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IOL News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
The Legacy lives on: Why today's climate fight needs youth at the centre
Deputy President Paul Mashatile emphasised the imperative of empowering youth to lead economic and social transformation. Image: SIGCINIWE Speaking at the G20 High Level Intergeneration Dialogue in Sandton last Friday, Deputy President Paul Mashatile emphasised the imperative of empowering youth to lead economic and social transformation and to be at the core of the global engagement on the future of the society they will inherit – It was warming. We have observed the month-long sacrament called youth month in South Africa by bemoaning our challenges and celebrating our youth heroes and trailblazers. Now that the elders have once again temporarily remembered the youth of 76 we must not cast our eyes off the existential global crisis - the climate crisis. South Africa's energy transition is both a national imperative and a strategic opportunity for youth empowerment. The convergence of youth unemployment, skills shortages, and infrastructure challenges makes it critical to invest in human capital development for sustainable energy systems. Demonstrated since the Soweto Uprising of 1976, to today's climate action litigation in the highest courts, South Africa's youth have always been at the forefront of transformational change. Today, as we confront climate change, a defining challenge of our time, it is once again young people who must step up with courage, clarity, and conviction. Many young people are demanding action to address climate change. They recognise that current policies and targets fall short of what is needed to secure their future. These young activists use traditional and innovative methods to build momentum and advocate for change. Litigation is one method they use to hold polluting industries and governments accountable. In December 2024, the power of the youth was exhibited not through protest, but through litigation. In a landmark judgment, in favour of the #CancelCoal campaign, the country's first youth-led constitutional climate case. The campaign, led by African Climate Alliance, Vukani Environmental Justice Movement, and groundWork, challenged the inclusion of 1 500MW of new coal-fired power in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The court agreed that the plan violated several constitutional rights, including the right to an environment that is not harmful to health or wellbeing, especially for children. Moments like this highlight that youth participation is not symbolic. It is dynamic. It's deliberate. And it is critical for achieving an inclusive just transition. A just transition must put youth as co-creators of the sustainable future. Our energy transition is both a national imperative and a strategic opportunity for youth empowerment. The convergence of youth unemployment, skills shortages, and infrastructure challenges makes it critical to invest in human capital development for sustainable energy systems. According to the Statistics South Africa 2024 Mid-year Population Estimates, 21 million young people account for 33.1% of the country's population, underscoring their significant role in shaping the nation's social and economic landscape. It is the youth who will inherit the long-term consequences of today's climate decisions. That is why it is essential that young people are present in decision-making spaces and equipped with the tools, information, and platforms necessary to meaningfully participate in building a resilient and just South Africa. Although there has been progress in including the youth in climate action discussions, their inclusion does not mean parity. The youth are often under-equipped when entering the webinars, the negotiations rooms, and the public dialogues where the language is technical and unfamiliar, yet it is about their future. Many ask: 'Do I know enough to speak here?' That is why we must start from the ground up- from school syllabuses to multidisciplinary curricula in law, public health, built environment and many other disciplines. Deliberate steps must be taken to dismantle the barriers that prevent young people from meaningfully engaging in climate action. This means investing in funding youth participation, access to information, peer-learning, international exchange to sharpen their prowess in decision-making Youth are both disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of the climate crisis and uniquely positioned to drive transformative solutions. However, limited access to technical education, practical experience, and entrepreneurial pathways hinders meaningful participation It is a welcome development that the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) has established the Youth Leaders Caucus, rallying a diversity of young who offer perspectives across sectors on climate action and the just transition. While we appreciate the PCC's gesture and goodwill, we still need to be present in frontiers of climate action and the shaping of a new development paradigm in a future net-zero economy and society. If we are serious about climate action, all of society must move beyond superficial consultation, and embrace the procedural values underpinning our country's Just Transition Framework (JTF) through co-creation of climate action with and for the youth. Next year when we mark half a century of the 1976 generation, we must gather not to protest, but to celebrate increased youth participation in South Africa's just energy transition - otherwise like we did in 1974 against Afrikaans, we will lead the charge against the exclusive language of 'climate action' Ayakha Melithafa, Commissioner of the Presidential Youth Commission and Founder of Ayakha Melithafa Foundation Image: Supplied Ayakha Melithafa, Commissioner of the Presidential Youth Commission and Founder of Ayakha Melithafa Foundation *** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL. BUSINESS REPORT
IOL News
06-06-2025
- Climate
- IOL News
KZN Cogta MEC prepares for extreme weather challenges during Comrades Marathon
SIGCINIWE Cold front forecasted for Comrades Marathon weekend: What you need to know. The KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi has confirmed that the province is ready to deal with the cold front this weekend which will affect the 98th Comrades Marathon. On Friday, Buthelezi said that after receiving alerts from the South African Weather Service (Saws) on Thursday, disaster management centres were activated to ensure a coordinated response and issue the early warning notifications. Saws predicted very cold weather in KZN starting Sunday evening and lasting until Tuesday. The province was also mentioned as one of eight provinces where disruptive snowfall is likely. "As a department, we would like to reassure all runners, spectators, visitors, businesses, motorists and residents that our disaster management teams are fully prepared to respond to any incidents that may result from the extreme weather," said the MEC.
IOL News
17-05-2025
- IOL News
Childline KZN welcomes sentencing of mother who killed three-year-old daughter
Director of Childline in KwaZulu-Natal, Adeshni Naicker welcomed the sentencing of a KwaZulu-Natal mother who murdered her 3 year-old daughter in May 2022. Image: SIGCINIWE Director of Childline in KwaZulu-Natal, Adeshni Naicker welcomed the sentencing of a KwaZulu-Natal mother who murdered her three year-old daughter in May 2022. This week, the Durban High Court sentenced a 35-year-old woman to 20 years' direct imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to the assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and murder of her daughter. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the accused stated in court that she met a woman on social media who offered to foster the deceased for her, and she agreed. Ramkisson-Kara said that the deceased went on to stay with the foster mother for three years. During this time, the accused married the father of her youngest child. This man, who resides in the United Kingdom (UK), then encouraged her to bring the deceased back to live with them so that they could be a family. The deceased was then brought back to her home. Ramkisson-Kara said that the husband had to return to the UK because his South African VISA had expired. He left her alone with the three children (her older daughter, the deceased, and her youngest child). 'She said that she would often beat the two girls during her bouts of anger and throw things at them. On 31 May 2022, the accused had taken her youngest child, who suffers from glaucoma, to the clinic as he was unwell. Her children were aged nine, three and one year old at the time. When she returned from the clinic, she tried feeding her youngest child, but he refused to eat and started crying. She then prepared food for the deceased, but she too refused the food and started crying. The accused said that she got angry and frustrated and hit the deceased with a rolling pin all over her body as well as on her head,' Ramkisson-Kara said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Ramkisson-Kara said that the children continued to cry, and the situation was worsened by the deceased soiling herself. 'The accused said that she was very angry and hit the deceased while she washed her. She eventually strangled the deceased,' said Ramkisson-Kara Ramkisson-Kara said during sentencing, the court deviated from life imprisonment and sentenced her to 20 years' imprisonment. Naicker said the sentencing is precedent-setting and definitely serves as a deterrent for would-be perpetrators. 'Our hearts go out to the siblings and loved ones, however a sentencing does give one a sense of peace knowing justice has been served,' Naicker said.
