Environmental Justice
Action in Southern Africa
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Environmental Justice
Action in Southern Africa |
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Press
release – 24th June 2002 Community
members and NGO’s call on members of Portfolio Committee on Environmental
Affairs to act on concerns raised Monday,
June 24, 2002, Cape Town, South Africa:
Community members from the four fossil fuel refining areas of South
Durban, Secunda, Sasolburg and Cape Town, as well as groundWork raised
their concerns to Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs in Cape Town
today. This
presentation was made possible by Contact Trust, a non-government organisation
based at parliament that seeks to facilitate community voices being heard in
parliament. Nicholas
Kasa, from the Sasolburg Environmental Committee (SEC) raised issue with the
proposal by Peacock Bay Environmental Services (PBES) to construct a hazardous
waste incinerator in Sasolburg. This
after both civil society and the local political representatives of the people
of Sasolburg, unanimously vetoed the proposal.
“We requested the Portfolio Committee to raise our concerns presented
here with the MEC for Environment in the Free State, Mr Belot, and the Minister
of Environment, Minister Moosa,” reports Mr Kasa. Andy
Birkenshaw, of the Table View Residents Association (TVRA), presented his
concerns about the Caltex Oil Refinery in Table View, and requested the
representatives to take action to improve the plight of the people of Table View
and the surrounding neighbourhoods. “We
have often addresses the Portfolio Committee, and we want to see some action
now,” stated Mr Birkenshaw. The
ongoing pollution in South Durban was once again highlighted to the politicians.
Since Minister Moosa initiated his 7 point plan in 2000 to improve the
environment in South Durban, there has being ongoing accidents, injuries and
deaths at the petrochemical and associated industries in South Durban, reported
Mr D’Sa, Chairperson of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
(SDCEA). Industries have not being
held accountable to the deaths they have caused and the pollution than they have
dumped onto the community. groundWork presented its plans for the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD), and stated that they would seek to work with local
communities and international NGO’s to call on governments of the world to
development a international framework to hold multi-national corporates
accountable for their atrocities against the environment and humanity.
“The present case of Sasol facing a possible contempt of court action,
for not re-instating an injured worker, highlights the case of corporate power.
They will even challenge a democratic legal system, such as the South
African judiciary,” stated Bobby Peek, Director of groundWork. For
more information on the other sectors of the hearings today,
please call Linden Booth at 082 878 3688. For
more information on the above issues please contact: Bobby
Peek, groundWork:
082 464 1 383 |