Climate activists demand million jobs and a ‘green’ Eskom

Climate activists didn’t hold back slurs at the Department of Mineral Resources’ (DMR) Pretoria offices during a protest on Wednesday.

They wanted to amplify their call for the department to urgently change their current climate actions that caused unemployment, poverty and ill-health.

Global climate strikes are set to take place across the world on September 24 to fight the mining and pollution practices plaguing various countries.

Young and old activists gathered at Burgers Park in Pretoria CBD to march to the DMR in Arcadia to demand transformation as the nation was facing interconnected social, economic and ecological crises.

The activists, supporting the demands were African Climate Alliance; Assembly of the Unemployed, Botshabelo Unemployed Movement; Climate Justice Coalition; Fossil Free South Africa; Green Connection; Makause Community Development Forum; Marikana Youth Development Organisation; Public Health Association of SA; Climate, Energy and Health; Special Interest Group; and South African Green Revolutionary Council, among others.

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The Climate Justice Coalition and partner organisations in their protest demanded for Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe to step aside to allow new progressive leadership.

They also demanded a million climate jobs to be created, for a rapid transition to a more socially owned, renewable energy-powered economy and for officials within the department to be investigated around irregular deals among other issues.

Protestors said the DMR was a major obstacle to making progress on a better energy and a mining future.

United Front national spokesperson Trevor Ngwane said Mantashe and his department were part of assisting South Africans in destroying the earth as they were reluctant on steering away from the use of fossil fuels.

“We are killing ourselves if government continues to use coal. In Witbank children are ill due to asthma, from inhaling polluted air.

“Our planet is also sick as a result of climate change. We cannot even tell if its winter season or summer.”

He said government was not aware that their actions of not using renewable energy, would also lead us into poverty.

“They are committing genocide.”

He said the reluctance by government to transform the energy sector was due to politicians benefiting through state entities such as Eskom, which were now facing a crisis.

350.org Campaigner and secretary for the Climate Justice Coalition, Alex Lenferna said the DMR was degrading land and driving a climate crisis in South Africa and the world.

He said many South Africans were trying to provide much-needed energy access, however, the DMR was set on working with companies that exploited citizens and plunged them into darkness.

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“We need an energy future, which will work for the people, such as solar power and wind power.”

Lenferna said Kusile and Medupi power stations were not solutions to the country’s troubles as they had already cost tax payers R500-billion.

“The DMR is blocking the flow of energy into our democracy. They are ignoring the voices of those most impacted by energy planning decisions, leaving many without access to basic electricity and approving polluting projects while our just transition to renewable energy languishes on Mantashe’s desk.”

He said the DMR had to stop blocking and inhibiting Eskom’s transition to renewables.

“We need a green, new Eskom driving a just transition to a more socially owned, renewable energy future.”

Lenferna said the DMR had to deny all new onshore and offshore oil, gas and coal exploration, fracking and mining projects and new power stations powered by coal or fossil gas.

He said investments in power generation had to be confined to renewable energy sources moving forward.

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