In 2023 EMG participated in a process with other Southern Hemisphere civil society organisations to advocate for developing world concerns being centered in Just Transition implementation.

The process was facilited by Solidar, with the support of the Olof Palme Centre and IFWEA.

The process noted numerous issues that need to be addressed within the European Green Deal (EGD) initiated by the EU.

The main weaknesses of the EGD were identified as:

• Lack of targeted finance to the stakeholders in a weaker position
• Lack of teeth for implementing a truly just transition
• Lack of integration between internal and external policies, especially trade, leading to excessive spillover effects
• Lack of consideration for the concept and principles of Fair Trade, as a driver of sustainable development changes
• Lack of underlying transformation of the current economic model and of the drivers of overconsumption

The demands for change centred on the following:

1.   Reforming the Global Financial Architecture

Access to high-quality, affordable, and long-term financing from both official and private sources is critical for giving partner countries the chance to implement climate mitigation and adaptation, boost their efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and increase progress in social outcomes.

2.  A concrete strategy and binding work plan to achieve a Just Transition

The current Just Transition measures applied in the EGD (mostly of a financial nature) need to be complemented with new measures such as transforming the economy in a fair and inclusive manner to ensure the maintenance and creation of good quality jobs and the safeguarding of universal social protection systems. –       .

3. A policy coherence for sustainable development with a deep reform of the EU Trade policy and a major political focus on reducing the spillover effects

The EGD does not contribute to Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) as the impact of the European green transition on partner countries is only partly addressed and the EU trade policy has been left unreformed after the advent of the EGD. Like other wealthy countries and regions, the EU generates large externalities (or spillover effects) due notably to unsustainable consumption and supply chains.

4. Mainstreaming Fair Trade practices to advance sustainable production, consumption and business governance

The Commission must adopt a new Communication on Fair Trade to show the growing relevance of FT in terms of EU public policies and to further expand it through binding legislative measures:

5. Turning the Green Deal into a driver of change of the EU economic model

Economic growth is at the core of the EGD, with the EU going as far as presenting it as “a new growth strategy”. This comes despite the mounting evidence showing that it is not economic growth per se that creates jobs, ensures wellbeing, or reduces poverty but rather the overall mix of government policies which together determine whether the economy supports progress for all people while preserving the environment and addressing climate change.

EMG have also supported the newly formed Global Just Transition Working Group, that aims to build international solidarity and collaboration around the Just Transition.

The pollution of our rivers, water sources and oceans due to poor waste management and failing wastewater treatment works means millions of South Africans do not have access to safe drinking water, and face deteriorating environmental health. The water crisis impacts the physical, psychological, and environmental health of communities and limits social and economic development like small-scale and urban farming, water based cultural and sports activities, and use of green spaces like parks. 

We want to prevent another human rights crisis like we saw in Hammanskraal, by highlighting the status of water quality on the ground, across the country. Working for solutions and accountability for water crisis areas with municipalities and other stakeholders. It is in the context of this water crisis that SAWC joins WaterCAN’s programme “that has shown that citizen science water testing is the starting point and can be used to change behaviour and hold people accountable.” . The WaterCAN programme has provided water testing kits and training on how to use them to build the capacity of citizens to actively assess water quality for community members’ and animal consumption, and food growing / farming activities.

SAWC invites you to join us and our members at testing locations at a variety of water source and distribution sites (listed below with local contact persons, and national contacts further down.) WaterCAN will be collecting and analysing the results of this Water Testing Week.

• Western Cape – Piketberg, Goedverwacht: all households in Goedverwacht have had water-shedding (1 hour of water from taps per day since 2017 – with no notice / consultation), due to unpaid water and electricity service bills by Moravian Church of South Africa (MCSA) to West Coast District Municipality (WCDM) and Eskom. Due to MCSA owning the land in Goedverwacht, residents pay their municipal dues to MCSA who have contracts with WCDM and Berg Rivier Local District Municipality to deliver municipal services. Municipal testing by WCDM (results available) and experiences of residents point to polluted water not fit for human consumption. The farming community has been able to continue production of their organic crops due to the irrigation system they engineered in 1995 from an alternative (not municipal) water source.

WaterCAN, the Western Cape Water Caucus, Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) and Housing Assembly will be joining the Goedverwacht community for more water testing on 21 September from 10 am – 2pm, where they will table their demands for accountability from MCSA and municipalities for delivery of clean safe water to the households.

• CONTACT: Merle Dietrich 083 252 7538 Ecowin Tourism and Development Forum/Goedverwacht Organic (PGS) Farmers – Danny Smith 082 370 044

• Western Cape – Kuils River Catchment –The Kuils River is polluted due to lack of waste management services by City of Cape Town. Water testing will be done at Corner Leiden and Spine Roads, Khayelitsha. CONTACT: Mpumelelo Mhlalisi 072 232 4511

• Western Cape – Kuils River Catchment Area:

Environmental club members doing water testing on standpipe water at Burundi, Mfuleni [pictured below]

• Northern Cape – Kharkams, Tweerivier, Nourivier, and Spoegrivier – Kamiesberg Municipality – The Northern Cape is a semi-desert and climate change is causing erratic rainfall patterns resulting in both flooding and droughts in these areas. Residents in the Kamiesberg Municipality have been facing water cuts that can last up to 14 days for the last two years. In 2021, the water issue reached a crisis stage. The municipality has installed Jojo tanks, and water is delivered every 3 – 5 days. However, this water has been insufficient for the needs of the community members, who must stand in queues and report that the water has a bitter taste. Residents wanted to test the quality of the borehole water, Jojo tanks, as well as the local rivers, for human consumption.
  CONTACT: Benjamin Kriel 066 014 1707

• Northern Cape – Kuruman, John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality & Ga-Magara Local Municipality: Water quality testing will be done on tap water, borehole water and at the Eye of Kuruman river in Ga-Segonyana. Tap water in Ga-Magara will be tested as the area is impacted by operations of the Anglo-American mines.
  CONTACT Boitumelo Tsehlo 079 693 9207

• Mpumalanga – Middelburg – Steve Tshwete Municipality: Water testing will be done on the tap water in Mhluzi, and on the Klein Olifants River as water is dirty and polluted by mining operations.
  CONTACT: Bafana Hlatshwayo 076 923 229
• KwaZulu Natal – King Cetshwayo District Municipality in uMfolozi Municipality: Water testing will be done in Ward 15 where the community gets running water once a week from communal taps to determine the quality coming from the water plant via the reservoir. Testing for water quality will also take place at the local river – uMsunduzi where livestock drinks and community members get water for irrigation.
  CONTACT: Siya Myeza 083 693 8150
• Limpopo – water testing will be done at these locations to assess quality for drinking:
  • River testing at Lephalale, Letaba, Letsitele, Selati, Tlhabane
  • Thabina water purification, Thabina river – Greater Tzaneen, Mopani District Municipality
  • Mmasegwana river for community drinking (no river with this name on Google)
  • Quality of purification of standpipe water.
  • Tzaneen, Mopani Municipality
  • Batlhabine community – Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality
    CONTACT: Mashile Phalane cell 072 336 7853
• Limpopo – Mokopane – Mogalakwena Municipality: Water testing will be done on drinking water and four rivers in the area. Reports say the water is dirty, polluted by mining operations in the area.
  CONTACT: Margaret Molomo 072 801 3045
• North West – reports of dirty water at these locations, water testing will be done to assess quality:
  • Moretele’s drinking water – Bojanala District Municipality 
  • Marikana’s drinking water – Rustenburg Local Municipality
  • Letlhabile and Wonderkop’s drinking water, plus one river – Madibeng Local Municipality.
    CONTACT: Raserola Mashamaite 071 308 3303

• Eastern Cape – water testing at various locations/areas and water sources – taps, rivers and dams including:
  • Mxumbu village’s tap water and Debe Nek Dam – Amahlathi Local Municipality
  • Dimbaza township’s tap water and Dimbaza Dam – Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
  • Middledrift town’s tap water – Raymond Mhlaba Municipality and Sandile Dam, Keiskamma River
  • Keiskammahoek’s tap water – Amahlathi Local Municipality, and Keiskamma River – Amathole District Municipality
  • King William Town’s tap water and Buffalo River – Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
  • Mdantsane, Berlin and East London’s tap water – Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality
  • Bhele village’s tap water and Bhele River – Ngqushwa Municipality
  • Alice Town’s tap water – Raymond Mhlaba Municipality
  • Ngqamakwe’s tap water and river water – Amathole District Municipality
  • Lusikisiki’s tap water and river water – Ingquza Hill Local Municipality 
    CONTACT: Xolisa Dwane 072 064 5848 
• Gauteng – Springs, Blesbokspruit River: Water testing will be done at Blesbokspruit, Bulithando Park and Black Road Extension 7 KwaThemba to assess water quality.
  CONTACT: Sandile Nombeni 065 293 8694
• Gauteng – Emfuleni Local Municipality: Water testing will take place at Rietspruit / or area serviced by Sebokeng Tap Water to assess the quality. Water is reported to be an unusual colour of and tasteless, which may be because of contamination.
  CONTACT Bongani kaMthembu 071 702 042

 For interviews please contact:

o   SAWC: national coordinator Sandile Nombeni 065 293 8694

o   WaterCAN: Dr Ferrial Adam 074 1813 197

o   EMG – SAWC secretariat: Apiwe Mdunyelwa 078 520 1730   

o   SAFCEI: Maia Nangle 076 314 0961 – Lydia Petersen 061 348 9941

The Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan [JETIP] is outlined in a highly technical, 220-page report. On the one hand, the plan outlines the need for R1.5 trillion over the next 5 years, whilst on the other announcing $8.5bn (R147bn) in pledges of support for certain aspects of the plan.

The plan outlines a series of principles and priorities for investment across electricity, new energy vehicles, and green hydrogen. There has been a lot of criticism of the fact that grants only amount to $330 million of the $8.5bn, though the inclusion of a $1300 million guarantee is perhaps more favourable than a concessional or commercial loan.

Although many criticisms of the investment are valid (why should loans and debt be a feature of a Just Transition?), it should also be noted where the investments are in the context of the required R1.5 trillion. For that figure, the government is anticipating R475bn of private investment in renewable energy (without any government guarantees), whilst the government will need to invest R132bn in enhancing transmission and distribution capability.

The Energy – Loadshedding Crisis

The JET IP takes place in the midst of a collapse in our electricity supply. Load shedding has recently become a permanent feature in South Africa and even the most optimistic projections from Eskom do not see a way out of this in the foreseeable future.

Experts such as Mark Swilling predicted this crisis 2 years ago and he recently reiterated the point that swift action is needed to add new capacity to the energy grid. The only viable path out of the crisis is to rapidly add renewable energy capacity to the grid on a much-increased scale.

The JETIP is belatedly aiming to add the much-needed energy supply to the grid. Unfortunately, government ministers are so locked into thinking we must have coal and nuclear as a ‘baseload supply’ the message often seems to be that renewables are not reliable and so won’t help us out of the current supply crisis.

Fossil Fuels VS Renewable Energies

Nowhere in government plans is there a suggestion that South Africa is going to stop burning coal anytime soon. In the JETIP own projections, the amount of coal power capacity is projected to remain the same in the 2022-2025 period. And yet Gwede Mantashe and Pravin Gordhan are still deciding to make public statements about not having ‘too much’ renewable energy and needing ‘reliable’ coal and nuclear as baseload. This sort of pronouncement adds to the fervour of paranoid coal/nuclear-lobby voices that increasing renewable energy supply is somehow the cause of Eskom’s current failure and that having more renewable power will make things worse.

The example of Germany vs South Africa

Coal lobbyists bemoan that Germany is now using more coal and that this is somehow the fault of their transition to renewable energy. On top of this, we are portrayed as moving ahead of European nations in moving to renewable energy. The reality is that Germany continues to use MORE renewables on a year-on-year basis. In the last year, they have unsurprisingly had to cut back on natural gas use, due to the war in Ukraine.

The issue here isn’t a failure of their increased use of renewables, it is a failure of Germany to wean itself off its addiction to fossil fuels as quickly as it should have. Meanwhile, South Africa is a long way from coming close to European countries’ use of renewable energy.

There is no reason for South Africa to not move to 50% renewables as rapidly as we possibly can. Contrary to the anti-renewable hype, renewables provide a predictable supply of energy, which is far cheaper than any other new energy including the coal power from the wasted billions spent on Medupi and Kusile.

Importantly burning diesel is astronomically expensive and should not be an ongoing supplier of energy. Our current mixture of coal, pumped storage, and peak power plants are perfectly capable of balancing the energy supply at times when renewable output is reduced.

As Germany has shown at higher renewable levels even coal plants can still be used to accommodate shortfalls in wind-solar supply. The point here is that for fossil fuel power plants the main cost is for burning fuel, which means that the less they are turned on the less the cost is. Mark Swilling points out that having nearly 100% renewable energy would be possible (and cost-effective) with backup gas plants ready to take the slack when output is lower. This would mean the gas plants are off 98% of the time.

Planning the way forward

Where does this all leave us with the JET IP? In an ideal world, we would have developed this plan about 20 years ago, brought on board trade unions and civil society extra, and forged a path away from fossil fuels. Unfortunately, we are now in a place where we need to proceed with the plan simply to keep the lights on and avoid permanent level 5 load shedding and the complete collapse of the grid. Much as we might wish that the plan had a much stronger emphasis on socially owned renewables or the need for further systemic transformation in society, these are not reasons to pull the plug on the only option on the table to deal with the energy crisis

One of the advantages of renewable power is that there is essentially a permanent level of construction work as IPP’s have 20-year contracts and new turbines/ solar plants have to be built after that time. Unlike nuclear or fossil fuel power, renewable power lends itself more easily to changing its composition over time.

Surely it is time to look forward and plan the future developments of renewables we need in South Africa. Let’s plan for renewables to become progressively locally made, locally run, and locally owned. Let’s ensure that rural areas in the Eastern Cape have a regular stream of income from renewables. Let’s make sure that trade unions and civil society collectively own and run their own renewable cooperatives.