Latest news with #TonyKarumba
eNCA
11 hours ago
- Politics
- eNCA
Kenyans take to the streets for protest anniversary
NAIROBI - Thousands took to Kenya's streets on Wednesday to mark a year since protesters stormed parliament at the peak of anti-government unrest, despite fears they would be met by state-backed gangs and police violence. At least 60 people were killed last year by security forces in weeks of protests over tax rises and the dire economic situation for young Kenyans, peaking when thousands invaded parliament on June 25. Activists and families of victims have called for peaceful anniversary marches but some instead called to "OccupyStateHouse" -- referring to the official residence of President William Ruto -- and many schools and businesses were closed for fear of unrest. Police blocked major roads into the capital's business district and government buildings were barricaded with razor wire. The marches were largely peaceful early Wednesday with protesters, mostly young men, waving Kenyan flags, roses and placards with pictures of those killed last year, while chanting "Ruto must go". "We are marching against police brutality, against oppression by the government, against high taxation, everything that is going wrong in this country," said Anthony, 25, who was also selling flags. AFP | Tony Karumba In Nairobi, there were signs of violence, with some protesters throwing rocks and police firing tear gas. AFP journalists saw at least three injured protesters. A man suspected of being a plain-clothed officer was manhandled by the crowd. Last year, unidentified police officers were seen shooting protesters. "We are never violent, it's the police and the hired goons they bring. When they start teargassing, they bring out the violence," said Alex Mukasa, a 28-year-old activist. Protests were also reported in Mombasa and several other counties. 'Goons' Anger has flared over police brutality, particularly after a teacher was killed in custody earlier this month. A group of peaceful protesters was also attacked last week by a gang of motorbike-riding "goons", as they are known in Kenya, armed with whips and clubs and working in tandem with the police. AFP | Luis TATO Western embassies in Kenya, including those of Britain, Germany and the United States, criticised in a joint statement "the use of hired 'goons' to infiltrate or disrupt peaceful gatherings". Analyst and lawyer Javas Bigambo told AFP he was worried political groups would exploit the volatile mood to foster violence. "There is nothing good to celebrate about the events that happened last year," he said. "If we were serious about commemorating June 25th, it should be in solemnity, prayer and restraint." - Disillusioned - There is deep resentment against Ruto, who came to power in 2022 promising rapid economic progress. AFP | Tony Karumba Many are disillusioned by continued stagnation, corruption and high taxes, even after last year's protests forced Ruto to cancel the unpopular finance bill. His government has been at pains to avoid direct tax rises this year. But the frequent disappearances of government critics -- rights groups have counted more than 80 since last year's protests, with dozens still missing -- have led many to accuse Ruto of returning Kenya to the dark days of its dictatorship in the 1980s and 1990s. AFP | Eden EZRA
IOL News
05-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Wastepickers play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution
Wastepickers play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution. Image: File Niranjan Shrestha/AP Our addiction to plastics is trashing the planet, exacerbating global heating and threatening our very survival. Since 2022, the UN has been convening negotiations on a Plastics Treaty to address this crisis. In one of the greatest success stories of the negotiations, an International Alliance of Waste Pickers representing 460,000 of them in 34 countries has ensured that the draft treaty includes a just transition for waste pickers. As my research shows, there are a host of reasons why this should happen. Among them are the fact that waste pickers provide an important service to society. In addition they are producers of knowledge and ideas. Because they go through our trash and leave behind everything without value, they know better than anyone which plastics should be eliminated. They are also the only people with significant experience collecting recyclables in developing countries. According to the alliance, a just transition for waste pickers involves: recognising and formalising waste pickers' role; registration; meaningful involvement in policy-making and implementation; social protection and fair remuneration; and capacity building and organisational support. As the world's leaders meet in Ottawa for the current round of negotiations, the alliance's challenge is to ensure commitments to waste pickers make it into the final text. South Africa's approach to waste picker integration demonstrates how they can be protected. A waste picker sorts through plastic bottle waste at the Dandora garbage dump where people scavenge through the landfill for re-usables and recyclables that can be re-sold. Image: Tony Karumba / AFP A working model As the Reclaim, Revalue, Reframe website my colleagues and I created explains, South Africa's just transition for waste pickers is grounded in an approach that I call 'participatory evidence-based policy-making'. I first used this approach when I facilitated the three-year process to develop government's Waste Picker Integration Guideline for South Africa. A series of education workshops combined waste pickers' knowledge with analysis of academic research. In this way, a working group of various stakeholders agreed on the content of the guideline. The key to our success was to start by agreeing on what existed. In the past, government and industry treated waste pickers as poor, marginal people in need of help. But research showed waste pickers collected 80%-90% of the used packaging and paper recycled in South Africa. It became clear that it was waste pickers who were subsidising government and industry and that they were the experts on getting recyclables out of the environment. Based on this analysis, the working group defined waste picker integration as the creation of a formally planned recycling system that: values and improves the present role of waste pickers builds on the strengths of their existing system for collecting and revaluing recyclables includes waste pickers as key partners in its design, implementation, evaluation and revision. The group also agreed on integration principles. They include redress, improved incomes and working conditions, and valuing waste pickers' expertise. Melanie Samson is an Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Johannesburg. Image: The Conversation Now, South African municipalities and industry are required to make this work in practice. South Africa has regulations which make producers responsible for the impact of their products after consumption. The rules require industry to pay a service fee to waste pickers registered on the South Africa Waste Picker Registration System. This is a vital step in addressing racial capitalism, as the entire recycling industry has exploited black waste pickers' free labour. It is difficult to register waste pickers, as they are understandably reluctant to give their personal information to municipalities and industry. Including them in the process of developing the registration system helped to create trust. Justice delayed South Africa's potential to be the world leader in a just transition for waste pickers is at risk, however, because of weak implementation, monitoring and enforcement. Industry is paying the service fee to only a handful of the registered waste pickers. Few municipalities have integration programmes that comply with the guideline. It is unclear what the government is doing to address these legal violations. Fixing the loopholes The solution lies in using the participatory evidence-based approach again – this time for implementation. First, the government should establish a permanent multi-stakeholder Waste Picker Integration Committee to develop and oversee the implementation of a national integration strategy. Second, the government should work with waste pickers and other stakeholders to create a municipal waste picker integration support programme. Third, the government should include waste pickers and other experts in monitoring producer responsibility for waste. Stiff penalties must be imposed on industry for noncompliance. Fourth, companies that committed themselves to waste picker integration by signing the Fair Circularity Initiative Principles should push South African industry to meet its legal requirements to pay and integrate waste pickers. Lessons for the Plastics Treaty The South African experience demonstrates what's possible. The International Alliance of Waste Pickers proposed how the Plastics Treaty could address their concerns. Negotiators should agree to this text. The South African experience also shows that achieving a just transition requires participation at all stages: implementation, monitoring and enforcement. This must be built into the treaty now and the Group of Friends of Waste Pickers nations should agree to keep partnering on implementation. SUNDAY TRIBUNE
