action leading into KwaMashu from the
Newlands side on the M21 Road. It was believed to also be because of the
flooding.
Protest action leading into KwaMashu from the Newlands side on the M21
Road, also believed to be due to the flooding. | Facebook
Mavuso also reported that the same situation unfolded in Ntuzuma, a
neighbouring township, where angry communities who were frustrated by
the failure of the municipality to quickly restore power and water
services closed roads and were ready to picket.
In another incident further north, Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa)
spokesperson Prem Balram said flood-affected residents had blocked off
the north and southbound lane of the R102 in the vicinity of Canelands,
Verulam, north of Durban, on Tuesday afternoon.
“Protesters are demanding that alternate housing be provided after their
informal dwellings were destroyed on Ramnath Road in Coniston, KZN,
during the downpour yesterday (Monday). Burning tyres are strewn along
the southbound lane while debris has been used to block off the opposite
lane,” Balram said.
He said Rusa officers, SAPS and metro police were in attendance.
Burning tyres are strewn along the southbound lane while debris was used
to block off the opposite lane in Canelands when flood victims
protested. | Facebook/Reaction Unit South Africa
According to a Facebook post on the eThekwini Secure Facebook group,
there were also reports of protest action in Bellair Road.
About 30 people were putting mattresses across the road.
There were fears that vehicles could be attacked and motorists were
advised not to use the road.
Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said
the metro police public order policing unit responded to public protests.
“They were complaining about housing. They had no housing after the
flash floods, they wanted housing and the municipality accommodated them
in halls,” Sewpersad said.
“They also complained about electricity and also complained about water.”
*Daily News*
*****
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61105463
<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61105463>
Durban flood survivors: South Africans homeless, hurt and heartbroken
*By Shingai Nyoka*
BBC News, Durban
...
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who visited affected areas on Wednesday, says
climate change is to blame, but some communities disagree. They say poor
drainage and building standards have increased the scale of the disaster.
Durban Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda denied that inadequate drainage was to
blame, saying the scale of the flood was unexpected.
Informal settlements like some of those in Ntuzuma are built on a slope
with limited foundations and flimsy dwellings.
The scale of the damage to infrastructure has been vast with electricity
and water supplies hit, although authorities say some of these services
have now been restored.
Rescue missions are being undertaken, with some residents evacuated to
places of safety, but large parts of the KwaZulu-Natal province remain
submerged including highways and roads, so some communities remain
totally cut off.
The coastal city of Durban is where most of the images of cars submerged
in water and flattened properties have come from.
Heavy winds caused some containers, like these, to topple over In an
informal settlement on the banks of the Umgeni River near Durban, there
is despair and frustration.
Police fired stun grenades to disperse one group of protesters.
They said they were living in the informal settlement because the
government had taken too long to build them proper houses.
And after their houses collapsed into the river bed when the ground gave
way, they say the government has not done enough to support them.
The police say there have been similar protests elsewhere in the region.
*****
https://briefly.co.za/south-africa/125516-durban-m19-blocked-protestors-removed-temporary-housing/
<https://briefly.co.za/south-africa/125516-durban-m19-blocked-protestors-removed-temporary-housing/>
*Protestors in KwaZulu-Natal have blocked the M19 in Durban after being
moved from a temporary shelter. *
Image: Darren Stewart & Rajesh Jantilal/Getty Source: Getty Images Durban
Metro Police’s Senior Superintendent Parbhoo Sewpersad said the
residents were due to be moved into a community hall, but the move from
the school angered them. He added that a councillor tried to negotiate
with the protestors, TimesLIVE reported. A video of the protests was
shared on social media: According to The South African, the residents
were initially moved as a temporary measure because of the danger the
banks posed to them.
Social media users react to the protests @Kash786787 said: “Reasons why
the situation is the way it is. 1. Over the years residents in that area
wanted to stay there as they wanted free water from river despite
government efforts to tell them it’s not safe to be there. 2. Certain
ANC officials supported these residents to stay there and forced the
government to build free electricity for them there.”
***
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-11-operation-dudula-launch-march-in-kzn-a-damp-squib/
EXPORTING XENOPHOBIA
Operation Dudula launch march in KZN a damp squib
By Chris Makhaye <https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/chrismakhaye/>
11 Apr 2022 1
Instead of the ‘mother of all marches’, Operation Dudula’s launch in
KwaZulu-Natal was attended by just a few dozen people, many of whom
were bused in from Gauteng.
Operation Dudula organisers had promised a “mother of all marches” in
Durban in the lead-up to Sunday, 10 April 2022. Instead, the crowd was
made up of dozens of people transported in two buses and several taxis
from Gauteng to Durban, with only a handful of people from Durban.
Operation Dudula has been causing chaos in the country, especially in
Gauteng. It started just a few months after the July 2021 riots,
stirring up anti-immigrant rhetoric on social media networks and later
moving to physical campaigns and marches.
Its leader, Nhlanhla “Lux” Dlamini, known as Nhlanhla Lux,was arrested
in March
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-03-25-arrested-operation-dudula-leader-nlhanhla-lux-to-spend-weekend-in-jail-after-raid-on-eff-members-house/>
after he led a march to “root out drug dealers” in Soweto. He appeared
before the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on charges of housebreaking,
theft and malicious damage to property. He wasgranted R1,500 bail
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-03-28-operation-dudula-leader-nhlanhla-lux-granted-bail/>
after spending the weekend in custody.
Lux was not at the Durban march. Police – who outnumbered the marchers
by more than three to one – watched the proceeding with Nyalas, riot
vehicles and other equipment as marchers made their way from the Durban
city centre through the Point area and down to the Point Police Station,
where they handed over their memorandum.
In Mahatma Gandhi Road, police had their hands full when pandemonium
broke out after some people in the surrounding apartment buildings threw
stones, bottles and water bottles on to the marchers. The marchers
threatened to force their way into the apartments, but they were stopped
by police.
‘Fake democracy’
Among the marchers was 43-year-old Durban resident Sbusiso Dlamini, who
said he had recently joined Operation Dudula. He said he was attracted
by its actions, especially its demand that the government implement
immigration policies that it said would see many undocumented foreign
nationals leave South Africa.
“Here in Point, drugs are peddled day and night, prostitution and human
trafficking is the order of the day, yet nobody is arrested,” he said.
Joan Mbhele, a 67-year-old marcher, said she had travelled by bus from
Soweto to support the march. She is an executive member of Put South
Africans First, which is in an alliance with Operation Dudula and other
like-minded organisations.
She claimed that South Africa’s townships, hospitals and job market were
being “swarmed” by undocumented foreign nationals.
“This is fake democracy, which puts the lives and wellbeing of foreign
nationals ahead of South Africans. We live in the township, where locals
cannot do anything. Every opportunity is grabbed by foreign nationals.
Most of them are undocumented and when they commit crime, they run away
to other areas and they cannot be traced or detected,” she said.
Closed for the march
Many of the shops and businesses owned by immigrants near the Point area
were closed for most of the morning ahead of the march. During the
march, scores of Point residents – locals and migrants – stood in the
street, watching as military-attired marchers made their way past.
Billal Ahmed, a Pakistani national who manages a chicken restaurant in
the area, said they had been warned to close their shops.
“We were told that vigilantes are coming,” he said. “We will open again
after the march.”
Clothing shops near the Durban beachfront were also closed. A Senegalese
man who runs a small shop said he had also been warned to steer clear of
the business. He asked not to be named for fear of being targeted.
“We hear that it is a march by South Africans who are claiming that
foreigners are criminals, drug dealers. But here, we don’t sell any
drugs. We are making a legitimate living,” he said.
Marchers made their way to the Point police station, singing, dancing
and chanting anti-immigrant slogans. They handed over a memorandum with
a list of demands that was received by the police and Home Affairs
officials.
Andrew Dikobo, a Home Affairs official, accepted the memorandum on
behalf of the minister and said he would pass it on.
Brigadier Nelly Ngubane, commissioner of the Point Police Station,
denied that officers from her station received bribes from drug
traffickers and other criminals to turn a blind eye to acts of
criminality in the area.
Zandile Dabula, Operation Dudula’s general secretary, said: “We have
many demands … We are calling on the President and the minister of
employment and labour to prioritise South Africans for job and economic
opportunities as per the Immigration Act and section 8 of the Employment
Services Act.”
She said there will be many other Operation Dudula activities in
KwaZulu-Natal. “Every [KZN] town and township must have an Operation
Dudula branch. We are saying it is important for every township to
determine its own agenda and priorities.” *DM*
***
*Extinction Rebellion Gauteng statement*
*It’s April, 2022. The death count from the rain bomb that hit Durban at
the weekend is over 300 and rising. *
We are in a climate emergency. Even conservative scientific bodies like
the International Panel on Climate Change are sounding the alarm.
The United Nations General Secretary, Antony Gutteres, is calling this a
‘Code Red for humanity.’ For some time now, even Pope Francis has been
saying we need to fundamentally change the economic system because it
has led us to this point.
This is why last week, 100s of scientists took direct action outside oil
companies and the banks that fund them – many were arrested.
These are not radicals. As Guterres points out, the radicals are the
oil, gas and coal companies and the politicians that support them. Every
day that they continue to pump GHGs into the atmosphere, they are
putting the lives of millions on a precipice. And the region we live in
is one of the most vulnerable.
It’s not logical to do nothing as social and climate breakdown unfolds
all around us.
This Earth Day, Extinction Rebellion Gauteng and our allies will be
heading to Standard Bank in Rosebank to protest their support for the
biggest oil project in the world – the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
While KZN suffers the worst climate shock in memory, banks like Standard
Bank continue to pursue a fossil fuel driven agenda which sees them
supporting the EACOP. Finance for the world’s largest crude oil pipeline
must be cut and as civil society, we intend to make Standard Bank answer
by gathering at their offices on the 22nd.
We simply cannot afford the social, ecological and climate impacts of
this pipeline.
#KeepItInTheGround
#ClimateAction
#StopEACOP
***
PRESSALERT
15APRIL2022
GIWUSA condemns government and carbon pollutersforcausingtheclimate
crisisthatkilledhundredsinKZN
Hundreds of people – mostly black and working-class – are dead, and
billions of rands damage was donethis week, as a result of simple
failures of climate adaptation in Durban and surrounding municipalities.
As aunion with nearly 10% of our members working hard in the country’s
third-largest city, we are aggrieved anddemandtransformativechange.
How can this calamity have happened? The Durban municipality is praised
for climate change adaptation,and its Climate Action Report is
advertised as the first in Africa by any city. South Africa’s
nationalgovernment and electricity company Eskom were seen in such a
favourable light at the Glasgow UN ClimateSummit in 2021 – a decade
after Durban hosted the same event – that R131 billion in “concessional
finance”(unspecified)wascommitted.
But the truth is out for all to see. The city, provincial and national
governments have not only been climateslackers but also corrupt in too
many areas of service delivery. That means we cannot rely upon our state
tocarry out simple tasks - such as supporting residents with decent
housing, stormwater drainage maintenanceand emergency response systems,
including access to helicopters which could have saved some of
thosewhootherwiseperished.
For more than two decades, municipal leadership in Durban and across KZN
have ignored the crucial needto build state capacity in construction and
civil engineering, and to hire more public works employees – notas
outsourcedbutasinsourcedlabour–soas
tolowerunemploymentandclimate-proofourcity.
As Covid-19 hit and jobs were wiped out – more than 100 000 in Durban
alone – this is where a Build BackBetterstrategywasurgentlyneeded.
Butbetweenthecity’spost-apartheidmayors (ObedMlaba1996–2011,James
Nxumalo 2011–2016, Zandile Gumede 2016–2019, and Mxolisi Kaunda since
2019), there has beenminimalconsciousnessandcaring.
Theclosestwehaveseentorealdelivery
wasofmorethan20000RDPhousesbuiltduringthelate2000s,but on closer
inspection it appears that many of these were so poorly constructed that
they fell apart undertorrential rain pressure this week. Contractors
like Shaun Mpisane and Jay Singh had gone unpunished
forbuildingmostoftheskorokoro-typehousing,becausetheyweremajorcontributorstoruling-partycoffers.
Instead, the city put its money into vanity projects like the R4.3
billion Moses Mabhida Stadium which wasbarely used for the soccer World
Cup in 2010 - or since - and which costs tens of millions of rands in
upkeepeach year. The stadium across the street used for rugby could
easily have been renovated for soccer, by allaccounts.
Also in 2010, a network of city, provincial and national elites built an
unnecessary new airport in La Mercy,40km north of the city, costing more
than R6 billion. Irrationally, it shifted economic activity and elite
housingtothenorthcoast,resegregatingDurbanbyclass.
The belief that Durban’s deindustrialising economy would be saved by
international sports tourism, no matterhow neo-colonial (remember Sepp
Blatter), permeated the city’s investment plans. So even more
subsidieshaveflowedtotrydressingupUmhlangaRocks,theGoldenMilebeachfrontandthePoint.
We appreciate working-class access to the promenade and North Beach,
because they are the mostdemocratic spaces in the country, used by
residents from all walks of life, including our members.
Butsomewherealongtheway,themunicipalpoliticians,citybureaucratsandleadingbusinesseslosttheplot.
With Transnet, they entertained fantasies of spending R250 billion on
the South Durban airport-to-portconversion, a non-starter opposed by
local community activists. The petro-chemical industry was
nevermodernised, as proven when the two oil refineries – Engen and
Shell/BP (Sapref) – closing over the last 15months because their owners
didn’t want to repair or upgrade them to 21st century standards. We join
localactivists in demanding a “detox” of that area and urgent conversion
of the higher elevations at the old
airportsiteintoaffordablehousingandlabour-intensiveeconomicactivity.
Butitis thattypeofANC money-grubbingmentality
thatweseeascausingthelossoflifeandstormdamage. We agree with many in the
labour movement and communities that the primary strategy must be
toreplace the ANC regime – which only got 42% of Durban voters’ support
last November – with a genuinepeople’s government. Last Sunday, by
electing as chair of the ANC in Durban the controversial former
mayorZandile Gumede – who in 2019 was arrested and charged with 2000
acts of corruption – the party’sdelegateshaveputthenail intheparty’scoffin.
Gumede was exemplary only in Durban Solid Waste procurement fraud and
municipal greenwashing. AftertheGlebelandHostels
roofblewoffinOctober2017(inthefirstofthethreeRainBombstohitsincethe1987flood),
she ignored it. Then in April 2019 when a record 168 millimeters fell on
Durban in one day, killing 64municipalresidents,
shefailedtoensurecompensationtothosewhosufferedmunicipaladaptationfailure.
Only R90 million was delivered for housing relief in mid-2019, though
the city’s own estimate was R663million in damage to human settlements.
Gumede’s crucial leadership of Durban in the late 2010s during
twoRainBombssetthetoneforthisweek’sfailures.
The problems precede her rule, and include a devious World Bank scheme
at Bisasar Road landfill meant to“privatise the air” by burning methane
from organic waste in Swiss-sourced turbines. By all accounts it was
afailure, but allowed former Mayor Obed Mlaba (who served 1996-2011) to
move in with a get-rich-quick ofincinerating the waste, a terrible
environmental process. His other mistake was in hijacking a R3
billiontender by another entrepreneur, for which he should have been
prosecuted but merely had to flee
hissubsequentjob–asSAHighCommissionertoBritain–inshamein2017.
Mlaba oversaw the 2011 Durban hosting of the United Nations COP17
climate summit, one where protesterswere illegally suppressed –
requiring courts to overturn City Manager Mike Sutcliffe’s banning - and
that wasdeclared to be a “significant success for the United States,” as
WikiLeaks records from Hillary Clinton’semails
show:_https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/24887_
But it was also a success for the high-polluting companies from the West
– or for that matter China or South Africa – which were allowed, over
the past decade, to destroy our planet, quite possibly beyond hope of
repair. Thinking absolutely nothing of poor people, Africans and future
generations, the firms sought to maximise profit or in some cases to
expand parastatal corporate reach, or in the case of the top 10% of the
world’s citizens who over-pollute, continue their addiction to an
unsustainable lifestyle.
All the while, the politicians and bureaucrats in Durban ignored
imminent threats, even when in 2017 more than 100mm of rain fell, or in
2019 168mm fell, in each case doing massive damage and killing innocent
residents. The city’s mafia-like construction companies and corrupt
politicians and officials have spent this period building crummy houses
that quickly fall apart, failing to undergird homes with strong
foundations, choosing untenable hillsides for housing placement, and
diverting funds – but as the Mpisane and Singh empires showed, no matter
how corrupt, the municipality would always give them new contracts.To
add insult to injury, Gumede won vice-chair status of U.S. media baron
Michael Bloomberg’s “C40 CitiesClimate Leadership” network just as
widely-rumoured procurement-scam charges were being prepared. Andthen a
WWF “One Planet City Challenge” gave her a 2018 award as “a leader in
climate action” thanks toDurban’s combination of “ambitious targets and
focused action with community development initiatives.”These irrational
mainstream climate recognitions reflect how out of touch the global
climate elite are, withwhatwashappeninginDurban.
Nationally,
wearealsodisgustedwithpoliticalelites,becausePresidentCyrilRamaphosacametoDurbanthis
week where he postured: “This disaster is part of climate change. It is
telling us that climate change isserious, it is here. We no longer can
postpone what we need to do, and the measures we need to take todeal
withclimatechange.”
But Ramaphosa had spent the early 2010s getting rich from coal mining.
He was deputy chair of the NationalDevelopment Plan which was committed
to “opening up the Waterberg for coal mining (and) a new heavy-haul rail
corridor to the Waterberg coal field (with expanded) export capacity in
the line to Richards Bay.” TheNDP also aimed to find “coal seam and
shale gas reserves” so “gas-to-power projects should be
fast-tracked(and) incorporate a greater share of gas in the energy mix,
both through importing liquefied natural gas and
ifreservesprovecommercial,usingshalegas.”
This is the trajectory that led to highly-controversial marine seismic
blasting and much greater reliance onfossil fuels in the energy sector’s
Integrated Resource Plans. Ramaphosa’s fossil addiction also pulled
usinto the Mozambican “Blood Methane” conflict with Islamic insurgents,
where our SANDF troops
aredefendingTotal,ExxonMobilandChinaNationalPetroleumCorporationinahellishwarzone.
We therefore reject Ramaphosa’s NDP and the Eskom “Just Energy
Transition” for which 44% of funding
willgotomethanegaseventhoughitisafarmoredamaginggreenhousegasthanCO2.
The South African working class is desperate, due to the state’s
economic mismanagement and the capitalistinvestment strike. We need
immediate emergency relief in KZN’s disaster zone. But beyond that we
needchanges inthestructureofpowerandinpublicpolicy.
We demand a serious Just Transition that will mean many more jobs for so
many of our members and for a society whose livelihoods must decarbonise
even more rapidly than the economy as a whole. To repair the damage done
and rebuild Durban so it can withstand extreme weather will cost
billions – and it is vital we embark upon this task with maximum
commitment to permanent job creation, especially within the state so
that the era of procurement scandals, outsourcing and corrupt Public
Private Partnerships comes to a decisive end.And although we are firmly
convinced that the South African ruling class and ruling party will
reject thisstrategy, our members stand by in Durban and across the
country to make a genuine Just Transitionhappen. We need to be able to
tell future generations that the destructive mayhem of the
climatecatastrophe, the ruling party’s degeneration, the state’s
repeated failures, and the capitalist system’s
lethalthreattousall,canbereplacedbyeco-socialism.
Let's emphasise the need to build a powerful working class led, mass
climate Justice movement to takeseize political and economic
power-through a nationalisation of the commanding heights of the
economyinto a democratic public ownership, control and management to
develop the organise the industry to meetthe needs of the working class
people for jobs, housing, quality public education and health services,
in amore ecologically sustainable basis based onrenewable energy
especially abundant solar and wind powerand vast reserves of minerals
that can be beneficiated to equip generation, transmission and
distribution ofthis energytoall.
IssuedbyGIWUSA.Forfurtherinformation,contact:
*GIWUSA*
JohnAppolisMametlweSebei
GIWUSAGeneralSecretaryGIWUSAPresident
07162359960813680706
***
*groundWork statement*
Dear Friends
**We doing an urgent and special reach out to our partners and funders
we work with to consider urgent needed support to our partner
organisation Abahlali baseMjondolo, whose members were heavily affected
by the Durban floods this week
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-04-12-death-toll-mounts-as-kzn-sinks-beneath-torrential-rains-floods-amid-decimated-infrastructure/>.
This was our second major flood in four years, the last was in 2019
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTSweCmwJ3Q>. This week's
floods devastated shack settlements throughout Durban and KwaZulu Natal
where Abahlali works with people challenging for better homes and
services. This is climate change impacting on us now. Mitigation is
important but loss and damage and adaptation is critical. This is
climate injustice. This is why climate change is about people and the
services that they need to be resilient against the devastation that is
coming with climate change and it is about the here and now.
We call on you to urgently support Abahlali.
I have copied in S’Bu Zikode who is the President of Abahlali.
Please respond to S’Bu directly.
Abahlali’s Bank Account details:
Account name: Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA
Account holder address: 13-16 Diakonia Conference Centre, 20 Diakonia
Avenue, Durban, 4000,
Bank name: First National Bank (FNB)
Bank address: Queen Street, Durban,
Account number: 62786238230
IBAN/SWIFT CODE: FIRNZAJJ
Currency: SA Rand
In Solidarity,
Bobby
***
https://abahlali.org/node/17478/#more-17478
The floods have affected the poorest of the poor the most
12 April 2022
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
*The floods have affected the poorest of the poor the most*
Every disaster in Durban – from the hard lockdown to the riots, fires
and floods – hits the poor the hardest. Natural disasters become
entwined with political disasters, often resulting in devastation for
the poor.
Since 2005 we have been saying that the conditions under which we are
forced to live in a repressive society are dangerous as well as undignified.
The floods in KwaZulu-Natal have devastated many shack settlements, and
some rural areas too. Some people were rescued as the rivers burst their
banks but many lives have been lost.
The number of people who have lost their lives has yet to be confirmed
but our members witnessed people, including at least two babies, being
taken by the water and many people are missing.
Huge numbers of people have lost their homes and all their possessions
and are now entirely destitute. People living near rivers were worst
affected. The communal garden at the eKhenana Occupation has been hit
hard. Many people have been unable to go to work.
As we speak emergency services are rescuing people who have been affected
by these heavy rains. We salute all the men and women who undertake this
dangerous work in the interests of society.
However across our branches people are bitterly disappointed by the lack
of support from the eThekwini Municipality. The ANC in Durban are happy
to elect gangster politicians, to rob the state and murder activists but
they seem to have no interest in supporting the most vulnerable people
in this time of disaster.
The focus is on support for business rather than on the poor and working
class. The ANC does not care about the poor. All they do is to steal
from the poor and then murder our leaders when we stand up for truth,
justice and dignity.
We have no one but ourselves as we rebuild our lives. All our
settlements are affected but the most affected at the moment are
eNkanini, Cato Crest, eKhenana, Ekukhanyeni, Zamokuhle, Foreman Road,
Kennedy Road, Briardene, eKuphumeleleni, KwaMamsuthu, Lindelani,
Barcelona2 and eKhenana. In all these settlements people’s homes were
washed away.
We are calling for progressive organisations to assist those who are
affected at this time when politicians are only interested in tenders
and t factional battles. We urgently need food, clothing, school
uniforms and building materials and blankets.
This is moment in which we all need to stand together in solidarity. We
need to build structures of solidarity and support across the city. We
need what S’bu Zikode calls true leadership, leadership with real
integrity, leadership committed to the safety, dignity and flourishing
of all people everywhere.
In this crisis no one can be left behind.
When the waters have subsided we need to pick up the conversation about
land and housing with much more urgency. We cannot continue to move from
one disaster to the next while remaining in such undignified and
dangerous conditions.
Contacts:
Thapelo Mohapi 074 774 4219
Mqapheli Bonono 073 067 3274
Busisiwe Diko 065 913 6881
Snenhlanhla Mncanyana 073 832 3331
***
*NUMSA SENDS CONDOLENCES TO THOSE WHO LOST LOVED ONES DURING THE KZN FLOODS*
15 April 2022
Press Alert
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) sends its
deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost loved
ones in the terrible floods that overtook parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal this
week. So far 306 people have lost their lives and it seems the death
toll will continue to grow. This is truly a heartbreaking and
devastating disaster, and the most affected by this tragedy are the poor
and the working class. People are unaccounted for and family members are
missing. Areas like Claremont, Molweni, Umlazi, KwaMashu, Inanda and
many others have been affected by landslides and sinkholes caused by
heavy rains and floods. This is truly a humanitarian crisis on a scale
that we have not seen in recent times.
The working class and the poor have been enduring shocking living
conditions. This is not the first time heavy rains resulted in deaths.
In 2019, 85 people died because heavy rainfall caused floods in parts of
KZN during Easter and we can expect the situation to continue to worsen
if it is not dealt with decisively. Many people are forced to build
their homes on riverbanks because they are poor and cannot afford land
or housing. People are desperate and they occupy land along the river
bank because of this government’s failure to provide land and decent
housing.
We also send our thoughts and prayers to our comrades from the landless
peoples’ movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo, (ABM). They have requested
progressive organizations to assist with food, clothing, school uniforms
and building materials and blankets. Hundreds of their members lost
their homes and their belongings. We support the demands made by, ABM
who are calling for government to allocate decent land so that people
can be moved away from riverbanks. Land must be made available for the
poor and marginalized and they must be allowed to build proper housing.
There are calls for members of the public to assist with relief efforts,
especially the provision of water, food and clothes. We urge NUMSA
members to join in the relief efforts to help during this difficult time.
The SABC is reporting that as a result of the impact of the floods, a
few shops have been looted because people are hungry and desperate. Last
year in July we experienced unrest triggered by food riots and crippling
poverty of the masses in the very same province.
NUMSA believes that as long as the working class majority does not own
land, and does not own the commanding heights of the economy these
natural disasters will always have devastating consequences for us. If
we want a permanent solution to the crisis, of crippling poverty and
unemployment, we need to drive a radical agenda for our benefit. This is
why we continue to demand the nationalisation of all the commanding
heights of the economy and for all minerals to be nationalized so they
can be placed under the control of a progressive working class
government. This is a government that drives an agenda for the working
class. We want the wealth of country to be owned by the people and the
benefits thereof must be used to improve the lives of people, such as
providing free quality healthcare and education. It must also be used to
allocate land so that decent housing can be built and we can put an end
to informal settlements and shack dwelling. The working class are the
creators of wealth. They deserve to live in decent homes, and they
deserve an improved quality of life.
These changes cannot happen under the failed framework of ANC economic
policies of the National Development Plan. Capitalism as a system has
never succeeded in dealing decisively with inequality. It is a system
designed to benefit the few who are very wealthy at the expense of the
majority of people. We cannot expect that Capitalism will ever succeed
in changing the lives of the majority of people, that is just not
possible. NUMSA remains committed to this struggle. It is only when the
working class is in charge and is driving its own agenda, that we will
see genuine change in the quality of life for the majority of people.
Until then, the masses will continue to suffer under a system which was
not made to benefit them.
Aluta continua!
The struggle continues!
Issued on behalf of NUMSA by Irvin Jim
NUMSA General Secretary
For more information, please contact:
Phakamile Hlubi-Majola
NUMSA National Spokesperson
0833767725
phakamileh at numsa.org.za
NUMSA Head Office number: 0116891700
NUMSA Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial
NUMSA Twitter account: @Numsa_Media
NUMSA Website: https://numsa.org.za/
***
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/15/s-africa-climate-justice-orgs-file-criminal-complaints-agai-govt
Climate justice coalition file criminal complaint against South Africa
/In recent years, the weather patterns in South Africa’s coastal
regions, including the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal, have become
increasingly erratic and unpredictable./
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses a news conference
after the G20 Compact with Africa conference at the Chancellery in
Berlin, Germany August 27, 2021 [File: Tobias Schwarz/Pool via Reuters]
By Thabi Myeni
<https://www.aljazeera.com/author/thabi_myeni_200619162404301>
Published On 15 Apr 202215 Apr 2022*
*
*
*
*Johannesburg, South Africa* – A group of climate change organisations
have filed criminal complaints against the South African President Cyril
Ramaphosa, and a number of prominent cabinet ministers, accusing the
government officials of “unlawful negligence” by failing to take
“practical action to address the climate crisis.”
The move comes as nearly 400 people have been reported dead in KwaZulu
Natal province, where a subtropical storm, Issa, also destroyed
buildings, highways and infrastructure.
In documents submitted to the South African Police Services on Thursday,
the Climate Justice Charter Movement (CJCM) wants the government to be
found guilty of “culpable homicide” for its acts of omission to “prevent
further emissions and to protect the vulnerable from increased
inequality and poverty.”
CJCM, a coalition of several climate change activists and lobby groups
from across the country, is arguing that the South African government is
directly responsible for the deaths in KwaZulu Natal.
“We filed a criminal complaint in order to test the strength of our
criminal justice system and our democracy,” said Vishwas Satgar, the
board chairperson of Co-operative and Policy Alternative Centre, a
member of the CJCM alliance. “It is the cheaper route than a civil case,
and we have galvanised support from legal persons all over the country
who agree that it is time to link the climate crisis to the rule of the
justice system.”
The provincial government estimates that the damage amounts to billions,
and has declared a State of Disaster
<https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/kzn-floods-declared-provincial-disaster>,
in order “to release funding to flood-affected communities”.
While visiting affected families in the flood-stricken region on
Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa blamed the heavy rainfall on the
climate crisis, and said, “We can no longer postpone what we need to do,
and the measures we need to take in order to deal with climate change.”
In November 2021, he secured a historic $8.5bn pledge
<https://www.thepresidency.gov.za/press-statements/south-africa-establishes-historic-international-partnership-support-just-transition#:~:text=President%20Cyril%20Ramaphosa%20has%20today,and%20a%20climate%20resilient%20society> at
the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) from the
governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and others
to support South Africa’s transition to a low carbon economy.
But CJCM is saying that the government has been all talk and little
action for almost three decades and “is fully aware of the urgency
around the climate crisis but it is failing to take any action”.
Satgar insisted that the government has made little effort in fashioning
a practical response to the climate crisis since the COP26 development
and has no climate change strategy and “There is no concrete legislation
being introduced,” he told Al Jazeera. “In this context, South Africa
will continue to be vulnerable to the effects of climate change.”
During the years, the weather patterns in South Africa’s coastal
regions, including the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal, have become
increasingly erratic and unpredictable.
In 2019, both regions experienced severe droughts
<https://www.gov.za/speeches/response-drought-3-dec-2019-0000> that
destroyed crop farms. In the same year, floods killed
<https://www.gov.za/speeches/government-sends-condolences-kwazulu-natal-flood-victims-23-apr-2019-0000>
more than 80 people in the same regions. This January, another
devastating storm hit KwaZulu Natal
<https://www.kzncogta.gov.za/kzn-disaster-management-teams-evacuate-residents-after-flooding-in-msinga-and-ladysmith/> killing
25 people.
According to the climate change coalition, they have made many
unsuccessful attempts since 2018 to engage with the South African
government about the urgency of climate change action.
“The government has known about the urgency of building climate
resilience in infrastructure and centralising the climate emergency for
decades and has done very little about it,” said Janet Solomon, an
activist with Oceans Not Oil, a member of the coalition.
“By charging the government with culpable homicide, we’re saying this
disaster is an issue of maladministration and criminal negligence.
People are dying,” she added.
In a statement sent to Al Jazeera, the premier of KwaZulu Natal, Sihle
Zikalala, who is also named in the documents, did not respond to
specific questions about the filed complaints.
But he said “Both the timing and the severity of the flood disaster
clearly suggest that we live in times of ecological imbalance linked to
climate change and environmental degradation.”
Zikalala added that the government was “working hard to mitigate the
impact”.
Source: Al Jazeera
***
(/"We call on climate justice activists across the country to lay
criminal charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Energy
and Mineral Resources Gwede Mantshe, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and
the Environment Barbara Creecy, Mohammed Valli Moosa who is the deputy
chair of the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), KZN Premier Sihle
Zikala and Ethekwini Metro City Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, for culpable
homicide/.")
*Climate Justice Charter Movement*
https://cjcm.org.za/media/releases/89532199-89c9-404c-a8a3-158bc7ba05c8/download
*Press statement: *
*Attention: SAPS Station Commanders *
*Shamila Batohi, National Prosecuting Head *
*Climate Shocks, Flooding in KZN and the Loss of Innocent Lives *
*This is Not a Natural Disaster! *
*We are Charging the President, Ministers, Deputy Chairperson of the
Presidential Climate Commission, Premier of KZN and Mayor of Ethekwini
Metro with Culpable Homicide *
The South African government has failed to take the climate crisis
seriously and it must be held accountable for its dereliction of duty.
The South African government has been part of the UN-COP and
International Panel on Climate Change process since the early 1990s.
Almost three decades later, not much has happened to protect South
Africa from the worsening climate crisis. As a signatory to IPPC
reports, the South African government signed off on the 2021 report /The
Physical Science Basis of Climate Change /which affirms we are living in
a world of climate extremes and urgent action is needed. The South
African government also signed off on two reports released this year
(AR6 Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability in
February 2022 and the Mitigation of Climate Change Report released in
April 2022) which confirm the need for urgent climate emergency action.
Yet the government has stood by.
There is a clear pattern of destructive and extreme weather patterns in
KZN as a result of the climate crisis. La Nina induced droughts from
2014-to 2016 decimated livestock and crop farming across the province,
leaving many subsistence farmers without food. In 2019 devastating
floods and mudslides killed over 80 people including a 6-month-old baby,
a tornado also had devastating impacts in the province and late last
year and at the beginning of 2022, the province witnessed another
devastating flood that caused severe destruction in towns such as
Ladysmith which lead to a state of disaster.
The current ‘flash flood’ has tragically claimed the lives so far of 259
people including children, old people and shack dwellers. There are
expectations that the death toll will go up given that many persons have
still not been accounted for. This is worse than the Life Esidemeni
tragedy in which 144 innocent people lost their lives because of
negligent and unlawful government action. Our heartfelt condolences go
out to all the families and loved ones of those taken away by the flood.
However, we are not dealing with a ‘natural disaster’ which could not be
foreseen, given the urgencies and concerns raised by climate science and
lived experience. If the South African government took its Paris Climate
commitments seriously, heeded climate science and appreciated the
pattern of extreme climate impacts in everyday life, the country would
have been on a climate emergency footing a long time ago. We need
climate justice for the victims of failed government leadership. The
harms of this flood are the result of an uncaring, rotten, corrupt and
failing government, at the national, provincial and local government
levels. Instead of looting, mismanagement and fomenting violence, the
ANC in power in KZN should have been using public money to upgrade
infrastructure, provide homes, provide a lead in mitigation, adaptation
and ultimately the deep just transition. Instead, it has brought great
harm to the people.
There is also a history of the ANC government not listening to the
climate justice movement and the warnings we have been giving about the
worsening climate crisis.
*In October 2018*, together with over 60 allies, we called for an
emergency sitting of parliament to deliberate on the significance of a
1.5C report of the UN-IPPC particularly what this would mean for
vulnerabilities the country will face and the implications this has for
climate policies. *The government ignored us*. *In April 2019 *after the
devastating floods in KZN, we called on the government to declare a
climate emergency and develop a just transition plan for South Africa
and address the multiple shocks that climate science warned are going to
get worse. *Again, the government ignored us*. *In 2020 *we called on
the government to adopt the Climate Justice Charter , endorsed by 261
organisations, and to put the entire country on a climate emergency
footing to deal with the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. We
shared a Climate Science Document prepared by South Africa’s leading
climate scientists on the dangerous climate future we face and the need
for action. We also shared a memorandum from communities with parliament
wanting an end to hunger, thirst, pollution and climate harm. *We have
been ignored. *We reiterated this call in 2021 when we gathered outside
our parliament on 9 November 2021. *We were ignored again*. The ANC
government refused to listen and South Africa does not have a just
transition plan, it does not have a mitigation strategy to stop more
coal, oil and gas extraction and use. In fact, it wants to do the
opposite. Nor does it have an adaptation plan to deal with multiple
climate crisis shocks. Mere disaster relief measures are just piece-meal
and reactive, they will not work, the country needs to be on a climate
emergency footing.
Instead of taking the climate crisis seriously and despite being aware
of climate science, this government has pursued more gas, coal and oil
investments. It is also wanting to invest in expensive and dangerous
nuclear power. The ANC government pursued the gas amendment bill and the
upstream petroleum development bill while neglecting to fulfil its bare
minimal commitments to the Paris Climate Accord. In this context, the
Presidential Climate Commission has been failing to address the real
issue of a deep and just transition. It is just a smokescreen while the
government continues on its destructive and ecocidal path. It is clear
that unless we force the government to act, nothing will get done and
innocent lives will continue to be lost.
We, therefore, call on climate justice activists across the country to
lay criminal charges against President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of
Energy and Mineral Resources Gwede Mantshe, Minister of Fisheries,
Forestry and the Environment Barbara Creecy, Mohammed Valli Moosa who is
the deputy chair of the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), KZN
Premier Sihle Zikala and Ethekwini Metro City Mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, for
culpable homicide related to those that have been killed during the
flood. Culpable Homicide is the unlawful and negligent killing of
another human being. We have a government that is breaking its own laws,
commitments to the Paris Agreement and the constitution as it relates to
our rights to a safe environment. We have a moral and constitutional
duty to hold our leaders to account, in this regard we must not fail.
We want all climate justice activists and allies to go to police
stations tomorrow, 14th April, at 11am.
Charles Simane and Awande Buthelezi will be leading CJC M activists –
Johannesburg Central Police Station, 1 Commissioner St, Ferreiras Dorp,
Johannesburg.
Janet Solomon will be leading #OceanNotOil and CJC M activists -
Mayville SAPS - 145 Jan Smuts Highway.
We also demand a meeting with Shamila Batohi to discuss these charges.
*Ends *
*For further information, contact: *
Awande Buthelezi, COPAC organiser, SAFSC and CJCM activist, 079 613 8191
Charles Simane, COPAC researcher and organiser, SAFSC activist and CJCM
activist, 073 284 1126
Jane Cherry, COPAC Executive Manager, SAFSC activist and CJCM activist,
084 236 3649
Janet Solomon, #OceansNotOil and CJCM activist, 083 789 1067
Vishwas Satgar, COPAC board chairperson, SAFSC and CJCM activist, 082
775 3420
***
*The impact of changing weather patterns*
Apr 12, 2022
Newzroom Afrika <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQMML3hAsx-Mz9j9ZN0tThQ>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTRz0aXmvA0
KwaZulu-Natal has been badly affected in the past few years by heavy
rains and floods. Often, it is the poorest and the most vulnerable who
are most affected by the impacts of climate change. To speak to us on
the impact of the changing weather patterns, we are joined by Desmond
D’sa of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance.
Steven Grootes (SG): As you know, badly affected in the last few years
by heavy rains and floods, often the poorest and most vulnerable or most
affected by the impact of climate change. We’re joined now, about the
impact of changing weather patterns, by Desmond D’Sa from the South
Durban Community Environmental Alliance. Desmond, good afternoon to you.
You’ve suggested that this flooding is directly the result of climate
change. Why do you believe that?
Desmond D’Sa (DD): Well you know, it’s happening all over the world.
It’s happened quite a number of years now. And this is a reminder that
we have been talking to government. In 2019 we had that huge flood and,
continuously, government has said that they’re able to manage. They can
adapt to the changing climate and they will have the necessary resources
to deal with the problem. Clearly they don’t have it.
And climate change is getting worse, as we have seen with this flood
that has taken place for over a number of days. I mean we’ve been
driving around the communities and you know clearly that the stormwater
drains have not been maintained over a number of years. But more
importantly is that they’ve got no plan. There is no plan to go and
inform people.
People are still hanging on roofs as of today, as I talk to you. People
are still hanging on roofs. They’re unable to be rescued. Government
hasn’t got a plan. All the roads are blocked. Policemen are just on the
main roads and the main freeways, but they are doing nothing there
besides shining their lights. It’s not as if the police are out there
removing or evacuating people. A lot of people have lost their lives.
We must be able to hold the government accountable for not acting in our
interest. And when President Ramaphosa was elected, he came to Durban
after the huge flood we had here in the province [in April 2019]. And he
came here, where 70 people died. And he made a commitment that he will
ensure that the disaster management plan works for all the people.
But we see now with this flood that the disaster management plan does
not work for anyone. That’s because there’s a lack of government in the
city and in the province.
SG: I mean, to have a disaster management plan to be able to manage a
disaster requires a huge amount of resources. Do you really believe that
KwaZulu-Natal and the City of eThekwini have those resources?
DD: They don’t have. Most of the money over the years has been has been
shifted to other sexy projects such as big events. And they’ve moved the
money away from the major infrastructure projects where they could have
resolved a lot of the issues. That is the problem.
The problem is that the budgets that were allocated for these major
projects to ensure that disasters of this nature will be dealt with, and
don’t impact on the society as a whole – we’ve seen now once again that
in a disaster of this nature, they don’t have the resources, the fire
brigade, the fire officers in Durban are under-resourced. We’ve seen
that with huge explosions and fires that have occurred during the
looting [of July 2021].
They don’t have the necessary equipment and we’ve seen with the impact
of this flooding, and all that’s taking place throughout the city, that
there’s definitely no resources for the police, for all the security
services, for all the major infrastructure departments such as water,
sanitation and all that there. We just don’t have it.
SG: So you talk about climate change. You’ve suggested in the past that
government has failed people. You refer to what President Ramaphosa
said, that the refinery of course is in Durban. It may have played a
role in climate change. The problem is that for all societies and
particularly ours – which is generally a poor society – to try and move
away from petrol-driven cars, to try and move away from coal-fired power
stations, is a process. It’s not a quick process, you can’t just do it
like that. What that means is that we have a situation where you make
demands of government, dismantling [fossil fuel infrastructure]. I’ve
spoken to you about them before. I have no argument with what you say,
but it can’t be done quickly.
DD: Now, we understand that. That is why there has to be a Just
Transition away from fossil fuel. There has to be investment.
Government is getting – after the Glasgow agreement announcements about
the U.S. and Europeans and the West providing a lot of money [$8.5
billion for decarbonisation] to give South Africa an opportunity to move
away [from coal]. What are they going to do with that money? They need
to take the citizens in this country, in this city, into their
confidence, so that we can sit down and know exactly where this money is
going to. And if it is really going to meeting the needs of the poor
people and moving to a Just Transition.
Clearly, that is not happening. There’s no discussions with community
groups. There’s no discussions to create jobs that are energy efficient,
but more critically, that move us away from the causes of climate change
in South Africa.
And it can be done. It’s being done in Egypt. It’s being done in
Morocco. It’s done in Tunisia. And they are supplying energy to the
European countries. Why can’t it be done in South Africa, in the
Northern Cape and in the Eastern Cape with windmills. We have solar
farms. Why can’t we expand that project, so that it will kill two birds
with one stone, and create millions of jobs and at the same time, don’t
harm the environment. And it will not cause more climate problems than
we’re experiencing right now. Because this is a deadly warning.
SG: All right. We will leave it there. Desmond D’Sa, thank you. From the
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance.
On 4/12/2022 8:43 PM, Patrick Bond wrote:
("/A staggering 351mm of rain was recorded in Durban over the last 24
hours -*more than doubling the previous rainfall record in the city of
165mm of rain in April 2019.* And more of these severe weather events
can be expected, according to a UKZN climate change expert/."
Durban hosted the 2011 UNFCCC Conference of Polluters 17, but the host
government and capitalists learned absolutely nothing about the need to
put resources into adaptation, resilience and climate-proofing the
vulnerable port city.
Here's <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6TGsG8zG1E> a good explanation
of climate-crisis attribution, by UKZN Prof Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6TGsG8zG1E
And in addition, Prof. Anthony Turton makes the link to climate change,
and the need for rebuilding infrastructure more seriously, her
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew6wH-lUipU>e:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew6wH-lUipU
There are many sources that reveal the extreme damage and socio-economic
implications for poor neighbourhoods, but here
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p99fw_iLWH4> is one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p99fw_iLWH4
Toxins from that damn Mumbai-headquartered UPL factory incineration were
stored in a slime dam. Now it's busted, too. Bourgeois holidaymakers
planning on an Easter weekend at Umhlanga or Umdloti better think again.
And down south, a wonderful 70-year old Hindu temple in Chatsworth on
the side of the Umhlatazana River, is now washed away.
Here's
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-05-24-durban-floods-an-open-letter-to-president-cyril-ramaphosa/>
background context from the 2019 Rain Bomb, by South Durban community
leader Des D'Sa, reminding of the desperate need for a genuine Just
Transition in Durban:
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-05-24-durban-floods-an-open-letter-to-president-cyril-ramaphosa/
with many more such reminders of Durban's ruling-class failures below.)
https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/durban-community-forum-says-the-government-failed-to-plan-for-climate-change-aac805e3-2055-462d-9af8-568398a39789
Durban community forum says the government failed to plan for climate
change
12 April 2022
Jehran Naidoo,/Daily News/
Durban – The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), an
organisation based in Wentworth, KwaZulu-Natal, said this week that it
views the recent storm which devastated the province as “systemic
failure by the government” at a national, provincial and municipal level.
This after homes, buildings and road infrastructure around the province
were flooded and destroyed due to heavy rains that started on Friday and
receded on Tuesday.
SDCEA,’s Shanice Firmin is of the view that the government failed to
plan and provide early warning signs for people, despite knowing some
areas were susceptible to flooding.
“What worries us is that the same problems plague our city every time we
have an extreme storm. Ever-higher record rainfalls have hit our
province in October 2017, April 2019 and last weekend, reaching 200mm in
a 24-hour period.
“There are too many cases of poor drainage systems within the city. We
lack a serious climate adaptation and resilience strategy in spite of
all the absurd hype the municipality generates.
“In South Durban, we still lack evacuation plans, in spite of known
flooding in areas like the M4 and N2 highways, Tara Road, the Sapref
Refinery, the M9 and South Coast Road. We see that there are still no
plans in place, to address the what are increasingly severe weather
conditions,” Firmin said.
In 2017, two people died while around 10 went missing in KwaMashu and
Umlazi during the floods caused by heavy rains.
On Tuesday, KZN provincial government officials held a
multi-disciplinary conference in which it detailed its plan to clean up
the city and what actions were being taken in the wake of the floods.
Durban mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said once the city received an alert from
the SA Weather Service, it informed the public and put disaster teams on
standby.
As the weekend progressed, the storm worsened, however, leaving many
residents around the city displaced. Kaunda explained that the city’s
call centres were inundated.
“We immediately took a decision to open all halls in our residential
areas, to accommodate residents that were displaced. Following a number
of reports that were logged in our call centres, the entire system was
overwhelmed and it became very difficult for many of our residents to
get through.
“It would then be remiss of me not to sincerely apologise to all those
who were in need of our assistance but unable to reach us,” the Durban
mayor said.
Kaunda said most of the city’s power stations were flooded and work is
under way repairing them.
Water treatment facilities, including Umgeni Water, were also damaged.
He said it was too soon to account for damages.
As weather reports indicate that Durban had been caught in the eye of
what is believed to be a cut-off low storm, CoGTA reports say that
around 20 people have died with an unconfirmed number gone missing.
City spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said on Tuesday that a number of
municipal services were off-line in the wake of the devastation.
Mayisela said that refuse removal, cemeteries, bus services and health
care facilities were all affected by the storm and not operational on
Tuesday.
*IOL*
***
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61080056
South Africa's Durban floods: At least 45 die as rain and mudslides
cause havoc
1 hour ago
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Many residents along the coast fear their homes may collapse after mudslides
*At least 45 people in South Africa have been killed in floods caused by
days of heavy rain, the authorities say.*
It happened in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal, where many people
are still missing and emergency services are searching for survivors.
Some in the city of Durban are standing on rooftops awaiting rescue, but
local media report that only one helicopter is available to lift people
away
<https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/live-rain-flooding-hit-kwazulu-natal-20220412>.
Key roads across the city are shut and mudslides have destroyed many homes.
It comes as scientists warn that climate change is fuelling heavier
rainfall than usual in southern Africa
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-61067254>.
***
https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news/record-351mm-rain-dumps-on-durban-as-experts-warn-this-is-climate-change-in-action-65a973b8-5017-4374-b2c2-cc960d5e839c
Record 351mm rain dumps on Durban as experts warn this is climate
change in action
/The M13 freeway was closed on Tuesday morning due to massive mudslides.
Picture: Social media/
Published 4h ago
DURBAN: A staggering 351mm of rain was recorded at Virginia Airport in
Durban over the last 24 hours - more than doubling the previous rainfall
record in the city of 165mm of rain in April 2019.
And more of these severe weather events can be expected, according to a
UKZN climate change expert.
This as mopping-up operations continued across KwaZulu Natal on Tuesday
morning, with reports of houses having collapsed, cars washed away,
raging rivers and major routes blocked with mud and debris following a
horrific night of torrential rain and flash floods.
Numerous houses were flooded across Durban during the flash floods which
dumped record amounts of rain in the city. Picture: Social media
Emergency and rescue crews worked through the night responding to calls
for help from people trapped in houses, on top of roofs and in cars as
banks and roads washed away. The number of dead and injured are still be
confirmed.
The SA Weather Service confirmed that over 200mm fell in the Durban
area, with some areas getting more than others. Virginia Airport
measured 351mm, King Shaka International Airport 255mm, with areas such
as Wentworth measuring 124mm, while down the South Coast Margate
measured 311mm while the North Coast was not so badly hit, with only
with 89mm and Pietermaritzburg measuring 98mm.
Forecaster Ishmael Moyo said on Tuesday morning that rain was expected
to continue into the afternoon and evening, but that there would be
lighter showers than previously experienced over the last 24 hours.
On Tuesday, University of KwaZulu-Natal climate change expert Professor
Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudi said weather extremes resulting in flooding could
be expected to occur again and the level of preparedness for such
devastating weather events needed to be addressed.
“Whether it’s drought or flash floods, we do expect more weather
extremes due to climate change. Not too long ago (2019) we had flooding
and massive landslides and this is now becoming a pattern.
“There is a low level of preparedness and only the SA Weather Service
issued a warning.
“People were caught unawares and there needs to be more long-term
preparedness in terms of building capacity to deal with these events, as
well as putting information out as that people living in low-lying areas
and flood prone areas need to be aware and prepared,” said Mabhaudi.
Town planning expert from University of KwaZulu-Natal Professor
Hangwelani Magidimisha-Chipungu said that low-lying areas “were not the
problem, but at the receiving end of the problem” and becoming victims.
“We need to invest in catchment areas, hilly areas where the
infrastructure and drainage needs to be sound. If that doesn’t happen, a
lot of water which should be contained in the catchment areas ends up in
the low-lying areas.
“The infrastructure in low-lying areas, the drainage systems also need
to be sound and carry the capacity within its own environment.
“We also need to look at issues of flooding from the perspective of
urbanisation. Why do we end up having people staying in informal
settlements and in low-lying areas which are prone to floods? The level
of urbanisation is unprecedented, it is so high. It’s not followed by
sound infrastructure for the people. We have opened our cities, but
where are they going to stay?
“They utilise open spaces and for town planning, we leave open spaces as
they are not ideal for residential purposes.
“People need to be educated that some areas, especially low-lying areas,
are prone to flooding,” said Magidimisha-Chipungu, highlighting that
research indicated which areas were most likely to experience flooding
and therefore not suitable for residential purposes, and because of
climate change, the issue around disaster and flooding was cropping up
more frequently.
Ethekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda held a media briefing at midday on
Tuesday when he said emergency teams were “working tirelessly” in
affected areas, especially with regard to water and electricity services
being impacted in different areas across the cities.
He called on churches and NGOs to help assist with those affected by the
floods. “We need all hands on to help save lives,” said Kaunda.
***
12 April 2022
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
*The floods have affected the poorest of the poor the most*
Every disaster in Durban – from the hard lockdown to the riots, fires
and floods – hits the poor the hardest. Natural disasters become
entwined with political disasters, often resulting in devastation for
the poor.
Since 2005 we have been saying that the conditions under which we are
forced to live in a repressive society are dangerous as well as
undignified.
The floods in KwaZulu-Natal have devastated many shack settlements, and
some rural areas too. Some people were rescued as the rivers burst their
banks but many lives have been lost.
The number of people who have lost their lives has yet to be confirmed
but our members witnessed people, including at least two babies, being
taken by the water and many people are missing.
Huge numbers of people have lost their homes and all their possessions
and are now entirely destitute. People living near rivers were worst
affected. The communal garden at the eKhenana Occupation has been hit
hard. Many people have been unable to go to work.
As we speak emergency services are rescuing people who have been
affected by these heavy rains. We salute all the men and women who
undertake this dangerous work in the interests of society.
However across our branches people are bitterly disappointed by the lack
of support from the eThekwini Municipality. The ANC in Durban are happy
to elect gangster politicians, to rob the state and murder activists but
they seem to have no interest in supporting the most vulnerable people
in this time of disaster.
The focus is on support for business rather than on the poor and working
class. The ANC does not care about the poor. All they do is to steal
from the poor and then murder our leaders when we stand up for truth,
justice and dignity.
We have no one but ourselves as we rebuild our lives. All our
settlements are affected but the most affected at the moment are
eNkanini, Cato Crest, eKhenana, Ekukhanyeni, Zamokuhle, Foreman Road,
Kennedy Road, Briardene, eKuphumeleleni, KwaMamsuthu, Lindelani,
Barcelona2 and eKhenana. In all these settlements people's homes were
washed away.
We are calling for progressive organisations to assist those who are
affected at this time when politicians are only interested in tenders
and t factional battles. We urgently need food, clothing, school
uniforms and building materials and blankets.
This is moment in which we all need to stand together in solidarity. We
need to build structures of solidarity and support across the city. We
need what S’bu Zikode calls true leadership, leadership with real
integrity, leadership committed to the safety, dignity and flourishing
of all people everywhere.
In this crisis no one can be left behind.
When the waters have subsided we need to pick up the conversation about
land and housing with much more urgency. We cannot continue to move from
one disaster to the next while remaining in such undignified and
dangerous conditions.
Contacts:
Thapelo Mohapi 074 774 4219
Mqapheli Bonono 073 067 3274
Busisiwe Diko 065 913 6881
Snenhlanhla Mncanyana 073 832 3331
***
https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news/durban-chamber-demands-ethekwini-share-its-plans-to-improve-drainage-and-prevent-transport-congestion-509e4675-3f38-4825-b930-7c3c7d5f81e1
·Ios <https://www.iol.co.za/ios>
·News <https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news>
Durban Chamber demands eThekwini share its plans to improve drainage
and prevent transport congestion
/Ethekwini residents worry that further mudslides will see them losing
everything. Picture: Reuters/
Published 1h ago
Durban - Two days of persistent heavy rains had resulted in
"catastrophic flooding" in the eThekwini municipal district, impacting
the road network and infrastructure, including major highways such as
the M4 and N2, the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry said yesterday.
CEO Palesa Phili said the road networks were crucial as they provided
links between business and industries.
"Any loss in any part of this economic infrastructure for an unspecified
period will have a devastating impact on the manufacturing, travel and
tourism, agriculture and many more, and this inevitably causing huge
loss through operations and expenses in business. Many businesses cannot
afford further losses as they are still recovering from 2021 July unrest
and the Covid-19 pandemic," said Phili.
It was too early to state the quantum of economic losses, but the
chamber's observation was that properties and various critical
infrastructure had been severely damaged.
Phili said any further rainfall could lead to further flooding, as the
ground was completely saturated.
"The magnitude and the frequency of these storms are proving to be a
massive risk to the growth and development of the local economy,
especially in an already constrained economic environment with a major
challenge being the inability to transport and deliver goods and
services to various destinations due to flooding and traffic
congestion," she said.
The chamber said the South of Durban, home to some of South Africa's
largest manufacturers, continued to receive heavy rain.
It called on law enforcement to be visible, having received reports that
criminals were using the disaster to commit crime, including several
container trucks stuck on the road being looted.
Phili called for a review of stormwater drainage systems to ensure that
rainwater can be easily drained away. The chamber urged the local and
provincial governments to urgently share their disaster management plans
and take steps to reduce the dangers and potential damage of the heavy
rainfall.
"As a port city, eThekwini is heavily reliant on the logistics sector
and our road infrastructure, and the government needs to communicate and
immediately action its plan for infrastructure maintenance and
development that will improve drainage and traffic congestion issues,"
said Phili.
***
KZN flood: Chemical depot's dam with toxins overflows
accreditation <https://www.bloomberg.com/>
https://www.news24.com/fin24/companies/kzn-flood-chemical-depots-dam-with-toxins-overflows-20220412
The burned down UPL Chemical Factory in Cornubia, Durban.
Thabiso Goba
A pollution control dam at UPL’s fire-damaged chemical warehouse near
Durban has spilled following heavy rains.
The warehouse was torched by looters in July last year and the fire
released a range of dangerous harmful chemicals into the air and nearby
watercourses. Significant numbers of fish died and beaches were closed
as a result, while the residents complained about air pollution. The
Environment Ministry has said UPL didn’t have the appropriate permits to
store the chemicals, an allegation the company denied.
The dam, a re-purposed storm-water facility, had been carefully managed
and its contents taken to a landfill, the company said in a statement.
Drone footage taken on Tuesday shows dramatic visuals of destruction in
Umdloti, KZN due to severe runoff following days of heavy rain in the
region.
“The heavy rains over the weekend and continuing into last night have
however created an unprecedented volume of storm-water in the PCD,” UPL
said. “In response to this threat, UPL had resumed extraction to tankers
and the specialist team implemented systems to reduce the volume of
rainwater entering the PCD. Despite these interventions, due to ongoing
heavy rainfall the PCD still over-topped.”
Specialists appointed by UPL said the spilled water has “extremely
diluted” contaminants, according to the company.
***
/Daily Maverick/
South Africa
PROVINCIAL DISASTER
Death toll mounts as KZN sinks beneath torrential rains, floods amid
decimated infrastructure
This bridge at Nhlungwane extension was washed away, leaving a huge
hole. It was on the main road connecting Ntuzuma and areas such as
Inanda and KwaMashu. (Photo: Mandla Langa)
By Des Erasmus <https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/des-erasmus/>
Follow <https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/sign-in>
12 Apr 2022 0
After more than four days of constant rain, KwaZulu-Natal’s
infrastructure, which has been under strain from years of
under-investment and poor maintenance, buckled. This led to multiple
drownings, landslides, power outages, water shortages and flooding
of bridges, homes and businesses on Monday and Tuesday. And the wet
weather is set to resume through the Easter weekend
Scores of people have died, suburban walls have collapsed, vehicles have
ploughed into newly-formed sinkholes, cemeteries have flooded and many
businesses have temporarily closed.
Adding to the complexity is that rescue teams across the city are cut
off from each other with major thoroughfares completely flooded, roads
washed away and some bridges nearing collapse. The inclement weather has
also prevented any major air support from getting off the ground.
Just metres from the bridge that was washed away in Ntuzuma, northwest
of Durban, a number of people and their homes were swept away by the
deluge that swamped their homes. (Photo: Mandla Langa)
The death toll mounts
At last count, four people had officially been confirmed dead, but this
is a moving target, with more deaths yet to be confirmed. On Tuesday
afternoon, Premier Sihle Zikalala said he would be in Georgedale, in the
Hammarsdale area, where five members of one family died.
At a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-02-28-ethekwini-mayor-claims-he-displayed-exemplary-leadership-in-the-aftermath-of-july-unrest-despite-social-media-posts/>
said that “many people had lost their lives”, but that the provincial
department of cooperative governance (Cogta) had been tasked with
releasing the official number of fatalities.
A journalist door-stopped Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka just after that
briefing, where the MEC said that 45 people had lost their lives in
eThekwini alone.
Kaunda said the city’s call centre had been overwhelmed on Monday night
and it was not possible to tend to every issue phoned in.
The storm and flood-ravaged wreckage of houses in KwaZulu-Natal.
(Picture: Mandla Langa)
“Most of the city’s electricity power stations have been flooded and our
teams were unable to access them [on Monday night]. There are certain
water treatment plants that have been damaged, including those that
belong to Umgeni water.”
The cost of the damage was yet to be tallied, said Kaunda.
He said the city would “interact” with those who had lost family members.
He confirmed that some cemeteries were flooded but did not comment on
reports that coffins had been left exposed at the Ntuzuma cemetery,
north of Durban.
Landslides and disrepair
Kaunda said that scores of residents, including himself, were without
water.
He said that there was ongoing “communication” with the South African
National Defence Force, which had been approached to assist the city and
province. It was hoped the defence force would arrive on Tuesday
evening, he said.
He sidestepped questions about the state of the city’s drainage and
stormwater infrastructure, which has been in a state of disrepair for
several years, saying that most of the issues currently being
experienced related to landslides.
By Tuesday lunchtime, the Passenger Rails Association of South Africa
(Prasa) took a decision to “temporarily close the Cato Ridge line due to
the heavy rains that affected the safety of trains running on that line”.
People trying to cross a river in Ntuzuma where a bridge was washed
away. (Photo: Mandla Langa)
Roads washed away and cables exposed
Meanwhile, a key entrance to the Durban port, known as Bayhead Road,
which runs along a canal, has had large parts of the road washed away,
with piping and electrical cables now exposed. Nearby trucks can be seen
partially submerged while flooding is threatening warehouses close to
the canals. Transnet Port Terminals told /Daily Maverick/ it would be
releasing a statement on damage to its properties throughout the course
of the day.
The industrial suburb of Prospecton in iSipingo, South of Durban where
containers were scattered during severe floods in the area. (Photo:
Mandla Langa)
Durban’s river systems, such as the Umbilo, Umgeni, Amanzimtoti and
Ohlanga rivers have all burst their banks, endangering the lives of
informal dwellers.
Collating the damage
“Our teams are still collating the extent of the damage so far. Disaster
management teams have been evacuating people in areas that have
experienced mudslides, flooding, and structural collapses of buildings
and roads. The heavy rains have affected power lines in many
municipalities with technical teams working around the clock to restore
power,” said Hlomuka.
He is due to officially address the media on Tuesday afternoon, where an
update on the number of deaths is expected.
Inundated with emergency calls
Craig Lambinon, spokesman for the NSRI, said their stations along the
coastline were continuing to assist emergency services in multiple
flood-related incidents along the coast and inland.
He said that on Monday night and Tuesday morning, rescue teams were
“inundated with emergency calls and are continuing to assist in
flood-related incidents involving local citizens, domestic and farm
animals and wildlife”.
Power outages
MTN said on Tuesday that 500 sites were down in KZN, the result of
infrastructure damage and power outages due to the rain. Contingency
plans had been activated for site restoration, it said.
North Coast Road in Durban, where parked cars were washed away by the
floods. (Photo: Mandla Langa)
Dam warning
The Department of Water and Sanitation warned residents living
downstream to stay away from dams owing to an imminent increase of
outflow from them.
“Residents are warned to steer clear of the dam areas. Communities with
equipment in and near the dams are asked to remove them so as to ensure
that no damage is caused,” he said.
It had also been decided that Umgeni Water would release water from the
Hazelmere Dam north of Durban, as a safety measure while work continued
to raise the dam wall.
More downpours forecast over Easter
If forecasts are correct, the driving winds and rain are expected to
subside over the next 24-hours, but the respite will be short-lived,
with downpours forecast to continue over the Easter weekend and into
next week.
Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka advised residents in low lying areas to seek
shelter on higher ground, with public halls being opened to accommodate
those in need.
According to the South African Weather Service, the heavy rainfall is
set to continue and will affect municipalities such as eThekwini Metro,
KwaDukuza, Mandeni, Maphumulo, Ndwedwe, uMlalazi, Msunduzi, Ray
Nkonyeni, Umdoni, Mkhambathini, Richmond, Msunduzi, Ubuhlebezwe,
uMngeni, uMshwathi, Umuziwabantu, Umvoti, Umzimkhulu, Dr Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma and Umzumbe. *DM*
Prospecton in iSipingo, South of Durban where containers were dislodged
and scattered through heavy flooding in the area. (Photo: Mandla Langa)
***
https://www.iol.co.za/news/weather/watch-hindu-temple-in-durban-washes-away-after-heavy-rains-e08ab0b2-6436-4133-af09-da464e5e3e65
Hindu temple in Durban washes away after heavy rains
Published 9h ago
Durban - A 70-year-old Hindu temple in Umhlatuzana, Chatsworth, has been
destroyed by the storm ravaging the KwaZulu-Natal province.
The temple, which sits on a bank next to the Umhlatuzana River, was seen
submerged in water as pieces of the structure slowly fell away into the
river.
IOL photojournalist Doctor Ngcobo braved the elements and captured a
video of the temple being washed away.
It is a sore topic for community members who visit the temple as it
suffered around R500 000 in damages during the heavy rains and flooding
in 2017.
Assistant secretary of the temple, Kureasha Moodley, told IOL on Tuesday
that it happened around the same time as it did in 2017. After the 2017
damage, the temple was rebuilt with donations and sponsors from
community members.
During that time, only the temple yard suffered major damage, but the
recent storm destroyed the entire place, Moodley said.
The temple, which is an integral part of the Hindu community in
Chatsworth and surrounding areas, was recently done up and had a few new
installations that were all washed away.
Story continues below Advertisment
A view of the rising water levels on Monday evening. Image: Supplied.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, temple members had to rush to the
site to rescue two people who live at the temple.
Moodley said the entire place was in darkness and flooded. She said the
two men were found in a staircase desperately trying to evade the raging
waters.
“The deities in our Vishnu temple are still there, but in the mother
temple everything is gone. We could not remove them because they are
solid granite and are fixed to the temple floor.
Story continues below Advertisment
“It is the only temple in the area and I think our devotees have been
coming here for over 60 to 70 years. For the past number of years, we
have built it up and extended and even added a hall, but after this it
will take us a very long time to get back to where we were,” Moodley said.
“The last time, the mother temple and some parts of the yard were still
standing. The water came in through doors and windows, but this time the
temple yard is non-existent,” she added.
***
https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/news/extreme-rainfall-and-widespread-flooding-overnight-kwazulu-natal-and-parts-of-eastern-cape-9b758aaa-b2da-44f1-9f16-e5c4e371f7b3
Extreme rainfall and widespread flooding overnight: KwaZulu-Natal and
parts of Eastern Cape
/Meteosat RGB composite image at 11h00SAST 12 April 2022, clearly
indicating the cyclonic swirl of deep convective cloud, associated with
heavy rain, just off the southern coastline KwaZulu-Natal. Source:
Eumetsat, © 2022./
CAPE TOWN - The current rainfall system that has lashed KwaZulu-Natal
will have weakened considerably by Wednesday, heralding a spell of a few
days of settled, dry weather, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) says.
However, rain is expected to return to many provinces ahead of and
during the coming Easter weekend when many people will be travelling to
other parts of the country, the SAWS said on Tuesday.
“Following a weekend of widespread rainfall over much of the country,
the cut-off low system responsible for the inclement weather began
moving eastwards over KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape overnight.
“Whilst impact-based warnings were indeed issued in a timely manner by
the South African Weather Service, it appears that the exceptionally
heavy rainfall overnight and this morning exceeded even the expectations
of the southern African meteorological community at large.”
At 4pm on Monday a Level 5 warning was issued for the coast and adjacent
interior of KwaZulu-Natal. This was subsequently escalated to a Level 8
warning at 8pm.
However, following reports of further impacts and persistent, heavy
rainfall, SAWS has now upgraded the heavy rain warning to an Orange
Level 9 for the remainder of Tuesday.Accumulated rainfall (mm) for the
period 8 to 11 April 2022 (including the first 8 hours of 12 April). Of
particular interest and relevance are the values indicated in light
pink, indicating 200-400 mm. Source SAWS.
“Overnight rainfall reports from KwaZulu-Natal have underscored the
particularly heavy and extreme nature of the rainfall, with some 24-hour
falls exceeding 200mm. More noteworthy is that a few stations even
reported 300mm or more.”
King Shaka International Airport recorded 225mm rain, Margate 311mm,
Mount Edgecombe 307mm, Port Edward 188mm as well as Virginia airport in
Durban north with 304mm.
The SAWS added: “The good news is that by tomorrow the current rainfall
system will have weakened considerably, heralding a spell of a few days
of settled dry weather. However, the public should take note that rain
is expected to return to many of our provinces ahead of and during the
coming Easter weekend when many people will be travelling to other parts
of the country. The public are therefore urged to continue to monitor
forecasts and warnings issued by SAWS. A dedicated media release,
covering the weather forecast for the Easter weekend, will be issued by
SAWS soon.”
The public was urged to regularly follow weather forecasts via
www.weathersa.co.za <http://www.weathersa.co.za> or the SA Weather
Service Twitter account @SAWeatherService
*Cape Times*
On 4/12/2022 3:40 PM, Patrick Bond wrote:
*KZN floods claim 45 lives with the death toll likely to rise *
https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/live-rain-flooding-hit-kwazulu-natal-20220412
WATCH | KZN roads washed away, residents warned to avoid travelling
Several roads have collapsed and major arteries into Durban, including
the N2 and M4, are underwater. News24 has seen footage of water standing
as high as the barrier between oncoming lanes on the M4, as well as
images of sections of the road completely washed away in some areas.
WATCH | Heavy rains and floods have hit KwaZulu-Natal; trucks and
containers wash away
7 hours ago
WATCH | Flooding destroys important freight channel in Durban harbour
36 mins ago
WATCH | Opportunists loot trucks amid KZN floods
2 hours ago
WATCH | Petrol tanker drifting in the surf at Umgeni River mouth
4 hours ago
*****
National <https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/>
Sapref workers rescued from flooded refinery in KZN
Some employees said they were seeking refuge on the roof while
they waited to be airlifted to safety
12 April 2022 - 13:30 Suthentira Govender
Sapref oil refinery, south of Durban, has been flooded. Picture: VIA
FACEBOOK.
A rescue mission is in progress at Sapref, a major crude oil refinery
south of Durban, where workers were airlifted from the flooded plant.
A worker made an urgent plea for help on the Facebook page Wentworth
(SA) Represent!, saying: “We need help at Sapref. Phone someone please.
We really need to get out. Please help us.”
Images show large parts of the refinery plant submerged. Some people
posted that they were seeking refuge on the roof while they waited to be
airlifted to safety.
Sapref, SA’s largest crude oil refinery, is midway through a shutdown.
Petroleum companies Shell and BP announced they would pause operations
in Durban by the end of March while they tried to find a buyer.
A source with knowledge of operations said the flooding would not affect
fuel supply as it was being imported.
Sapref’s sustainable development manager, Hlengiwe Hlela, said the
refinery was flooded during the torrential rain in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Employees have managed to evacuate the buildings to higher ground. No
injuries have been reported. The emergency response team is busy with a
rescue mission and they are being airlifted to safety. Updates will be
shared once we have more information,” said Hlela.
Workers at paper and packaging manufacturer Mondi, located in
flood-ravaged Merebank, a few kilometres from Sapref, were also evacuated.
Desmond D’Sa, of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance,
said: “Both Mondi and Sapref are totally flooded. The canal near Mondi
is bursting its bank.”
/TimesLIVE/
/***/
https://southlandssun.co.za/182699/severe-flooding-in-durban-south-areas/
Severe flooding in Durban South areas
All routes leading out of the Bluff are closed due to flooding.
Residents are urged to remain indoors until the weather clears and
roads are opened.
Angelique Janse van Vuuren 1 minute read
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The Coedmore Road bridge is submerged under flood water.
AREAS in and around Durban South have been affected by the severe
downpour. Edwin Swales is completely flooded and impassable. Bayhead is
submerged under water with trucks turning around.
South Coast Road towards Hullets is a no-go area. Tara Road and Quality
Street is closed off due to flooding. Tara Road all the way up to Beach
Road in Bluff is water logged. Mondi Road is completely submerged by the
canal.
The Coedmore Road bridge is completely submerged and impassable. There
are lots of debris and fallen trees on roads across the city.
Officials are urging residents to remain indoors and stay off the roads
so as to allow for emergency services to access patients.
On 4/12/2022 8:52 AM, Patrick Bond wrote:
(Damn. Last year I wrote this, and apparently it's ever more valid, each
passing storm season:
On 3/25/2021 3:50 PM, Patrick Bond wrote:
(Two different views:
1. [a DA councilor] said the city had promised numerous interventions
assessing all flood-prone areas. The engineering unit was also meant to
conduct an assessment of all affected roads and the drainage capacity of
the stormwater system. “We have not seen any of this manifest, nor any
move by the city to fast-track maintenance or preventive maintenance
whatsoever.”
2. academics studying Durban's resilience strategy consistently rate it
as fabulous in numerous peer-reviewed papers, as you see here
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=ethekwini+resilience&btnG=>,
and, in just one recent example from the journal Human Geography,
"Durban, or its administrative entity eThekwini Municipality, is
globally recognized for its innovative and progressive efforts towards
being a more sustainable and climate resilient city (Sutherland et al.,
2018). The city’s approach to sustainability recognizes the relations
between social transformation, poverty alleviation and environmental
management (Sutherland et al., 2018; Roberts et al., 2012)."
Who do you believe?)
The rain bomb in Durban - which finally appears to be softening - was
nowhere near the force of the one that dropped 168 mm in South Durban on
April 23, 2019: "Durban recorded 91 mm of rain in 24 hours to 11 April
2022."
Yet preventable damage - blocked or inadequate stormwater drains, sewage
pump failures, tougher terracing, better-built housing and business
structures, etc - suggest no one at City Hall is learning. Some reports
in a box below, from my favourite 'hood of South Durban, confirm that a
very rapid detox of the petrochemical facility is urgently needed, given
how many poisons are now spreading through the massively flooded terrain
there. I gather the now-cloesd SAPREF refinery is suffering from
collapse of at least two of their massive storage tanks. Both SAPREF and
Engen want to use the former refineries for oil storage, while SDCEA
says No!, turn these into brownfield Just Transition pilot sites!
Up the coastline, "some areas in northern KZN received more than 200mm
of rain yesterday.")
DEADLY DELUGE
Two dead, three missing as heavy rains lash KZN
·The Mercury
·12 Apr 2022
·YOGASHEN PILLAY yogashen.pillay at inl.co.za
AT LEAST two people were killed and three people are missing as heavy
rains left a trail of destruction across KwaZulu-Natal.
Several areas, including eManzimtoti, were flooded due to the torrential
rain on Sunday and yesterday.
The eThekwini Municipality said two people had died – one in KwaMashu’s
ward 47, and the other in uMlazi’s ward 87.
Robert Mckenzie, KZN Emergency Medical Services’ spokesperson, said a
22-year-old man was killed after a wall fell on him in KwaMashu yesterday.
Paul Herbst, a spokesperson for Medi Response paramedics, said that a
landslide had occurred in uMlazi on Sunday, engulfing an informal
dwelling, and the occupant was killed.
In KwaDukuza yesterday, a woman was washed off a low-level bridge as she
tried to cross the Nonoti River. IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Dylan
Meyrick said members of the Search and Rescue Unit were dispatched to
the scene, but had been unable to search the river due to the flooding.
Authorities also said that two people were missing after their car was
swept away in Molweni.
Andre Beetge, a ward councillor in ward 97 in eManzimtoti, said that the
heavy rains had caused the Illovo and Winklespruit Rivers to burst their
banks.
“The eManzimtoti CBD was flooded as rain came down in buckets. Barrier
walls have collapsed, and some rural houses have also collapsed.”
Beetge added that an embankment collapsed at Longacres Drive,
Kingsburgh, near a block of flats.
“Large parts of eManzimtoti are without power due to wet weather, but
unfortunately there isn’t anything that can be done as workers can’t
work in the heavy rain.
“The sewage pump station in Riverside Road has also been affected. It is
too early to even assess the damage.”
Andreas Mathios from Marshall Security said their emergency dispatch
centre had received reports of mass mudslides in and around the eMdloti
area.
“We went to investigate and found that a mudslide from a nearby
construction site had washed across Belmont Road and caused damage to
the residential premises in the area. A motorist who was travelling on
Belmont Road was caught by the surprise mudslide, which suddenly came
out of nowhere. She said that she had to climb out of the window,
together with her child and domestic worker. The resident then notified
her husband, and first responders arrived on scene a short while later
to assist. Even a 4x4 vehicle was unable to get the vehicle out.”
Mark Gounder, an Isipingo community activist, said the damage had been
vast in the area.
“Most damage to Lotus Park appears to be in the Pelican Drive, Isipingo,
area. This has been caused by the longterm issue of an overflowing
reservoir, which has resulted in loose sand. The heavy rainfall has now
led to the walls and embankments caving in, causing damage to numerous
properties.”
The eThekwini Municipality said yesterday afternoon that its Disaster
Management Unit was on high alert as the heavy rains had resulted in the
flooding of some roads, and rising water levels.
“The water level in the river between Mega City in uMlazi and
Lamontville is rising, and communities along this river are cautioned to
relocate to a safer place. Rivers in Amaoti and Quarry Heights are also
overflowing, and residents are advised to move to alternative
accommodation.”
Stapleton Road in Pinetown had also been flooded, and motorists were
encouraged to avoid it. The uMhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct said
that the M4 northbound from Sibaya Drive to the M27 offramp to eMdloti
had been closed in both directions due a mudslide.
Regarding the eManzimtoti flooding, the city said its Roads and
Stormwater teams were in the area unblocking drains to minimise flooding.
The city said the heavy rain had also affected infrastructure, with
several areas experiencing power outages.
KwaZulu-Natal Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Sipho
Hlomuka said that mudslides had been reported in KwaDukuza, while there
had also been flooding in the Ladysmith CBD, and road damage on the
South Coast. “Road diversions are being implemented where possible.
Local disaster management teams continue to monitor high-risk areas
across the province. Residents who experience any incidents can contact
their respective ward councillor or local municipality.”
Meanwhile, Umgeni Water said it had taken a decision to release water
from the Hazelmere Dam in the north of Durban as torrential rains had
pushed the level of the dam beyond 65%.
The utility said the water level in the dam posed a risk to the wall
extension that was under construction.
“The first release will begin on Tuesday, April 12 (today), and will
continue until 53% is reached.”
Umgeni Water said communities living close to or on the banks of the
Umdloti River should be aware that once the water was released, the
level of the river would rise rapidly.
***
On 3/25/2021 3:50 PM, Patrick Bond wrote:
(Two different views:
1. [a DA councilor] /said the *city had promised numerous interventions
assessing all flood-prone areas.* The engineering unit was also meant to
conduct an assessment of all affected roads and the drainage capacity of
the stormwater system. *“We have not seen any of this manifest, nor any
move by the city to fast-track maintenance or preventive maintenance
whatsoever.”*/
2. academics studying Durban's resilience strategy consistently rate it
as fabulous in numerous peer-reviewed papers, as you see here
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=ethekwini+resilience&btnG=>,
and, in just one recent example from the journal /Human Geography/
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/194277861901200103>,
"/Durban, or its administrative entity eThekwini Municipality, is
*globally recognized for its innovative and progressive efforts towards
being a more sustainable and climate resilient city *(Sutherland et al.,
2018). The city’s approach to sustainability *recognizes the relations
between social transformation, poverty alleviation and environmental
management* (Sutherland et al., 2018; Roberts et al., 2012)."/
Who do you believe?)
*City’s storm readiness questioned*
· /The Mercury/
· 25 Mar 2021
· THAMI MAGUBANE
· thami.magubane at inl.co.za
THE eThekwini Municipality has been warned to put in place plans for bad
weather and storms that have in the past battered the city, causing
extensive damage to infrastructure and, in some cases, the loss of life.
The city’s Audit Committee raised concerns about the city’s
preparedness, warning that due to climate change, weather patterns had
been disrupted and storms were becoming more severe.
The chairperson of the committee, Nala Mhlongo, tabled his report before
members of the executive committee on Tuesday.
However mayor Mxolisi Kaunda called for the contents of the report “not
to be ventilated” until such time that the municipal management team had
a chance to formulate responses to the matters raised by the audit
committee, in the interest of balanced reporting.
“In the past couple of years, the eThekwini area has been gravely
affected by the heavy rains and storms that occur during the rainy
season. These heavy rains cause damage to infrastructure and disruptions
to the system,” said the report.
“The municipality must review the capacity of stormwater infrastructure,
and address the drainage system within the municipal area.
“With the threat of climate change that has changed weather patterns
drastically, the municipality has not reviewed its guidelines to
accommodate these eminent weather changes. As climate change worsens,
dangerous weather events are becoming more frequent or severe,” it said.
It said the engineering department had to implement an aggressive plan
to address the issue of clogged stormwater infrastructure, as poor
drainage could lead to flooding resulting in property loss and people
being forced to move to escape flooding.
“Flooding may also damage water supply infrastructure and contaminate
domestic water sources,” it said. The committee called for the city to
see that their maintenance plan addressed the challenges in the
high-risk areas.
DA councillor Yogis Govender said for years the party had questioned the
eThekwini Municipality’s ability to respond to natural disasters.
“Freak storms leave a trail of destruction, injure people, some lose
their lives and hundreds are displaced. In 2019, in one such storm, the
cost of damage to infrastructure was estimated at R50 million.”
Govender said the city had promised numerous interventions assessing all
flood-prone areas. The engineering unit was also meant to conduct an
assessment of all affected roads and the drainage capacity of the
stormwater system.
“We have not seen any of this manifest, nor any move by the city to
fast-track maintenance or preventive maintenance whatsoever,” she said.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said he had long advocated a proactive approach
in dealing with issues of climate change.
“I even said that we should not be afraid to move the people who have
built houses on river banks, as those are the first people that give
problems when there is a flood.”
Nkosi said under normal circumstances a matter raised by the audit
committee should be attended to quickly, “but the municipality does not
take the recommendations made by the committee and follow up on them. We
wait until there is a problem that will cost a small fortune to fix”.
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said eThekwini was one of many
cities around the world impacted negatively by climate change.
He said the unprecedented movement of people into the city and the
illegal dumping of waste into stormwater drains were among the issues
contributing to the pressure on the city’s infrastructure.
He said as the summer season approached, the city had embarked on an
aggressive campaign to ensure that stormwater drains were free of litter.
“We also have incidents where people build on floodplains. This has
proven to be a recipe for a disaster during the summer season.
“While we have a unit that deals with land invasions, we also have
educational programmes to educate the public about the dangers of
invading land,” he said.
***
*Google scholar search of "durban" and "resilience":*
*Prioritizing climate change adaptation and local level resilience in
Durban, South Africa
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956247810379948>*
D Roberts
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yuMSayAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra> -
Environment and Urbanization, 2010 - journals.sagepub.com
… Debra Roberts and Isabelle Anguelovski (2009), “Planning climate
*resilient* cities: early … Adapted
from Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department,
*eThekwini* Municipality …
PRIORITIZING CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND LOCAL LEVEL *RESILIENCE* 399 …
Cited by 202
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=5708053237374337179&as_sdt=2005&sciodt=0,5&hl=en>
Related articles
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=related:m0C3RC0UN08J:scholar.google.com/&scioq=ethekwini+resilience&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5>
All 7 versions
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cluster=5708053237374337179&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5>
[PDF] ukzn.ac.za
<https://ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/4942/Ortell-Pierce_Juniea_2011.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y>
*The relationship between resilience and coping in a sample of
unemployed women in the eThekwini region.
<http://ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/4942>*
JS Ortell-Pierce - 2011 - ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za
This study investigated the relationship between *resilience *and coping
in a sample of 120
unemployed women living in the *Ethekwini *region. Participants
completed two instruments:
the Connor-Davidson *Resilience *Scale (CD-RISC)(Connor & Davidson,
2003) and Ways of …
Cited by 2
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=306764941073948666&as_sdt=2005&sciodt=0,5&hl=en>
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All 3 versions
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cluster=306764941073948666&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5>
*Durban's 100 resilient cities journey: Governing resilience from within
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956247820946555>*
D Roberts
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yuMSayAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra>, J
Douwes… - Environment and …, 2020 - journals.sagepub.com
… Download article citation data for: Durban's 100 *Resilient* Cities
journey: governing *resilience*
from within. Debra Roberts, Joanne Douwes, Catherine Sutherland, and
Vicky Sim. Environment
and Urbanization 0 10.1177/0956247820946555. Download Citation …
Cited by 2
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=9409446021057901333&as_sdt=2005&sciodt=0,5&hl=en>
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[PDF] sagepub.com
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/194277861901200103>
*Constructing resilience at three scales: The 100 Resilient Cities
programme, Durban's resilience journey and water resilience in the
Palmiet Catchment
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/194277861901200103>*
C Sutherland
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ns1SwfsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra>, D
Roberts
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yuMSayAAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra>, J
Douwes - Human Geography, 2019 - journals.sagepub.com
… Planning and Climate Protection Department (EPCPD)1 in collaboration
with the *eThekwini* Water
and Sanitation Unit (EWS). Durban was selected as one of 100RC's first
thirty-two *resilient* cities,
and so began its journey of developing its *Resilience* Strategy through
the efforts …
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*Pushing the boundaries–urban edge challenges in eThekwini Municipality
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03736245.2015.1052840>*
V Sim, C Sutherland
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ns1SwfsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra>, D
Scott - South African Geographical Journal, 2016 - Taylor & Francis
… of the four regional Spatial Development Plan maps included in the
report (*eThekwini* Municipality,
2013 … in the management and spatial planning of the city, notably the
*resilience* discourse which …
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[PDF] sagepub.com
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0956247814544871>Full View
<https://scholar.google.com/scholar?output=instlink&q=info:irEliiLGm9EJ:scholar.google.com/&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&scillfp=16705277176346148727&oi=lle>
*Water and sanitation provision in eThekwini Municipality: a spatially
differentiated approach
<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956247814544871>*
C Sutherland
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ns1SwfsAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra>, M
Hordijk
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=D8Z2xAcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra>, B
Lewis… - Environment and …, 2014 - journals.sagepub.com
… Download article citation data for: Water and sanitation provision in
*eThekwini* Municipality: a
spatially differentiated approach. Catherine Sutherland, Michaela
Hordijk, Bonang Lewis, Claudia
Meyer, and Sibongile Buthelezi. Environment and Urbanization 2014 26:2,
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<http://ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10413/15607/Douwes_Joanne_2018.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y>
*Exploring transformation in local government in a time of environmental
change and thresholds: a case study of eThekwini Municipality.
<http://ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/16561>*
J Douwes - 2018 - ukzn-dspace.ukzn.ac.za
… ETA *EThekwini* Transport Authority EU Engineering Unit EWS
*EThekwini* Water and … Manager
SDG Sustainable Development Goal SRCI Sustainable and *Resilient* City
Initiatives … Scholars
have identified *resilience*, adaptation, transition and transformation
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S Hellberg
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=JWDGjpgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra> -
Geoforum, 2014 - Elsevier
… Share. Export. Advanced. Elsevier. Geoforum. Volume 56, September
2014, Pages
226-236. Geoforum. Water, life and politics: Exploring the contested
case of *eThekwini*
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*[PDF] Building resilience
<https://www.unisdr.org/files/7841_SOW09chap51.pdf>*
D Dodman
<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OIWf16wAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra>, J
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<https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=xlEibT0AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra> -
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… decisionmaking, which is typically focused on economic opportunities
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… self-reliance has been pointed out as another characteristic of being
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*Related searches*
On 3/24/2021 7:27 AM, Patrick Bond wrote:
(For 18 months, from October 2017, /“Gumede and Mthembu enabled large
numbers of ANC ward councillors, ward committee members, members of
business forums and organisations like the MKMVA and Amadelangokubona,
to benefit financially from the new DSW contract, thus increasing the
possibility of being favourably regarded in the political arena by these
beneficiaries because of the continued benefit that they received”. /
At the very same time, the idiots at WWF gave Gumede a major award in
San Francisco:
/Durban emerged as the strongest competitor from South Africa with its
well-rounded approach regarding energy consumption targets and actions.
Receiving the award, Mayor Zandile Gumede said, “We are excited about
winning this prestigious award, clearly, whatever we have been doing as
the city is working and it is getting international recognition.
eThekwini Municipality has been a leader in climate action and continues
to combine ambitious targets and focused action with community
development initiatives,” continued Gumede./
The link to Durban Solid Waste is very important, because this agency is
the main site for eThekwini officials to huckster their climate
credentials via carbon markets, as discussed in this brief lecture
<https://vimeo.com/469434201> about Sajida Khan's struggle against DSW
and emissions trading. And four years before Gumede got the award, the
city was bust in yet another WWF climate award scam, which I reported on
in /Daily Maverick /below:
/The 2013 Manase Report <http://www.citypress.co.za/tag/manase-report/>
into widespread Durban mismanagement and corruption was so ineffectual
in halting the rot that one of the most brazen scams – an attempted R3
billion hijack of the Bisasar Road incineration tender
<http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/mlaba-and-the-tender-hijack-1.1041199?showComments=true>
by former (1996-2011) mayor Obed Mlaba (using his daughter as a front) –
resulted in Mlaba’s redeployment from dirty Durban politics. He’s now
SA’s High Commissioner in London
<http://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/new-sa-high-commissioner-arrives-amidst-controversy.htm>,
where, with Business Day’s brazen encouragement
<http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/editorials/2014/03/12/editorial-obed-mlaba--the-right-stuff-for-london>,
Mlaba may well learn how to commit fraud on a slightly grander scale
just down the road from Trafalgar Square, amongst filthy financiers in
the City of London. Going full-circle, Carver Media and municipal
officials are using that very Bisasar Road dump’s six methane-to-energy
turbines to claim – at WWF’s www.welovecities.org
<http://www.welovecities.org/> Durban portal – that because our
municipality benefits from (a rather meagre) “7.5MWh of electricity
produced from landfill waste, Durban is right to be proud of its
renewable energy achievements.” No, in reality, Bisasar Road is
notorious in part because it is Africa’s largest formal landfill and was
dumped upon an Indian and Coloured neighbourhood (Clare Estate) by white
Apartheid officials in 1980. ANC promises in 1994 to close the racist
dump were never kept. Instead, in 2002, Sutcliffe went to the World Bank
to turn it into a climate financing pilot. It is a multifaceted
disaster, not least in terms of climate policy
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/file:/localhost/C/Users/pbond/Documents/ccs.ukzn.ac.za/files/Bond%20climate%20change%20paper.pdf%E2%80%8E>.
The crucial problem concerns the way in which financing for the project
was arranged
<https://mondediplo.com/blogs/africa-s-biggest-landfill-site-the-case-of>.
It required the World Bank and United Nations to take seriously a claim
originally made by Sutcliffe and Durban Solid Waste: the cost of the
project was “additional” to what the city would have done anyway. That
qualified it for subsidies as a “Clean Development Mechanism” (CDM). The
problem was, as city official John Parkin conceded in a recorded media
interview during the COP17 climate summit here, that claim was a lie.
<http://www.ejolt.org/2012/12/the-cdm-in-africa-cannot-deliver-the-money-2/%5F>
As Parkin
<http://triplecrisis.com/durbans-climate-zombie-tripped-by-dying-carbon-markets/>
put it, “We already started the project and we were going ahead no
matter what. So whether CDM became a reality or not, the project was
going to go ahead.” This should have disqualified the project, had the
Bank and UN officials been even slightly awake – but instead they were
desperate for a South African renewable CDM pilot during the Joburg
World Summit on Sustainable Development back in 2002./
Sure, Gumede appears absolutely corrupt, but the shame should certainly
extend to WWF and its carbon trading fantasies.)
*State details ‘looting plot’*
*Indictment alleges how Gumede and co-accused used DSW contract to
siphon off millions of rand*
· /The Mercury/
· 24 Mar 2021
· VERNON MCHUNU vernon.mchunu at inl.co.za
/(ANA) African News Agency/*FORMER ANC eThekwini region chairperson and
eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede appeared in the Durban Commercial Crimes
Court yesterday accompanied by several of her supporters, including
traditional healers who sang praise songs for her outside court. Gumede,
along with her co-accused, is facing a raft of charges related to a DSW
tender scandal. | DOCTOR NGCOBO*
***
https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/durban-wins-one-planet-city-challenge-award-17095372
*Durban wins One Planet City Challenge award*
/The Mercury /
Sep 17, 2018
Durban - Durban continues to rack up awards, this time the city walked
away with an international award from the World Wide Fund’s (WWF) 2018
One Planet City Challenge which was announced last week in San
Francisco, California.
eThekwini Municipality was named as a national winner in the African
category and competed with 132 cities from 23 countries around the world.
Durban emerged as the strongest competitor from South Africa with its
well-rounded approach regarding energy consumption targets and actions.
Receiving the award, Mayor Zandile Gumede said, “We are excited about
winning this prestigious award, clearly, whatever we have been doing as
the city is working and it is getting international recognition.”
“eThekwini Municipality has been a leader in climate action and
continues to combine ambitious targets and focused action with community
development initiatives,” continued Gumede.
Durban has made strong progress in improving sustainable mobility by
building a spacious cycling network. The jury acknowledged eThekwini’s
efforts towards sustainability to be particularly impressive, given the
small size yet high population of the city.
Mayor Gumede, also Vice President for c40 Cities, was speaking on the
sides of the Global Climate Action Summit held in San Francisco where
she joined international community leaders engaging on issues of climate
change.
Durban recently won a green award from national department of
environmental affairs and urban greening from national department of
agriculture.
The Swedish City of Uppsala was named global winner of WWF’s 2018 One
Planet City Challenge.
Jakarta and Indonesia was given a special mention for its work in the We
Love Cities campaign, which supports participants of the One Planet City
Challenge, through citizen engagement.
***
/Daily Maverick/
*Patrick Bond • 28 March 2014 *
*Durban’s greenwashing deceits*
*Working frenetically from nouveau-riche Umhlanga, the Carver Media
company just made themselves a lead candidate for the fiercest
anti-marketing case method example you’d ever encounter at Wits Business
School, a Mad Men’s nightmare script of a brand gone bust. The firm’s
Praneetha and Avilash Aniruth committed the most crass social media
mistakes imaginable in the course of high-priced, last-minute
sock-puppetry, all aimed at advancing Durban’s bid for an utterly banal
environmental prize. *
The World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF’s) urban environmental
competition, “We Love Cities <http://www.welovecities.org/>,” announced
its world champ yesterday, city of Cape Town (congratulations, Mother
City!) but how could the WWF – itself a regular companion of unethical
<http://www.redd-monitor.org/2012/02/09/wwf-scandal-part-2-corporate-capture-commodities-and-carbon-trading/>
capital
<http://www.independentsciencenews.org/environment/way-beyond-greenwashing-have-multinationals-captured-big-conservation/>
(a.k.a. “bears feeding on toxic waste
<http://www.redd-monitor.org/2011/07/27/wwf-scandal-part-1-bears-feeding-on-toxic-corporate-waste/>”
or other less pleasant
<http://www.independentsciencenews.org/environment/way-beyond-greenwashing-have-multinationals-captured-big-conservation/>
references) – not already have disqualified Durban? The rampant
ballot-stuffing by Carver Media’s fake Twitter accounts, with pseudonyms
like “Brittaney Jones” and “Alanna Sharon,” left a dumbstruck WWF only
committed to painstakingly disqualifying particular votes
<http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/durban-promo-campaign-fake-1.1662815>
from those accounts they determine to be bogus – as usual, unable to
connect the dots of repetitive malevolent behaviour back to the power
structure.
The jejune Carver Media operatives left their fingerprints all over the
corpse of the name Durban, wrecking its latest silly brand strategy,
greenwashing our city’s awful climate record, and in the process
smearing the WWF contest – and yes, compelling the question, which
/other/ urban entrepreneurs in the 33 competing cities used similar scam
operations? Praneetha Aniruth’s first line of defence
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-03-28-durbans-greenwashing-deceits/#.UzL8PIXBdmo>
was, after all, that she was the victim of a “third force smear
campaign” by competitors to discredit Durban’s valiant efforts – a
plausible fib soon unveiled by /Mercury /journalists and allied geeks
who tracked the offending Tweeter and IP addresses back to Umhlanga.
Carver Media’s staff apparently signed a lucrative last-minute municipal
consultancy through an irregular process, Durban’s notorious “Section
36” fast-track contracts-for-the-lads. This was the no-competition
bidding technique that brought former city manager Mike Sutcliffe infamy
<http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/01/02/looting-durban/> during his
2002-11 reign, and yet which were abused even more after 2012
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-03-28-durbans-greenwashing-deceits/#.UzL4x4XBdmo>
to benefit the likes of Carver Media. The firm made up twitter fake
accounts – even stealing online photos of people across the world – so
that Twitter and FB would ring with the sounds of applause for Durban’s
environment record.
Social media expert Vee Govender – who works for the brics-from-below
<https://twitter.com/BricsFromBelow%5F> project at our Centre – gave
this advice: “The city should cancel its contract with Carver Media
immediately. Paying Carver R500K for ten days work is unacceptable and
R3 million for the #ilovedurban brand goes beyond being ridiculous. The
City should ask for a full refund for any payments made. These guys have
had to have insiders to set up the deal.” The Democratic Alliance’s
local caucus leader, Zwakele Mncwango
<http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/calls-to-suspend-promo-company-contract-1.1666596>,
claims he knows which family-related insiders Carver relied upon, based
within eThekwini’s economic development and governance cluster.
Just this sort of rancid tenderpreneurship has reached epidemic stage.
The 2013 Manase Report <http://www.citypress.co.za/tag/manase-report/>
into widespread Durban mismanagement and corruption was so ineffectual
in halting the rot that one of the most brazen scams – an attempted R3
billion hijack of the Bisasar Road incineration tender
<http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/mlaba-and-the-tender-hijack-1.1041199?showComments=true>
by former (1996-2011) mayor Obed Mlaba (using his daughter as a front) –
resulted in Mlaba’s redeployment from dirty Durban politics. He’s now
SA’s High Commissioner in London
<http://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/new-sa-high-commissioner-arrives-amidst-controversy.htm>,
where, with Business Day’s brazen encouragement
<http://www.bdlive.co.za/opinion/editorials/2014/03/12/editorial-obed-mlaba--the-right-stuff-for-london>,
Mlaba may well learn how to commit fraud on a slightly grander scale
just down the road from Trafalgar Square, amongst filthy financiers in
the City of London.
Going full-circle, Carver Media and municipal officials are using that
very Bisasar Road dump’s six methane-to-energy turbines to claim – at
WWF’s www.welovecities.org <http://www.welovecities.org/> Durban portal
– that because our municipality benefits from (a rather meagre) “7.5MWh
of electricity produced from landfill waste, Durban is right to be proud
of its renewable energy achievements.”
No, in reality, Bisasar Road is notorious in part because it is Africa’s
largest formal landfill and was dumped upon an Indian and Coloured
neighbourhood (Clare Estate) by white Apartheid officials in 1980. ANC
promises in 1994 to close the racist dump were never kept. Instead, in
2002, Sutcliffe went to the World Bank to turn it into a climate
financing pilot. It is a multifaceted disaster, not least in terms of
climate policy
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/file:/localhost/C/Users/pbond/Documents/ccs.ukzn.ac.za/files/Bond%20climate%20change%20paper.pdf%E2%80%8E>.
The crucial problem concerns the way in which financing for the project
was arranged
<https://mondediplo.com/blogs/africa-s-biggest-landfill-site-the-case-of>.
It required the Bank and United Nations to take seriously a claim
originally made by Sutcliffe and Durban Solid Waste: the cost of the
project was “additional” to what the city would have done anyway. That
qualified it for subsidies as a “Clean Development Mechanism” (CDM).
The problem was, as city official John Parkin conceded in a recorded
media interview during the COP17 climate summit here, that claim was a
lie.
<http://www.ejolt.org/2012/12/the-cdm-in-africa-cannot-deliver-the-money-2/%5F>
As Parkin
<http://triplecrisis.com/durbans-climate-zombie-tripped-by-dying-carbon-markets/>
put it, “We already started the project and we were going ahead no
matter what. So whether CDM became a reality or not, the project was
going to go ahead.” This should have disqualified the project, had the
Bank and UN officials been even slightly awake – but instead they were
desperate for a South African renewable CDM pilot during the Joburg
World Summit on Sustainable Development back in 2002.
The Carver Media group had no role in the original lie. But its
embellishment through #ilovedurban fakery gave the WWF all the excuse it
needed to boot these hucksters out of their competition. The obvious
reason for a full disqualification was Carver Media’s pathetic cheating,
but a better one is rejecting Carver Media’s Clean Development Mechanism
scamming. Instead, we all need to challenge local economic development
officials to try out some low-carbon strategies.
That would push them to rethink
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-03-28-durbans-greenwashing-deceits/#.UzMK-YXBdmo>
the current carbon-addicted sports-tourism focus and South Durban
petrochemical-port complex expansion that has already made Durban’s per
capita emissions higher than even Beijing’s or London’s. (More details
can be found in Durban’s Climate Gamble: Playing the Carbon Markets,
Betting the Earth <http://www.unisa.ac.za/press>.)
Only then would Durban offer the basis for love by an
environmentally-aware society that can see through not only the Twitter
twits but municipal climate gimmickry as well. *_DM_*
***
On 2019/05/20 12:18 PM, Patrick Bond wrote:
(The 'strategy' is attached; and it's excellent timing, because in and
around Durban, more than 70 people lost their lives
<https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/kzn-flooding-death-toll-up-to-85-20190425>
a month ago - most on Easter Monday - mainly due to overflowing rivers,
inadequate housing that collapsed under 168 mm/day rain, fast-opening
gullies rife with erosion caused by systematic urban land mismanagement,
and dysfunctional storm-water drainage.
So what does the the attached strategy say about these factors, which
adversely affect low-income black people the most? And on the positive
side, what does the strategy add to a Million Climate Jobs
<http://aidc.org.za/programmes/million-climate-jobs-campaign/about/>
campaign - an SA Green New Deal - to retrofit our appallingly-weak built
environment so as to withstand extreme storms like the Durban Easter
Rain Bomb? And as for funding the Loss & Damage costs, plus new expenses
for adaptation and resilience-building, what does the strategy provide
by way of clear financing lines, using "polluter-pays" argumentation,
based on certain South Africans' extreme "climate debt"?
You guessed it: “”
Hence it is entirely appropriate that, as advertised, “/The adaptation
strategy has been developed in line with South Africa’s commitment to
the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to introduce measures to adapt to
the effects of climate change/," because that 2015 Agreement - so
proudly endorsed by the main Western polluters plus the BRICS - was best
analysed by the world's leading climate scientist, James Hansen, with a
one-word technical description: “Bullshit
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/12/james-hansen-climate-change-paris-talks-fraud>.”
What a shame that the Pretoria Regime utilised aid from the main German
government aid agency, as you see way below, instead of turning to
German activists <https://www.ende-gelaende.org/en/>, or more serious
Bolivian climate experts
<https://www.greattransition.org/contributor/pablo-solon>, for example,
when in need of technical support.
And as for Durban's green-washed
<http://ccs.ukzn.ac.za/default.asp?2,68,3,2875#Climate-dumb%20Durban's%20greenwash%20manual>
adaptation record, it's no wonder that last September - when reports
were already emerging
<https://mg.co.za/article/2018-09-14-00-ethekwini-probes-bribe-phonecall>
about her impending arrest by the Hawks on multiple corruption and
Durban Solid Waste procurement-scam charges - Mayor Zandile Gumede
happily accepted a San Francisco climate summit's "One Planet City
Challenge" award, one anointed by the easy-to-deceive WWF
<https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-03-28-durbans-greenwashing-deceits/>.
Gumede proudly announced: “/eThekwini Municipality has been a leader in
climate action and continues to combine ambitious targets and focused
action with community development initiatives./”
Until she's fired
<https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/ramaphosas-hard-choice-a-cabinet-to-lift-south-african-economy/>
in coming days, the corrupt Environment Minister Nomvula Mokonyane is
due to host the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, from
19-23 August in Joburg.
Send remarks to: smbanjwa at environment.gov.za)
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