Government must urgently step up commitment to climate action in this Season of Creation

By Gabriel Manyangadze and Francesca de Gasparis

5 Oct 2023

As this year's Season of Creation drew to a close on 4 October, the Southern African Faith Communities’ and Environmental Institute (Safcei) reflected on the objectives of this season.

During this time, Christian leaders worldwide call on people of faith to reconnect with the Creator and to renew their commitment to care for the planet, our common home.

For Safcei and faith leaders in southern Africa, concerned about climate change, these commitments include — in the immediate environment — the amended Climate Change Bill which was adopted by the Portfolio Committee of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment in September and is to be tabled and discussed at the National Assembly.

Our Climate Change Bill is part of the South African response to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as outlined by the United Nations.

As the climate bill goes to Parliament, it is a matter of grave concern that the South African government is not unified in its commitments towards climate change.

The reliance on diesel now to address rolling blackouts and constant insistence on plans of fossil fuels and nuclear to solve our energy crisis exposes the government’s cavalier attitude not only towards the just transition to sustainable energy but it also reveals a business-as-usual attitude to achieving our country’s greater objectives on climate change.

At this time of renewal, we call on the government to recommit itself to justly serve the people of South Africa through ethical and accountable planning and decision-making and doing that with transparency and meaningful public involvement.

In a statement of faith addressing the African Climate Summit at the Africa Climate week, faith leaders from all over the continent proclaimed that:

“Our lands, our waters, our air, and the myriad life forms they sustain are sacred gifts bestowed upon us by the Divine. Today, however, we stand at a crossroads in history, a moment of unprecedented challenge where the very fabric of creation is threatened by the heedless actions of humanity and the quest to profit from creation. As guardians of spiritual wisdom and moral guidance, we are disheartened by how actions to tackle climate change fall short of the required urgent ambition. The time for the more ambitious political leaders, communities and ourselves must heed the cries of the Earth and the loud cries of those most affected by its changing climate.”

End of creation

The climate crisis is the biggest threat the world has ever had to deal with because it could lead to the destruction and obliteration of life as we know it. The extreme climate and weather-related events are leading to damage and loss at unprecedented levels.

Just in recent weeks, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape have experienced extreme weather conditions which have cost each province billions of rands. The agricultural sector in the Western Cape alone reported losses worth R1.4-billion. But this is far from exhaustive as these costs are not inclusive of infrastructure damage, not to mention the loss of young lives as a result of the floods.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Why more than two months’ worth of rain fell in Western Cape weekend storm

In July of this year, citizens of the Northern Cape found themselves cut off from services due to infrastructure damage caused by flooding. In February the government declared a national state of disaster when seven out of the nine provinces experienced intensive flooding.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Riverside Northern Cape residents face uncertainty and hunger as floodwaters rise

The floods in Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, North West, Gauteng and Limpopo caused several fatalities, evacuations and severe damage to infrastructure. There is clear evidence of climate change, not just in South Africa, but all over the world. The difference is that other governments are doing something about it.

As faith leaders we continue to reiterate that there are other, renewable, energy options that are better suited to our context, and which can come online quicker and cheaper, and which will not put South African lives and livelihoods at risk and are affordable.

We are asking the government to be guided by the values espoused in our Constitution and the teachings of faiths practised in South Africa and to demonstrate its commitment to the people and to work towards a climate-resilient future. It begins with treating the planet with respect and honouring creation, of which we are all a part, and upon which we also depend.

As an organisation driven by principles of justice and guided by science and teachings of faith, Safcei strongly believes that we should look to our own country and Africa for many of the solutions. This could save us in the long run.

It is not just about whether we eat today, but whether we will continue to live tomorrow. DM

Gabriel Manyangadze is the Food and Climate Justice Manager and Francesca de Gasparis is the Executive Director of the Southern African Faith Communities’ and Environmental Institute (Safcei).

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