coffee-bay-flood

Coffee Bay Flood: Man tells how he survived by grabbing tree

By Fazila Olla 24-02-23 10:33

A distraught uncle from Zithulele Village near Coffee Bay in the Eastern Cape says it was the smell of a decomposing corpse and flies that led the family to his niece’s body after she was swept away during flooding a week ago. Thousands of families in the OR Tambo District Municipality are stranded and cut […]

South African activists urge French parliament to stop TotalEnergies’ “ocean grab”

South African activists urge French parliament to stop TotalEnergies’ “ocean grab”

By Fazila Olla 23-02-23 10:23

Environmental group Green Connection is lobbying French MPs and members of the European Parliament to hold French corporation TotalEnergies to account for its “ocean grab” in South African waters. Environmental group Green Connection is lobbying members of the French and European parliaments about TotalEnergies’ offshore oil and gas projects in South African oceans. French NGO […]

cyclones-southern-africa

Cyclones in southern Africa: five essential reads

By Fazila Olla 22-02-23 11:45

Tropical cyclone Freddy was, on 21 February 2023, bearing down on Mauritius and Madagascar. Mauritius grounded flights and, news agency Reuters reported, emergency teams in four regions of Madagascar were braced for “heavy rains, floods and landslides”. A day earlier the Mauritius Meteorological Services issued a Class 3 cyclone warning, saying estimated gusts in the […]

Plans to stop raw sewage being pumped into the sea off Cape Town

City of Cape Town plans to stop raw sewage being pumped into the sea

By Fazila Olla 22-02-23 10:50

The City of Cape Town is considering treating up to 39-million litres of essentially raw sewage pumped out to sea daily via three marine outfalls, the first of which was built 122 years ago. The City of Cape Town’s permits to discharge sewage at three marine outfalls, two of them in Marine Protected Areas, have […]

Maternal air pollution exposure puts unborn babies at risk in SA

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy puts unborn babies at risk in SA

By Fazila Olla 21-02-23 11:40

Pregnant mothers living in air pollution hotspots in South Africa risk bearing a child with a congenital birth anomaly; specifically orofacial cleft lip and palate (CLP). This is according to research done by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in partnership with surgeons, researchers and Operation Smile. The research was presented this month at […]

floodnorthwest

Heavy rains continue in the NW, community urged to be vigilant

By Fazila Olla 21-02-23 10:59

North West Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) MEC, Nono Maloyi, has urged communities throughout the province, especially those in low-lying areas, to exercise caution as the province continues to experience above-normal rains. “The North West province, like many other parts of the country, has been receiving heavy rains in the past days, causing flooding […]

Action needed to reduce Cape Town’s water usage, says expert

Action needed to reduce Cape Town’s water usage, says expert

By Fazila Olla 21-02-23 10:37

Earlier this month, Cape Town’s average water usage exceeded one billion litres a day for the first time since 2014. The City of Cape Town’s current water usage target is 850-million litres a day. Last week, usage averaged 950-million litres a day. More needs to be done to reduce Cape Town’s water usage, an expert […]

Pangolin. PHOTO: Manyoni Private Game Reserve

Celebrating birth of pangolin pup whose mum was saved from poachers in South Africa

By Jenni Baxter 17-02-23 20:31

On World Pangolin Day, HSI/Africa is celebrating the successful reintroduction of vulnerable pangolins into the wild, with the special addition of a pango-pup! This World Pangolin Day (Saturday 18 February), animal protection organization Humane Society International/Africa celebrates a powerful collaboration with the African Pangolin Working Group and the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital to retrieve, rehabilitate […]

Kruger National Park continues to monitor downpours

Kruger National Park continues to monitor downpours

By Fazila Olla 16-02-23 12:25

Kruger National Park (KNP) Disaster Management Teams remain on alert as the park continues to receive more rain this morning. “We appeal for patience and cooperation from tour operators, tourists, and drivers within the KNP during this period to minimise any risk to human life and infrastructure. We are trying our level best to open […]

A day in the life of a Cape Town waste collector

A day in the life of a Cape Town waste collector

By Fazila Olla 15-02-23 10:51

This is Avuyile Masekwane’s last month as a refuse collector in Mfuleni, Cape Town. Though the work is difficult and demanding, she will be sorry when her 12-month contract ends at the end of February. Twenty-seven-year-old Masekwane works for the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) collecting rubbish, five days a week, from 8:30am to 3:30pm. […]

Challenges facing the South African capital’s greening efforts

Parks versus people? Challenges facing the South African capital’s greening efforts

By Fazila Olla 14-02-23 10:53

Urban green spaces have recently been getting more research attention because of the benefits they offer. Gardens, parks, reserves and trees have been linked to cultural, spiritual and alternative medical solutions. Natural or semi-natural land areas can also deliver ecosystem services like food, stormwater management and climate control. Cities can plan and manage these for […]

National state of disaster declared on floods

SA Government declares national state of disaster on floods

By Fazila Olla 14-02-23 10:09

Government has declared a national state of disaster to enable an intensive, coordinated response to the impact of floods that are affecting Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Northern Cape and North West provinces. The declaration, made in terms of the Disaster Management Act of 2002, was on Monday gazetted by Cooperative Governance […]

Disaster management teams remain alert against floods. Photo: iStockPhoto

Disaster teams on high alert amid floods across many parts of SA

By Fazila Olla 13-02-23 10:54

Disaster management teams are on high alert across the country amid the continuing heavy rains that have already resulted in damage, says Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. The inclement weather in recent days saw vehicles submerged and swept away, trapped homeowners on roofs and collapsed walls. In a statement, […]

Cape Town’s ‘Day Zero’ threat concentrated minds

Cape Town’s ‘Day Zero’ threat concentrated minds

By Fazila Olla 10-02-23 10:07

Major cities across the world are being increasingly plagued by severe water shortages. From Bangalore, India to São Paulo, Brazil and even Beijing, China, cities are at risk of drought in the near future. This has been true in South Africa too. Between 2016 and 2018 Cape Town experienced the real possibility of “Day Zero”, […]

“Total madness”: Fishers protest against ocean drilling

“Total madness”: Fishers protest against ocean drilling

By Fazila Olla 09-02-23 10:44

About 30 activists and fishers led by the Eastern Cape Environmental Network and Earthlife Africa protested outside TotalEnergies service station in KwaDwesi, Gqeberha on Wednesday. They do not want the government to grant the company a license for the production of oil and gas between Mossel Bay and Cape St Francis. The protest started at […]

Experts converge to find solutions for climate change challenges

Experts meet at The 5th National Global Change Conference to find solutions for climate change challenges

By SAPeople Contributor 03-02-23 09:44

Rapid urbanisation, population growth and increasingly scarce resources are high on the agendas of scientists, innovators, decision-makers and governments around the world. The 5th National Global Change Conference, currently underway at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein, has brought these stakeholders together to discuss research related to addressing these and other challenges. […]

Cape Town’s beaches are dirtier than they seem

Cape Town’s beaches are dirtier than they seem

By SAPeople Contributor 02-02-23 11:43

At least eight Cape Town beaches were closed during the December and January festive season after sewage spills were reported. But water test results show that several other beaches were also too polluted for safe swimming. The City of Cape Town has been quick to close beaches to protect swimmers following sewage spills. But tests show that […]

Environmental activists revise pleas in “SLAPP case” brought by Australian miners

Environmental Activists Revise Pleas in “SLAPP Case” Brought by Australian Miners

By SAPeople Contributor 01-02-23 11:09

Six South African activists and public interest lawyers have filed revised papers in their marathon legal battle against a collective R14.25-million “SLAPP” defamation case brought against them by Australian mining interests. Six South African activists and public interest lawyers have filed revised papers in their marathon legal battle against a collective R14.25-million “SLAPP” defamation suit. […]

Heatwave in SA poses a serious health threat to residents, SAMRC warns

South Africa’s Heatwave Poses Serious Health Threat, SAMRC Warns

By SAPeople Contributor 26-01-23 13:03

Infants, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and those who are on chronic medications are the most vulnerable to death as a result of exposure to extreme heat, according to research conducted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and its partners. The research, according to the SAMRC, draws a correlation […]

More heat for Sa Provinces

South African Government Urges Caution During Heatwave

By SAPeople Contributor 26-01-23 12:57

The government has urged South Africans to take extra caution as the heatwave persists in certain parts of the country. In a statement on Tuesday, GCIS Acting Director-General, Michael Currin, said: “We are concerned about the impact of the hot weather, parts of South Africa have been experiencing.” He said residents must drink water and […]

greenwashing in corporations

Climate Change Can be Beaten – Why Some Scientists are Hopeful

By SAPeople Contributor 19-12-22 10:46

Can our planet recover from climate change? Commissioning Editor, Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, asked scientists to share the reasons they believe there is hope. Jennifer Fitchett, Associate Professor of Physical Geography, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. People are starting to notice the weather and climate and to understand climate […]

Photos | Hailstorm in Johannesburg

PHOTOS of Hectic Hailstorm in Johannesburg

By SAPeople Contributor 07-12-22 01:17

Gauteng was hit by a hectic thunderstorm on Monday afternoon, with hail pelting down, causing damage to several roofs and motor vehicles. But the aftermath was quite breathtaking to gaze upon – with the golf-ball sized hail blanketing the ground like snow, transforming Joburg into a white wonderland. Well known artist James Delaney captured these […]

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