Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Climate change warriors
Five local environmental activists are on a mission to make a difference
CLIMATE change activism has grown to massive proportions, as people around the world heed the call to save the planet.
Inspired by TIME Magazine’s 2019 Person of the Year, climate change activist Greta Thunberg, five local environmental warriors are joining the fight and driving a positive message.
Khanya Dweba, Ayakha Melithafa, Yola Mgogwana, Lisakhanya Mathiso and Fiona Lihle Booi all hail from Khayelitsha and are on a mission to make a difference.
“If we continue as we are, we will be catastrophically affected by climate change and many lives will be lost.
“We do not have much time, we must act now,” said Melithafa, who was inspired to fight for the cause after watching her mother lose livestock and income due to severe drought in the Eastern Cape.
“I did some research and found out that the cause was climate change. I knew from then on, I wanted to educate people about climate change.”
In September, the 17-year-old was one of 16 teenagers who presented a petitioners landmark grievance to the UN to protest the lack of government action on the climate crisis. The Grade 11 pupil is also part of the Project 90 by 2030 YouLead initiative, and is a recruitment officer and a spokesperson for youth-led climate advocacy group,
African Climate Alliance (ACA).
Fellow activist Mgogwana has appealed to South Africans to unite in the fight against climate change.
“Water, air and river pollution, as well as the safety of families and friends, is the reason I march,” the 12-year-old said.
Her journey began a year ago after she saw the environmental conditions in her community.
“I am one of the people affected by climate change. Where I live we share one communal tap with 55 different families. We drink dirty water and we cannot boil the water because of the load shedding,” said the Grade 6 Yolomela Primary School pupil.
Early this year, she joined a global climate strike that marched to Parliament. Dweba joined the YouLead initiative to learn more about climate change and make a difference in society. The Grade 11 from the Centre of Science and Technology has been involved in various projects including the solar light box project in Khayelitsha.
Dweba believes education is key to learning about climate change. “There should be a cut down of carbon emissions usage and we should change from coal to solar and keep our environment clean, but it should all start at home by having less carbon footprint.”
Mathiso, 17, said young people should be an example of change and create an understanding among older generations that climate change is real.
She is part of the ACA and said that global gas emissions were the main source of the crises due to unpredictable weather conditions and bad water quality.
“People should start using reusable bags, reusable cups, reusable water bottles, buy refillable products, use paper or metal straws, eat more plants and less meat, eat local and seasonal, walk more when possible, reuse, reduce and recycle,” she said.
Booi, a Grade 10 pupil, added that the YouLead initiative gave her a clear idea and understanding of what climate change was and its effect on the environment and people.
She placed blame on the capitalists that have invested in coal and human pollution for the climate change crisis, adding that the world is experiencing the most devastating changes in climate.
“The government must declare a climate emergency, convert the electricity sector to run 100% on renewable energy and create a mandatory education curriculum about the climate crisis and its effect in South Africa.”