Workshop educates South Durban community on laws relating to ‘Just Transition’
The aim of the workshop was to educate residents on ‘Just Transition’ and what is currently happening in South Africa, but more especially, the South Durban Basin area.
THE South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) and Natural Justice educated community representatives from the greater South Durban area about environmental issues at a Just Transition workshop, recently.
Natural Justice is an organisation rooted in the struggles of communities in Africa and entails a team of pioneering lawyers and legal experts who specialise in human rights and environmental law in pursuit of social and environmental justice.
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The organisation stands in solidarity with communities through legal empowerment, research, policy influencing and litigation, and provides support to people by educating them on various laws, as well as how to use and shape the laws.
The training workshop on ‘Just Transition’ was hosted at The Bluff Eco Park.
Founder of the SDCEA Desmond D’Sa said the aim of the workshop was to educate residents on ‘Just Transition’ and what is currently happening in South Africa, but more especially, the South Durban Basin area.
“Legal aspects, including the Environmental Impact Assessment report, the National Environmental Management Act and the Integrated Resource Plan were discussed.
“Interested and affected parties and public participation were highlighted. These components are extremely vital and useful as many community members are unaware of the legal aspects and on how to engage with stakeholders.
“The workshop was successful, and we hope to have a follow-up session as more training needs to be done, especially with those from rural communities. As someone living in a developing country, a just transition is something that needs to be implemented in the correct way, as the term ‘just transition’ is now being falsely utilised by governmental stakeholders.
“A just transition means leaving no one behind, therefore as SDCEA and Natural Justice, we believe that the voice of communities and people coming together as one is a strong and real action.
“As the Just Transition project officer, it is my duty to ensure that people understand what a just transition is and how we can work together to create a just and sustainable future for everyone,” D’Sa added.
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