Latest news with #Ntando
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Hospital seeks public's help to locate family of unidentified patient
Hospital seeks public's help to locate family of unidentified patient The Madadeni Regional Hospital is urgently appealing for public assistance in locating the family of a patient identified as Andres Ntando. According to the hospital's Public Relations Department, no contact details for next of kin were provided when Ntando was admitted. Ntando informed staff that he resides in the Mnambithi area, but has been unable to provide any further information. If you know Ntando or are able to assist in locating his relatives, please contact the Madadeni Provincial Hospital Public Relations Department on 034 328 8043/8133 or email The news provided to you in this link has been investigated and compiled by the editorial staff of the Newcastle Advertiser, a sold newspaper distributed in the Newcastle area. Please follow us on Youtube and feel free to like, comment, and subscribe. For more local news, visit our webpage, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and request an add on our WhatsApp (082 874 5550). At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Mail & Guardian
25-05-2025
- Mail & Guardian
South Africa's natural wealth should benefit everyone
People must be reconnected to their natural heritage for conservation to create jobs. Last month, I had a brief conversation that continues to haunt me. While dining at a restaurant in one of Cape Town's tourist hotspots, I met Ntando — a 42-year-old waitress. Though she works in the heart of a global biodiversity hotspot and World Heritage Site, her words were jarring: 'Conservation means nothing to me and my family.' Ntando, a single mother of three daughters, walks four hours daily to and from her minimum-wage job. With no direct public transport to her workplace, she relies on unreliable commuting options. Surrounded daily by the 'I can barely make ends meet,' she told me. 'But, more than that, I worry about what future awaits my daughters.' Ntando's story reveals a painful truth. While generations before her might have been stewards of this land, the modern conservation economy has pushed her to its margins. She represents millions of South Africans living beside natural treasures who have been excluded from both decision-making and the economic opportunities these areas offer. This systematic exclusion not only perpetuates inequality but threatens the very sustainability of conservation — no ecosystem can thrive long-term when the people who live within it are treated as afterthoughts rather than essential partners. The natural wealth around us South Africa is one of the world's most naturally rich countries. Our land holds nearly According to Statistics South Africa, nature-based tourism directly contributed And yet, the benefits of this wealth do not reach the majority of South Africans. Even worse, illegal wildlife trade and habitat destruction cost us between A new path forward At the UN Development Programme First, we need to redirect the money. Research from the University of Cape Town shows Second, we should embrace new technologies to unlock conservation financing. Digital platforms like Through Wildcards, technology enthusiasts become 'guardians' of virtual animals or conservation projects by purchasing uniquely designed digital wildlife cards. Each guardian makes regular donations to conservation organisations until someone else purchases their card. This approach could operate on an even larger scale — imagine a regulated South African marketplace for similar conservation investments where most proceeds directly support community-led initiatives. This could generate millions while creating jobs Third, we must give local communities real power in conservation decisions and management. Studies show that conservation programmes designed with community input are The cost of continuing as we are If we continue on the current path, we risk irreversible biodiversity loss and growing socio-economic instability. Our But there's hope in change. Projections from the South African National Biodiversity Institute suggest that inclusive conservation models could create At UNDP-BIOFIN, we're working with the government, businesses, investors and communities to create new ways of funding biodiversity protection that benefit everyone. With our partners, we've launched a platform connecting nature-focused entrepreneurs with impact investors and development funders. But technical solutions alone aren't enough — we need a fundamental shift in how conservation is understood, accepted and practised. For Ntando and millions like her, conservation must matter When I think about Ntando's daily four-hour walk to serve tourists who come to admire 'pristine' landscapes, the disconnect is chilling. Her family once lived in harmony with this land, but exclusionary conservation approaches severed that relationship, sometimes turning stewards into spectators. True conservation must translate into real, visible benefits for people like Ntando: secure jobs, sustainable income and a brighter future for their children. It must reconnect communities with their natural heritage and recognise them as rightful partners, not obstacles. Only by placing communities at the heart of nature financing can we transform it from a perceived burden to a national opportunity. South Africa's natural wealth belongs to all its citizens — it's time our approach to protecting it reflected that reality. Deshni Pillay is the head of the Nature, Climate and Energy portfolio at the UN Development Programme South Africa.
