South Durban Community Alliance protests for fishing rights and environmental justice
The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) has demanded meaningful community inclusion in all G20-related processes, with free prior informed consent for all development projects.
This was one of their list of demands made during a call for justice placard protest held in Durban on Saturday.
The SDCEA also demanded social, environmental, and climate justice, said coordinator Desmond D’Sa.
He said the timing of the protest coincided with world leaders gathering in Johannesburg.
The SDCEA is 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.
“The march aims to amplify the voices of those most affected by pollution, unemployment, climate change, and harmful development decisions made without community participation and consent,” he said.
The SDCEA had several key concerns ahead of the G20 Summit. One of them was that the G20 continues to shape global policies that impact everyday people, yet communities remain excluded from decision-making.
Other concerns behind the protest were:
- Limited community participation in decisions that directly affect people’s livelihoods, land, and future opportunities.
- Environmental harm is 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.
- Climate injustice, with South African communities suffering the worst impacts of climate change.
SDCEA and its partners also demand:
- 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.
- A transparent G20 process, with clear reporting on decisions that affect the public.
- A National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan that centres community involvement and respects cultural knowledge and local conservation practices.
- Marine protection, ensuring that Marine Spatial Planning does not prioritise oil and gas at the expense of fishing communities.
Additional community demands include:
- Open access to beach piers for subsistence fisherfolk, whose livelihoods depend on fair and continuous access to the ocean.
- An immediate end to all oil and gas exploration along South Africa’s coastline, which threatens marine life, local economies, and food security.
Representatives from the KwaZulu-Natal Office of the Premier and eThekwini Municipality accepted the memorandum and indicated that they would respond accordingly to the SDCEA.
zainul.dawood@inl.co.za