Newsletter| What do political parties say about environment issues? Mandi Smallhorne investigates and finds that while their manifestos waffle on a fair bit about “a healthy, sustainable environment”, none of them have the coherent approach that is needed
The Mathabo Power Station in Vanderbijlpark emits vast amounts of smoke. SA doesn’t have proper mechanisms to measure air quality and let citizens know when the air isn’t safe to breathe. Picture: Lisa Skinner
Noëlle Garcin, Action 24 project manager with the African Climate Reality Project, says: “Climate and environmental issues are intrinsically linked to key concerns such as economic and social inequality, health, housing and energy access, as well as governance and corruption. You’ll find that what drives climate change is often the source of other social, economic and environmental ills.”
In other words, “the environment” should be a golden thread that runs right through any and all policies. Tshepo Peele, a campaigner at 350.org, agrees: “The ANC has been talking more about climate change and renewables, yet, in the same breath, it is pushing for clean coal – something that isn’t practical or possible.”While all the party manifestos waffle on a fair bit about “a healthy, sustainable environment”, talk about “climate resilience” and give a nod to “renewable energy”, much of it sounds like a Hallmark card for Earth Day.
The EFF devotes quite a lot of space to the environment, but then, in a manifesto that comes in several parts and spans more than 50 pages, you have a bit of elbow room, don’t you? The thinking may be piecemeal and scattered: “The EFF will require all citizens to clean up their community once a month.” Really? Perhaps the party needs advisers who are better informed , but at least this party makes two solid statements that provide goals.
The UDM, the DA and the ANC have at least done some thinking about public transport, which is essential in a country trying to seriously reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Unless you count this statement from the UDM: “We will also introduce ‘green battalions’ to counter, among other things, soil erosion, overgrazing and deforestation, and to also protect biodiversity, especially in rural South Africa.”
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