South African National Conference on Environment and Development
Encyclopedia
The first National Conference on Environment and Development in South Africa was held at the University of the Western Cape
during June/July 1991 . It saw at least 231 representatives from a wide range of organisations discussing the links between environmental degradation
and the political situation in Southern Africa.
(CTEG) and the Western Cape branch of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) and the Call of Islam aimed to "ecologise politics and politicise ecology". According to conference organiser, Phakamile Tshazibane, the conference represented a "breakthrough", since this was the "first time groups such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions
(Cosatu), the National Council of Trade Unions
(Nactu), the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the African National Congress
(ANC) found common ground around the issue of the environment."
There were also a wide range of religious groupings represented, from Hinduism
to Judaism
, as well as many people from rural areas such as Kuruman and Tuang. Although the conference opening was marred by the last-minute withdrawal of key international speaker Vandana Shiva
due to ill-health, other international environmentalists filled the gap.
Bert von Pixteren of Friends of the Earth
in the Netherlands
told the conference that international environmental groupings had been wary of engaging with South African environmental organisations. However, political changes in the country had made participation possible. He cautioned against the attitude that environmentalists could continue their work without assisting the democratic process in the country.
Thobeka Thamage of the South African Women's Environmental Collective in London focused on environmental abuses affecting women around the world, and on the fact that many contraceptive methods endangered women's health. She also drew particular attention to environmental problems facing rural women in Africa, and to the fact that development programmes in the Southern African region had ignored the extra burden carried by women as a result of the migrant labour system employed by South African industry.
The need for "greater grassroots participation in the development decisions affecting people" was the message conveyed by Yemi Katare of the Zimbabwe Environmental Research Organisation (ZERO), who spoke about development problems in general and the lessons to be learnt from the Zimbabwean experience. Debate at the conference centred on issues such as the land question, with many delegates feeling that a new constitution would alleviate the inequalities that had resulted in land degradation in the homelands.
Solly Skosana of the PAC reiterated the view that land apartheid had not disappeared and that a constituent assembly was the only mechanism in which environmental concerns over land distribution would be able to be addressed. There was consensus among delegates that unequal land distribution was a major cause of environmental problems in South Africa and that the land itself needed protection under the law.
Speaking on behalf of the ANC, Cheryl Carolus
criticised the lack of political involvement by environmentalists in the past and made the point that her decision to get involved in politics had arisen out of a desire to empower herself and to regain control over her environment.
The issue of workers' involvement in environmental issue
s was taken up by Nosey Peterse of the Food and Allied Workers Union
(FAWU) who told delegates: "You can talk about environmental degradation but while you talk workers are losing their jobs because of environmental degradation."
"You cannot have a fishing industry without fish or agriculture without soil," said Peterse, who then added that a sustainable environment would mean thousands of jobs in the future. He urged delegates not to intellectualise about workers but rather to do something practical about the problem.
A statement adopted at the end of the conference declared: "A peaceful and just society can only be sustained if its ecological base is sound, and this means working with the people of the country striving for a democratic government and justice in access to land and the common wealth."
"Ecologically sound practices and projects can only succeed through grassroots participation where the people concerned retain control of those things that affect their lives."
Delegates agreed that full grassroots participation would have to involve a change in perception and values towards seeing "the interdependence of all living things". Inspiration for such values existed in "many religious and spiritual traditions, in particular African belief systems."
CTEG spokesperson Henri Laurie said the conference was significant in that people from backgrounds that were potentially divisive had shown a willingness to work together. "The amount of goodwill was remarkable and the delegates showed an enormous degree of solidarity on the environmental issue."
University of the Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape is a public university located in the Bellville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It was established in 1960 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only...
during June/July 1991 . It saw at least 231 representatives from a wide range of organisations discussing the links between environmental degradation
Environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife...
and the political situation in Southern Africa.
Report
The three day conference, hosted by the Cape Town Ecology GroupCape Town Ecology Group
The Cape Town Ecology Group is a South African based radical environmental group, founded in 1987, as a "child of Koeberg Alert", and active until the early 1990s. It espoused a more political-orientated green ideology as opposed to the apartheid-based conservation groups of the time...
(CTEG) and the Western Cape branch of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) and the Call of Islam aimed to "ecologise politics and politicise ecology". According to conference organiser, Phakamile Tshazibane, the conference represented a "breakthrough", since this was the "first time groups such as the Congress of South African Trade Unions
Congress of South African Trade Unions
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is a trade union federation in South Africa. It was founded in 1985 and is the biggest of the country’s three main trade union federations, with 21 affiliated trade unions, altogether organising 1.8 million workers.-Establishment:COSATU was established in...
(Cosatu), the National Council of Trade Unions
National Council of Trade Unions
The National Council of Trade Unions is a national trade union center in South Africa. It has a membership of 397,000 and was formed by the merger of the Council of Unions of South Africa and the Azanian Confederation of Trade Unions ....
(Nactu), the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and the African National Congress
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
(ANC) found common ground around the issue of the environment."
There were also a wide range of religious groupings represented, from Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, as well as many people from rural areas such as Kuruman and Tuang. Although the conference opening was marred by the last-minute withdrawal of key international speaker Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva , is a philosopher, environmental activist, and eco feminist. Shiva, currently based in Delhi, has authored more than 20 books and over 500 papers in leading scientific and technical journals. She was trained as a physicist and received her Ph.D...
due to ill-health, other international environmentalists filled the gap.
Bert von Pixteren of Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
told the conference that international environmental groupings had been wary of engaging with South African environmental organisations. However, political changes in the country had made participation possible. He cautioned against the attitude that environmentalists could continue their work without assisting the democratic process in the country.
Thobeka Thamage of the South African Women's Environmental Collective in London focused on environmental abuses affecting women around the world, and on the fact that many contraceptive methods endangered women's health. She also drew particular attention to environmental problems facing rural women in Africa, and to the fact that development programmes in the Southern African region had ignored the extra burden carried by women as a result of the migrant labour system employed by South African industry.
The need for "greater grassroots participation in the development decisions affecting people" was the message conveyed by Yemi Katare of the Zimbabwe Environmental Research Organisation (ZERO), who spoke about development problems in general and the lessons to be learnt from the Zimbabwean experience. Debate at the conference centred on issues such as the land question, with many delegates feeling that a new constitution would alleviate the inequalities that had resulted in land degradation in the homelands.
Solly Skosana of the PAC reiterated the view that land apartheid had not disappeared and that a constituent assembly was the only mechanism in which environmental concerns over land distribution would be able to be addressed. There was consensus among delegates that unequal land distribution was a major cause of environmental problems in South Africa and that the land itself needed protection under the law.
Speaking on behalf of the ANC, Cheryl Carolus
Cheryl Carolus
Cheryl Carolus is a South African politician. She was born in Silvertown, on the Cape Flats, Cape Town. Carolus became involved in politics while still at school and became an activist after joining the United Democratic Front in 1983...
criticised the lack of political involvement by environmentalists in the past and made the point that her decision to get involved in politics had arisen out of a desire to empower herself and to regain control over her environment.
The issue of workers' involvement in environmental issue
Environmental issue
Environmental issues are negative aspects of human activity on the biophysical environment. Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement that started in the 1960s, addresses environmental issues through advocacy, education and activism.-Types:...
s was taken up by Nosey Peterse of the Food and Allied Workers Union
Food and Allied Workers Union
The Food and Allied Workers Union is a trade union in South Africa.FAWU is an affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions ....
(FAWU) who told delegates: "You can talk about environmental degradation but while you talk workers are losing their jobs because of environmental degradation."
"You cannot have a fishing industry without fish or agriculture without soil," said Peterse, who then added that a sustainable environment would mean thousands of jobs in the future. He urged delegates not to intellectualise about workers but rather to do something practical about the problem.
A statement adopted at the end of the conference declared: "A peaceful and just society can only be sustained if its ecological base is sound, and this means working with the people of the country striving for a democratic government and justice in access to land and the common wealth."
"Ecologically sound practices and projects can only succeed through grassroots participation where the people concerned retain control of those things that affect their lives."
Delegates agreed that full grassroots participation would have to involve a change in perception and values towards seeing "the interdependence of all living things". Inspiration for such values existed in "many religious and spiritual traditions, in particular African belief systems."
CTEG spokesperson Henri Laurie said the conference was significant in that people from backgrounds that were potentially divisive had shown a willingness to work together. "The amount of goodwill was remarkable and the delegates showed an enormous degree of solidarity on the environmental issue."