Green movement in South Africa

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The Green movement in South Africa traces its history from the early beginnings of conservation, to the rise of radicalism and activism amongst local ecologists. Before the Chernobyl disaster and the fall of the Berlin Wall, there were very few green activist groups in the country. Koeberg Alert and the Dolphin Action and Awareness Group are probably two of the oldest post-conservation groups.

While most early conservationists implicated themselves in the apartheid system, groups such as Earthlife Africa were consciously aware of their role as nurturers of freedom and human rights as well as the rights of the earth and animal kingdom. The Cape Town Ecology Group for example, openly campaigned for political freedoms with a platform that "ecologised politics and politicised ecology".^[1]

In Durban, the Environmental Justice Network, sprung up alongside apartheid issues that affected the environment as well as the rights of workers. While most radical environmentalists were absorbed into the governing African National Congress, some toyed with the formation of a political party that would represent green interests.

[edit] Time-line

1983 Koeberg Alert founded;
1986 Chernobyl disaster
1987 Cape Town Ecology Group founded;
1988 Earthlife Africa formed;
1990 A fishing industry campaign by the Food and Allied Workers Union links workers issues to the environment;
1991 First National Conference on Environment and Development;

Environmental Monitoring Group releases a document "Towards Sustainable Development in South Africa"^[2];
General Magnus Malan takes over as new Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry;

2002 Rio+10 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg;
2004 Marthinus van Schalkwyk appointed as Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
2006: Eskom, South Africa's national energy utility issues energy-saving lightbulbs to consumers as part of a "demand-side" energy-reduction campaign.

[edit] References

^ Lewis, D, "Ending the Apartheid of the Environment", South, Southside Environment, March 7 to March 13, 1991, p19
^ Lewis, D, "Environment and Economics go together?, South Environment, Sept 19-25, 1991, p20