On Tuesday, July 17, the Morning Cruise Hosted Priyanka Naidoo, the legal and outreach advisor at The Green Connection.
About The Green Connection
Green Connection is an organization that works along much of the coast of South Africa.
Recently, The Green Connection was involved in the Karpowership litigation, challenging the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), which gave Karpowership an electricity generator license without environmental authorization.
”This [decision] flies in the face of good governance, it flies in the face of democratic principles of public participation, and also sets a really bad precedent, which is why we have taken this to court,” said Naidoo.
In 2022, The Green Connection along with the legal Resources Center took an Australian international company that was conducting a seismic survey to court, to ensure the protection and livelihood of local communities and ecosystems.
The intersection of conservation and indigenous people’s rights.
Naidoo stated that conservation efforts in South Africa have been used as a tool of dispossession for indigenous people. She explained that Black South Africans people have been removed from ancestral lands and have been denied access to resources.
“People who work in the industry of conservation have not yet been able to put people at the center of conservation. Conservation has been largely exclusionary and this is true for small-scale fishing communities…small scale fishers have been shot for fishing in ancestral fishing grounds.”
The Green Connection Initiatives
- The Green Connection works with many small-scale fishers, to advocate for their rights, and fight alongside them.
- The Green Connection also works with NGOs to increase understanding of conservations efforts
- The Green Connection works with communities to establish co-management, a process where the government and communities work together to protect environments
Looking Ahead
Naidoo stated that The Green Connection’s main goal is to ensure a livable planet.
“South Africa continues to suffer from climate change,” said Naidoo. Despite us not being one of the biggest polluters of the planet, we aren’t immune from the impacts of climate change.”
Naidoo stated that in order to save the planet, companies need to stop looking for oil and gas, and governments need to start making decisions that are in the best interest of the people.
In her final remarks, Naidoo encouraged listeners to become involved in their communities everydaya, not just during the election season.
If you want to learn more about The Green Connection and see the current initiatives, click here.
Listen to the interview here
Presentor: Mkuseli Khusi Veto
Producer: Nikoletta Anagnostou
Written by Nikoletta Anagnostou
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