To my community and others facing this environmental disaster, the losses we are enduring far outweigh the small, short-term gains that only provide hand-to-mouth benefits. There have already been tragic reports of casualties and deaths, and we do not need more lives lost to understand the harm this practice causes. I am calling on each and every one of us to take action now. It is up to us to save lives, protect our environment, and secure a sustainable future for generations to come. Sources: “Kisauni mine tragedy: Death toll rises to four Image Credit - Wachira Mwangi | Nation Media Group”

This is not just an animal welfare issue - it is also a community issue. Neglected animals roam the streets, spread disease, and often fall into the hands of criminals. By acting now, we can reduce violence, associated with cruelty, reduce the amount of unwanted animals being euthanised, improve animal health and welfare, and create more compassionate and educated communities. Better funding for SPCAs will save animals' lives, while stricter laws will deter abuse. The time to act is now. Protecting our animals is a responsibility we cannot ignore. Sources: • PROJECT: SERIOUS VIOLENT CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS • Animal Protection Act • “Curator” Arrested for Cruel Death of Dog He Was Supposed To Care For • NSPCA Celebrates Conviction of Man Who Axed His Dog to Death • Picture credit - Cape Of Good Hope SPCA

Tendele was granted the Mining Rights (MR) in October 2016. The MR was contested and on 4 May 2022 the Pretoria High Court handed down a judgment relating to the Area 4 & 5 MR and its associated Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) held by Tendele (Court Case No: 82865/2018). The decisions to grant the MR and approve the EMPr were declared invalid by the Judge. [1] The MR and its EMPr were not, however, set aside by the Court but the appeal proceedings before the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) have been reopened and the abuse and bullying has continued. Fear of reprisals, intimidations and assassinations are part of the Zululand communities daily lives, your punishment if you say no to the coal-onisers. Just recently, an Activist, Mama Fikele, who stood up against Tendele Somkhele coal mine was assassinated. [2] Tendele Somkhele are now on their 3rd Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) in as many years, and each time a new EAP is assigned to push the Tendele Somkhele destruction. The consultations are flawed and EIA critically flawed. Disturbing facts have come to light, no sooner had Tendele Somkhele’s consultants put out their flawed I&AP, even although the consulting period is not halfway through, Tendele Somkhele is bulldozing it’s way through community lands, forcibly removing households or leaving them to watch their neighbour’s lands being bulldozed. Traumatizing and bullying communities yet again. [3] Very little rehabilitation has taken place in past open cast mining areas as required by the Department of Agriculture, mined areas to be returned to arable land. Instead, in the wake of the Tendele Coal-onisers, all that has been left is vast spaces of destruction.  The destruction left behind by Tendele’s previous mining has created amongst the environmental destruction and health impact, additional fire risks. South Africa is a water scarce country, where will Tendele get their water from as coal needs thousands of litres of water to wash their coal? Does the community, their livestock and our wildlife once again need to fight for access to water or is Tendele given priority, Profit before people? The UN has recognised water as a fundamental Human Right. [4] Clean Air is also a basic human Right, it is a well researched fact that wind can carry particles of coal dust for up to 40 KM, contaminating and affecting human and environmental ecosystems. Stockpiled or left over coal undergoes atmospheric oxidation and desorption processes during open air storage, these processes release gases into the atmosphere, to once again, negatively impact human and environmental ecosystems. Every few years, the Zululand communities and their homesteads are needing to play hopscotch with the Coal-onisers as they’re forcibly removed from one area to another because new destructive coal mining is needed. Each new coal mining application brings with it empty promises of job creation, what happens to the workers from their previous mine, were their contracts terminated and they’re now left unemployed or have they left due to bad health caused by coal mining, or worse, have they passed on, also due to the impact of coal mining? [5] What do we want! Tendele Somkhele’s latest onslaught and bullying on the Zulu Kingdom needs to come to an end, South Africa has signed the Paris Agreement and needs to adhere to the Presidential Climate Commission, we don’t need more coal, we need a just transition to renewable energy!  End coal by coal-onisers before it ends us!! PeoplePower!!! Source: [1] Supreme Court Ruling 2023 [2] Condemnation of the assassination of Mama Fikile [3] Coal company sends bulldozers into KZN village [4] UN Water is a Human Right [5] 5000 applications for 100 jobs at Somkhele coal mine Photo credit Tsepang Molefe for groundWork

Brick-making company; Corobrik is currently threatening the sustainability and safety of this Pretoria paradise by submitting their application for the mining of coal in the area. Corobrik are opportunists, jumping on the coal mining bandwagon since the demand for clay bricks is dwindling in favour of Cement bricks. The mining of coal in the Rietvlei Area will have a disastrous impact on the environment and can cause irreparable damage. Coal mining, being a fossil fuel, has been proven to elevate carbon dioxide emissions thus fueling climate change causing “Extreme weather events in the form of drought, floods and wildfires that increasingly pose a risk to the health, well-being and safety of people.” (- President Cyril Ramaphosa, SoNA, 9 February 2023, Cape Town City Hall.) Apart from the global impact of Climate change, coal mining also causes air, water, and soil pollution caused by the release of Sulphur dioxide in the air, acidifying the water and releasing heavy metals into the soil. The effects of coal mining pollution are clear in arid landscapes which once were lush and green with natural life and especially experienced daily by local communities through increased noise levels, respiratory health issues caused by black dust, and even the cracking and damaging of buildings. As human beings it is our responsibility to protect animals. This harmonious relationship will most certainly be threatened with an increased risk of Poaching. In the past, Rietvlei had 4 lions of which all 4 were poached and killed. Poaching will become a bigger risk to the Reserve as the lack of employment opportunities at the mine can resort to criminal activities to sustain communities. While the north is moving away from coal, Corobrik is racing towards coal mining. We must stand together to protect Rietvlei Nature Reserve, keeping the wildlife and eco system thereof safe and say NO to Corobrik and their coal mining!

Yala swamp plays a crucial role in ensuring food security for the Yimbo and Alego communities by providing a source of locally grown food items. This also ensures that these communities achieve food sovereignty. Moreover, the income generated from sustainable agricultural activities will stimulate trade, and support small businesses along the agricultural value chain. This will help sustain the livelihoods of many families, and in turn improve the overall economic well-being of the communities. The Yala Swamp campaign started in 2003 and up to date, NOTHING has been done. The County government has proven to lack information and understanding of the benefits that Yala Swamp can generate to the residents of Yala and Alego. We believe that NLC is a conduit used by the government of Siaya to deny communities of their land rights. They are corrupt in dealing with communities with intention to thwart their efforts which has lasted more than 3 decades. Sources: https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/nyanza/2022-01-21-battle-lines-drawn-in-yala-swamp-land-case/ https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/nyanza/2021-11-14-nlc-blow-as-court-stops-yala-swamp-land-allocation-to-lake-agro-limited/ https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2021-10-31-nature-lovers-reject-nlcs-bid-to-allocate-land-in-yala-swamp-to-developer/ https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/yala-swamp-saga-broken-promises-idle-land https://landmatrix.org/media/uploads/mdcafricaorgdocumentsrejectreject_050pdf.pdf https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nlc-has-duty-protect-yala-swamp-paul-matiku/?trackingId=vDXisXy73OvECjaNCIaZBw%3D%3D Photo credit

Rivers provide water for irrigation, domestic use, industrial use, livestock and wildlife, among other services; without water, there is no life. Clean river water is critical for our survival, sustenance, and a small economy-generating source, especially in South Africa, where job scarcity is a reality. Many informal traders or fisherfolk use our rivers to generate an income by either fishing, watering community vegetable gardens, stone washing or basket weaving from reeds etc. Rivers or dams are also used for recreational purposes and tourism attractions. Over the past two decades, our government has failed to maintain basic infrastructure or apply fundamental bylaws to ensure our freshwater sources remain clean and free from pollution and sewerage. If we don't demand that our government make access to clean water a priority, a fundamental human right, which basic human right will be the next to be degraded, or we also become another death statistic caused by E. Coli infested drinking water??.. Thank you for your support, On behalf of GPAF Durban Volunteers. Sources: MSN >>> https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/durban-mother-dead-scores-sick-with-diarrhoea-as-polluted-tap-water-confirmed/ar-AA10UoZM?ocid=Huawei&appid=hwbrowser&ctype=news Daily Maverick >>> https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-08-22-durbans-r20bn-water-troubles-get-deeper-and-deeper-and-theres-no-easy-solution-in-sight/

Cette action est importante parce-qu'elle: Elle tire la sonnette d’alarme sur un problème environnemental important et permet d’anticiper sur d'éventuelles pertes en vies humaines. Protège l'environnement dans l'optique de rendre la les habitants de soa plus consciente des effets néfastes des déchets plastiques dans l'environnement. Nous sollicitons urgemment votre appui pour que cette situation change

We have the constitutional right to clean air and water in South Africa. Municipal bylaws and Environmental Acts must be enforced. Criminals get away with poisoning the air and poluting our scarce water resources and it is time that the authorities and communities stand up and say enough is enough. If we dont do something now our future generations will have no-one but this generation to blame and we do not stand for that. Stand with us.

The uMbilo River is a river system in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, located in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality. The river rises in Kloof to the west of the city of Durban and the mouth of the river is situated in Durban harbour(1) (2). Due to the ongoing uMbilo River pollution and frustration of the lack of appropriate response or results by the Municipality in addressing the river pollution issues the community members and residents galvanised to form the "Umbilo River Watch" group to monitor and report the river pollution incidents - sewerage leaks/spills in the Pinetown/Queensburgh area and chemicals being released into the river from around Westmead region(3)(4). The numerous reports that were compiled and submitted by the community and ward councillors to the relevant authorities, did not get adequate feedback nor the appropriate progress report on addressing the river pollution issues. The community members took it on themselves to take numerous samples from the river that was sent to the lab for water quality testing. Since then the Durban Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, visited the uMbilo wastewater treatment plant and ordered city officials to fast track maintenance work in the plant (5) - effluent of which discharges into the river system (6). The uMbilo river system course and river tributaries flows through several communities and informal settlements of which the pollution of the river system has serious environmental and human health issues for community members. The river canals into the Durban port at Bayhead through Maydon Wharf, the site is listed as a Natural Heritage site a 20ha nature reserve of mangrove forest and coastal grassland within the industrial area of Durban Bay, South Africa. The reserve is a remnant of what was once the largest mangrove swamp in the province (7). Reports of the canal pollution have been reported (8). Yours sincerely, The Durban Greenpeace Volunteers, the Umbilo River Watch community group, and the concerned citizens who have added their signatures. Ref:(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbilo_River (2) http://za.geoview.info/umbilo_river (3) https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/look-residents-concerned-at-umbilos-rainbow-river (4) https://www.iol.co.za/sunday-tribune/pinetown-residents-frustrated-as-polluted-umbilo-river-turns-unnatural-blue-colour (5) https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/kwazulu-natal/durban-mayor-steps-in-after-residents-raise-a-stink-about-umbilo-waste-water-works-pollution (6) http://www.durban.gov.za/Resource_Centre/Press_Releases/Pages/Public-Notice_Residents-Urged-not-to-Use-Water-From-Umbilo-River.aspx (7) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayhead_Natural_Heritage_Site (8) https://southlandssun.co.za/154085/bra-demands-answers-over-polluted-canal/ Footnotes *The Umbilo River Watch was set up under the Pinetown Conservancy (formerly uThekwane Conservancy) and has an active Whatsapp group whose members report on pollution in the river. *Ecocide is the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been or will be severely diminished. *The River Eco-status Monitoring Programme (REMP) evolved from the River Health Programme (RHP). The REMP replaced the RHP in 2016 and is a component of the National Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring Programme (NAEHMP). http://www.dwa.gov.za/iwqs/rhp/default.aspx