KZN Flood Victims Demand Justice: Climate Justice Coalition Political School Calls on Treasury to #PayUp!
[Durban, South Africa] – The delegates from the Climate Justice Coalition political school joined the Global Week of Climate Action (GWAC) on September 20 and demonstrated in solidarity with the KwaZulu Natal (KZN) Flood victims. The political school delegates represented activists from 50 organisations across every province in the country, including trade unions, community-based organisations and non-profit organisations.The demonstrators also stood in solidarity with the demands made by the GWAC. Political school delegates marched to the eThekwini Treasury and the Durban City Hall, demanding that the provincial government pay up and deliver reparations for the victims of the floods that devastated the province in 2022.
The demonstration took place as a part of the CJC’s inaugural political school which was held from the 18th to the 20th of September in Durban. The school was held in KZN province to give back to the province which has been devastated by floods. The floods swept across the province in 2022, claiming over 400 lives and causing thousands of people to lose their homes and their belongings. To date, there are still people missing. It is estimated that the damage caused by those floods amounted to R17 billion rands. Besides the material losses, affected communities have suffered trauma from experiencing what is one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in KZN to date.
While the CJC political school demands that the government pay reparations to flood survivors, activists recognise that the global south is disproportionately burdened by climate shocks that the global north is largely responsible for. The GWAC called on governments of the Global North to pay at least US$5 trillion per year to the Global South in public finance which can be used for mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage and a just energy transition. CJC members argued that KZN’s case makes the need for public finance and climate reparations clear.
Lungiswa Matomela (Abahlali Basemjondolo) said:
“As Abahlali BaseMjondolo Movement, we demand justice for our members who were affected during the floods two years ago. Some members lost their houses and belongings, others lost their lives. The municipality gave us empty promises about giving victims homes. These victims are still living in temporary emergency houses.”
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Pinky Cele (South African Federation of Trade Unions) said:
“The flooding had a drastic impact on most workers in KZN. One of the biggest impacted industries in KZN was Toyota where the company shut down and around 30 000 workers had to stay home for about six months. There was no plan in place to accommodate workers affected by climate change.In the future, we need policies in place for workers and members of society affected by climate change.”
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Nomfundo Mkhaba (Omama Bemvelo) said:
“As a mother, I was socially and economically displaced during the KZN floods in 2022. I have experienced firsthand the devastating impact of natural disasters on families and communities. The loss of my home and belongings has left me feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, especially as I was in the midst of building a safe and secure future for my kids.”
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Nkosinathi Sibiya (Advocates for Climate Justice) said:
“Transformation of our economic structures is necessary to fight the numerous social evils affecting our society and the existential challenges posed by climate change. We must invest in renewable energy technologies, reroute revenues toward environmental justice efforts, and ensure resources are distributed to reduce poverty and social inequality by putting key industries under public management, including nationalisation. This calculated action can encourage greater accountability and justice in the distribution of resources while also giving the government the financial resources to carry out effective responses to our connected social and climate crises.”
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Disclaimer: The quotes provided do not necessarily reflect the views of the Climate Justice Coalition (CJC) as a whole but are intended to amplify the voices, experiences, and demands of those affected by the KZN floods and members of the coalition.
Photos of the action are linked here. Photos by Lunga Bhengu.
For media enquiries, contact:
Shaazia Ebrahim
Digital and Communications Specialist, Climate Justice Coalition
comms@climatejusticecoalition.org
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About the Climate Justice Coalition: The Climate Justice Coalition is a coalition of South African trade unions, civil society, grassroots and community-based organisations working together on advancing a transformative climate justice agenda, which tackles the inequality, poverty and unemployment that pervades South Africa.