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Daily Maverick
16-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Maverick
‘We don't want to hear about polar bears' — Meet the woman bringing climate justice home to Alex
Climate and gender activist Ndivile Mokoena is strengthening her community's response to climate change, using terms they can relate to. I first met Ndivile Mokoena by accident. I was at the Alexandra Water Warriors (AWW) head office with photojournalist Felix Dlangamandla, following up on the aftermath of days of heavy rainfall that had flooded the Jukskei River and surrounding informal settlement, collapsing people's homes. We were waiting at the AWW's head office when I noticed a small workshop under way under the boma. A woman stood at the front, explaining climate change to residents in Alexandra – people who face its most brutal impacts first-hand. But this wasn't the usual jargon-filled presentation I've come to expect from climate workshops, it was the most accessible, grounded explanation of the climate crisis I've ever heard. And that's saying something, because I spend most of my days trying to make technical climate terms understandable, and I end almost every interview with engineers and scientists with, 'but please can you explain it in layman's terms.' The woman was Ndivile Mokoena, co-director of GenderCC South Africa- Women for Climate Justice. Based in Johannesburg, GenderCC works at the intersection of climate and gender justice, building climate literacy and advocating for marginalised voices, especially women and youth. It turned out Mokoena was running the session as part of the Suncasa (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions [NbS] for Climate Adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa) project, which aims to strengthen resilience and biodiversity in flood-prone cities in Ethiopia, Rwanda and South Africa. In Johannesburg, they're focusing on revitalising the Upper Jukskei River catchment – improving urban heat management, water security, green space, and livelihoods – through local NGOs such as AWW and GenderCC. 'She's just a ball of energy; her ability to translate complex climate science into actionable strategies that really prioritise vulnerable populations has not only shaped our team's approach but has inspired me personally also to think more critically about the intersections of power, identity, and the sustainability,' reflected her co-director at GenderCC, Bertha Chiroro. 'And it's what I love most about her – in her examples, she never talks about abstract issues, but day-to-day issues that affect people, and the changes we need to make to deal with the climate catastrophe.' A few weeks later, I attended another workshop in Alexandra, this time at a creche. Mokoena was leading a session with AWW volunteers and local artists – mostly women, many of them mothers – challenging them to think about how gender roles influence climate adaptation and nature-based solutions. 'As women, we need rights to education' I asked Mokoena if she has ever had people not understand why climate and gender were connected, and Chiroro laughed, saying, this is what they have to explain to the national government all the time. When asked what brought her here, Mokoena said her passion for social justice has always been part of her. She recalled an incident growing up in Soweto that first made her aware of gender inequalities. 'After matriculation, I told my mom what I want to do… and my father said, no, he doesn't believe in educating girls further,' she said. 'Then that triggered something (in) me – that as women, we need to have rights to be able to get the same education as men.' Mokoena found a job at Standard Bank and funded her own studies through Unisa – communications, marketing, and later, certificates in women's and children's rights and community leadership. She noted that even there, gender discrimination followed her – she was paid less than a male colleague with the same role. During the HIV/Aids crisis in the 1980s, Mokoena volunteered at shelters for abused women, which highlighted the intersectional challenges black South African women face. Her environmental activism was sparked through the Catholic Church's Justice and Peace ministry, where members were encouraged to identify and solve local issues. In her neighbourhood, she noticed illegal dumping was rampant. 'We started going to the councillor, cleaning that space and we started food gardens,' she said. That led to broader environmental training and networks such as Earthlife Africa and the Women in Energy and Climate Change Forum. Her work grew – supporting women farmers, lobbying municipalities and taking South African voices to international platforms. From 2018 to 2020, Mokoena served as the Global South focal point for the Women and Gender Constituency of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She has attended several UN climate conferences, ensuring that the struggles of everyday women in Johannesburg's informal settlements are represented in international policy-making spaces. But it's not travelling to Poland to climate change COPs that motivates her, it's the women around her. Mokoena and Chiroro said they were so moved by how many volunteers there are at Alex Water Warriors, about 3,000 people who are trying to clean one of the most polluted rivers in the country. 'You find women with their babies on their back, waking up early in the morning to go and volunteer with the hope that they can clean up their community,' she said. Empowering local knowledge Mokoena challenges the idea that African communities don't understand climate change. 'African people understand what climate change is – they notice the changes,' she said. 'They are very grounded in nature.' She recalled her childhood: growing food, reusing materials, bartering with neighbours. 'Nothing was thrown away. Now, these changes make sense — because we've stopped doing those things.' To communicate climate science in ways that make sense locally, she starts with what people know. 'We ask, in your own vicinity, what changes are you observing? Not polar bears or melting ice — but here, in Alex or Soweto.' People talk about how growing food has changed, floods, water shortages. From there, she builds a deeper understanding, also highlighting governance issues such as crumbling infrastructure 'They know what the industries are doing – burning coal, dumping. They see it. Then we explain that these are the things causing climate change.' Why women? Although climate change affects everyone, it doesn't do so equally. In South Africa, women – especially in poor communities – bear the brunt of climate impacts, yet are often left out of decisions. GenderCC's research shows that while climate policies exist, they often fail to integrate gender meaningfully. Without women's voices, these policies risk missing both their unique vulnerabilities and their critical knowledge. For example: Women often work in agriculture but don't own land, limiting access to adaptation tools such as irrigation or drought-resistant seeds; They're usually responsible for collecting water – a task made harder and riskier by droughts or floods; Disasters disrupt girls' education, sometimes leading to early marriage or sex work; Economic stress and displacement heighten the risk of gender-based violence; and Health burdens such as indoor smoke inhalation or food insecurity – fall heavily on women, who also struggle with access to care in patriarchal systems. Despite these challenges, women hold vital local knowledge – in water management, food security and caregiving –but are underrepresented in policy decisions. Through the Gender into Urban Climate Change Initiative (GUCCI), Mokoena helped show that gender-responsive climate planning results in better, more inclusive solutions. Their work exposed major gaps: lack of sex-disaggregated data, weak enforcement of gender policy and poor coordination between climate and gender bodies. 'What I really admire most about Ndivile is her unwavering commitment to inclusivity,' said Chiroro. 'She ensures that gender equity is not an afterthought, but a core pillar of climate action. Whether she's leading in community consultation, contributing to policy design, or mentoring young professionals, her work is always rooted in justice and empowerment.' Ground-up change With support from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and Medico, GenderCC has helped communities such as Driezik 1 in Orange Farm township and Kwanele in Katlehong township take grassroots climate action. In Driezik 1, Mokoena helped install a biogas digester at Reamohetsoe Primary School – giving learners clean cooking fuel – and ran hands-on workshops where women and youth learnt to turn waste into energy, organise clean-ups and advocate for better water and sanitation. Inspired by this work, residents formed savings clubs for solar panels and started exploring small-scale biogas at home. In Kwanele, she facilitated similar exchanges – peer learning spaces focused on food security, energy, and justice. Teaching with the land When I asked Mokoena if there was a moment in her career that stood out, she thought of a small-scale urban farmer she works with. Women in this sector face major challenges accessing formal market chains, such as selling to Pick n Pay or Checkers. They are often pressured to bribe either financially or 'in kind,' implying sexual favors – just to get a foot in the door. Even when they sell to big retailers, they are exploited and paid far less than market price. To improve their chances, women organise into cooperatives, but many barriers remain. As an alternative, they've started monthly community markets where they sell produce directly to consumers at fair prices. One such farmer is Nompumelelo Madubane from Orange Farm, whom Mokoena trained in agroecology. Madubane is part of the Women in Energy and Climate Change Forum under Earthlife Africa and is active in the Bonkgono Community Project, a group of elderly community gardeners. 'Sisi Ndivile's work has helped us understand the difference between chemical and natural farming. She has also taught us a lot about climate change,' Madubane said. 'Thanks to her training, we now grow our gardens in ways that benefit us and the environment.' A single mother of five, Madubane has put her two eldest sons through tertiary education despite job losses. She started a food garden at a local school and installed a biogas digester to provide cooking gas. 'We now use agroecology methods there. We have a group of farmers in Orange Farm where we teach and learn from each other,' she said. Mokoena and GenderCC helped farmers like Madubane engage the local government, leading to councillors joining workshops and clean-up campaigns. The community raised awareness about waste disposal, secured bins and recycling, and improved their environment. Local officials were impressed and brought in City Parks to plant trees and waste groups to educate residents. 'What stands out about Sisi Ndivile is her leadership; she's helped me teach and lead myself,' Madubane said. 'I now give talks about the social impacts of climate change, teach children where their food comes from, and more. I'm where I am today because of her teachings.' Chiroro added: 'She continues to do great work. Her love for community and empowering people to create their own change is something I truly admire. I love how she helps communities speak out about their challenges and solutions.' Makukane said: 'I hope she can keep teaching in other communities. I could write a book about how much good she's done, not just in farming but beyond.' DM
The Citizen
03-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Artists transform Jukskei River waste into artwork
Jukskei river was once an eyesore in Alexandra, but now, as artists find ways to turn waste into artwork, it is becoming a tourist attraction site. The Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SUNCASA) Community Litter Trap and Art Project, which was launched on April 16 in collaboration with Hannelie Coetzee, Alexandra Water Warriors, The Kula Marolen Foundation, and The ART Collective, breathes life into the once polluted river and neglected riverbanks. Read more: Where to dump your garden refuse and general waste in Johannesburg? The project has enabled the Alex community to turn waste dumped into the river into artistic river cleaning installations and public art. This is to address flooding, and to improve biodiversity, amongst other things. Additionally, as residents say, the project is also part of the efforts to transform Alex into a tourist destination with rich heritage. The recently launched litter trap and art project was implemented under SUNCASA, a three-year initiative aimed at revitalising the Upper Jukskei River catchment through nature-based solutions. David van Niekerk, CEO of the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership, said the goal was not only to install litter traps, but to change how they were perceived. 'The idea was to build five more, as part of this project, and I said to them: 'How can we change the way it is perceived, because it is not a beautiful thing, there's litter'. So, the idea came… Let us bring in art,' he noted, adding that the idea was to: 'Turn the rather unsightly litter traps into vibrant community spaces, by activating them through public art installations.' He said the spaces could serve as a place where locals and tourists could learn about the river and nature-based approaches. The project was led by Coetzee, and, in collaboration with local artists, they brought ways and stories to clean the polluted river. They transformed some of the waste materials salvaged from the river into masterpieces and used them as installations which prevents the build-up of waste in the Jukskei River. Also read: A guide to responsible e-waste disposal in Gauteng The project gave birth to the stunning: Alexandra River Creatures series (2025), which is comprised of sculptures that were creatively made from debris taken out of the river. Reflecting on the project, Paul Maluleke, founder of Alexandra Water Warriors, said: 'What we have done is to clean our image as Alexandra. Alexandra has been perceived as a dirty place, plagued by rats, but then, from the tourism point of view, we realised that there is so much that we can do.' He noted that they want to rehabilitate the Jukskei River, and transform it into a tourism attraction. 'It must have art installations. It must be safe and clean, and there must be employment.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Alex waste pickers have a new home to ply their trade At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
News24
26-04-2025
- General
- News24
Reviving Joburg's polluted Jukskei River
Local activists, artists and environmental experts are working together to revive the polluted Jukskei River, one of Johannesburg's largest rivers, GroundUp reports. The Jukskei River runs through many urban areas, including the densely populated township of Alexandra. During heavy rainfall, the river often bursts its banks causing flooding. Volunteers and activists have set up colourful litter traps where the river passes through Alexandra. The traps are made entirely out of recycled plastics woven together to make nets. Environmental experts have been advising community members on the best design for the handwoven litter traps. The traps catch discarded tyres, fibre-optic cables, and bricks eroded by the river. The nets have been placed at strategic locations along the river, accompanied by artworks made by local artists with materials salvaged from the river. This initiative is being implemented under SUNCASA (Scaling Urban Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa) – a project led by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute. In Johannesburg, the Jukskei project aims to plant more than 40 000 trees along the river and clear up the land with the help of community activists. Johannesburg-based artist Hannelie Coetzee and the Alexandra Water Warriors, a civic organisation with over 2 000 volunteers, have for years been working on cleaning and rehabilitating the Alexandra section of the Jukskei. Coetzee also recruited other artists who produced large sculptures along the river using material salvaged from the river. "I think it's been a missed opportunity for a very long time not to involve communities in this level of participation. It not only helps change the river system, but it also creates agency and buy-in from the community to maintain it. Art is not an add-on here, it is central to ecological restoration," said Coetzee. Paul Maluleke, a founder of the Alexandra Water Warriors, said the litter traps are emptied almost daily by community volunteers who take the waste to the AWW recycling station to be sorted and recycled. The plan is to roll the project out in other communities facing similar challenges. Dr Samiksha Singh earned her PhD in Environmental Science for her study on the impact of microplastics in river systems like the Jukskei. "Interventions like these are very important," she said, "because we need to make sure our water is clean and safe, not only for consumption, but for recreation in our communities." Singh said being part of the collaboration between scientists, local residents and artists had been "really interesting" and "felt like I was taking the knowledge I had learnt and using it to find practical solutions with real outcomes".
