We are starting to see the early stages of electioneering by politicians eager to win votes in next year’s general election. Coalitions and various other manoeuvres are afoot as politicians jockey for future power.
While there can be no doubt that many, many people enter politics with a sincere wish to serve the community and country at large, we currently see many examples of environmental mismanagement (or, in some cases, a complete lack of management and even corruption) in the hands of political appointees. It is a sad reality in South Africa that top decision makers have, for a long time, been drawn from party political leadership, regardless of these individuals’ personal areas of expertise or experience. As a result, many key decision makers enter the job with scant knowledge of the field and only a few years to implement effective change before the next election round. This also explains why so many municipalities struggle to keep up, much less get ahead.
Despite these issues, the South African government remains mandated to protect and manage our natural resources, including water, land, air and human settlements, for the best wellbeing of all South Africans in the immediate term and for generations to come. The current reality on the ground is that many, many South Africans struggle with water and food shortages, contaminated water and increased vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, such as floods and fire.
So, when your local political representative waxes lyrical about how much better life will be when ‘they’ are in charge, ask about their environmental policy and strategies to clean waterways, prevent erosion, reduce incidences of mudslides and widespread fire, increase food security and restore biodiversity. Very few major political parties currently have environmental policies in place, despite the critical importance of these matters and many environmental decisions that impact directly on the voters – such as water shortages and sewage on beaches – have largely been ignored by political structures. Perhaps we should start asking our politicians now to put together comprehensive environmental policies in preparation for their electioneering in 2024.
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