Durban activists challenge G20 on climate and inequality
As world leaders meet in South Africa for the G20 Summit, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance and partner groups took to the Durban beachfront, calling for meaningful community participation, an end to coastal oil exploration, and urgent action on climate and social injustice.
AS WORLD leaders gathered on South African soil for the G20 Summit from Saturday, November 22 to Sunday, November 23, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) met at the Durban beachfront to conduct a peaceful protest demanding social, environmental, and climate justice.
Held in partnership with other environmental organisations like groundWork and concerned Abahlali baseMjondolo, the group marched from Suncoast beach to the Amphitheatre where they read out their list of demands. SDCEA co-ordinator Desmond D’Sa said the protest was about calling attention to the urgent issues faced by communities in Durban and across the country.
“Issues that are too often ignored in global economic discussions,” said D’Sa. “The march amplified the voices of those most affected by pollution, unemployment, climate change, and harmful development decisions made without community participation and consent.”
Holding placards calling for action and raising awareness on climate change and the dangers of drilling for oil, the group made their presence felt at the beachfront.
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Among the concerns raised by the protesters was the limited community participation in decisions that directly affect people’s livelihoods, land, and future opportunities; environmental harm caused by ongoing oil and gas exploration; industrial pollution and land degradation; growing economic inequality, where corporations benefit while communities face unemployment, poor housing, and unsafe environments; and climate injustice, with South African communities suffering the worst impacts of climate change.
“SDCEA demands a meaningful community inclusion in all G20-related processes, with free prior informed consent for all development projects; a real Just Transition that prioritises renewable energy, clean water, food security, and sustainable livelihoods, without forcing harmful options like nuclear power or gas on communities; protection of land, oceans, and natural resources from exploitation, pollution, and corporate capture; and marine protection, ensuring that Marine Spatial Planning does not prioritise oil and gas at the expense of fishing communities,” said D’Sa.
The environmental organisation further called for open access to beach piers for subsistence fisherfolk, whose livelihoods depend on fair and continuous access to the ocean, as well as the immediate end to all oil and gas exploration along South Africa’s coastline, which threatens marine life, local economies, and food security.
The memorandum was handed over to Dr Nkosenye Godfrey Zulu who is the Deputy Director-General (DDG) for Institutional Development and Integrity within the Office of the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
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