March for System Change: Urging Interlinking Action for Socio-Environmental Justice on Human Rights Day
Youth, civil society, and concerned citizens are gearing up for the next March for System Change, scheduled for Thursday, March 21, 2024.
Cape Town, South Africa – youth, civil society, and concerned citizens are gearing up for the next March for System Change, scheduled for Thursday, March 21, 2024. The March will call for profound systemic change across interlinking spheres in society including energy, water, food, land, housing, global solidarity, and the imperative need to address gender-based violence which is being worsened in the context of increasing environmental disasters.
The event, set to coincide with Human Rights Day, 30 years into SA’s democracy, will see individuals from Cape Town and its surrounding areas, uniting in a collective voice to demand comprehensive systemic change for the betterment of people, the planet, and future generations.
The Demands
Aligned with the principles of Human Rights Day, participants will advocate for urgent action from leaders to address the interconnected injustices prevalent in society with the following demands:
Energy Justice: No new fossil fuels - coal, oil or gas! No new nuclear power! We want socially-owned renewables through a just energy transition instead. Energy poverty, load shedding and environmental concerns must be addressed by SA’s new draft Integrated Resources Plan and all future energy policies.
Water Justice: Uphold the fact that water is a human right! End corporate water exploitation and prioritize equitable access, sustainability, justice, anti-corruption and community-led decision making in water management and governance.
Food Justice: Support policies that promote food sovereignty, allowing communities to control their food systems. Call for measures to reduce food waste and loss throughout the food supply chain. Protect, Invest in and provide support for local food systems, including regenerative farms, farmers markets, community gardens, and urban agriculture.
Spatial Justice: Develop affordable, safe, sustainable and climate-resilient housing and transport options for all. Prioritize policies that ensure equitable land redistribution and security of tenure for residents in informal settlements and vulnerable housing situations. Communities must have access to basic services, and their voices and leadership should form part of the planning and implementation of land and housing policies.
Address Gender-Based Violence: Establish systems of security and accountability for women and marginalized genders who are affected by gender based violence (GBV). This must extend to gender-sensitive climate adaptation strategies that enable resilience-building efforts and address the underlying inequalities exacerbating GBV in the context of environmental degradation and climate disasters.
Global Solidarity: SA’s national and foreign policies must show solidarity and committed action to people across Africa and with those facing genocide in Palestine and Congo. That means prioritizing an end to Xenophobia, being willing to defend the rights of people in the Congo and other African nations, and ending all cultural, diplomatic and economic ties with Israel while continuing to call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
The Context:
The March for System Change initiative began in September 2022, addressing pressing issues such as energy, water, housing, and food security. The action is led by the youth-led African Climate Alliance in partnership with/supported by Project 90 by 2030, Green Connection, Feed the Future, Ndifuna Ukwazi, Environmental Monitoring Group, Unite Behind, Extinction Rebellion Cape Town, Congolese Civil Society of South Africa, Youth Arise, Africa Water Commons Collective and SAFCEI.
Event Details:
Who: All are welcome
When: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Where: 10 Darling St Parking, Cape Town, South Africa
Time: 10:00-13:30 (SAST)
Spokespeople and quotes
“We are coming together united as civil society, an intergenerational movement from cross cutting areas of society, all calling for deep systemic change. It is clear that our social, environmental, and economic issues are interlinked, and we know that they will worsen over time - especially with the impacts of climate change. That is why we believe that the solutions can and must be interlinking as well. Together we will and must continue to call for system change and justice for all.”
“The climate crisis is impacting us now, with severe and unequal consequences, as seen in the tragic flooding in Kwa-Zulu Natal in April 2022. This event, which claimed at least 460 lives and displaced thousands, highlighted the vulnerability of those living in informal settlements due to inadequate disaster response and housing policies. South Africa’s housing crisis, characterized by inaccessible formal housing and neglected informal settlements, exacerbates the risks faced by its citizens. The lack of tenure security not only forces people into environmentally sensitive areas, risking both human and environmental health, but also leaves them vulnerable to climate-induced disasters like fires and flooding. The country’s susceptibility to drought further threatens access to water and sanitation for its poorest, with tenure insecurity hindering the provision of essential services and the adoption of sustainable solutions. The quality of housing is crucial for resilience against climate shocks, yet the absence of tenure security discourages investment in durable, climate-resilient homes. Addressing these issues requires a shift towards secure land tenure and sustainable housing solutions to protect lives and livelihoods against the backdrop of a changing climate. ”
“We can’t deny the fact that in 30 years of democracy SA still experiences inequalities and energy poverty, we need system change where concerns of communities affected by climate change due to heavy reliance on fossil fuels is acknowledged particularly oil and gas.We need proper energy solutions in our just transition.”
“A system change is needed to ensure that people and the planet are put ahead of profit. After 30 years of democracy human rights are still trampled underfoot as we have seen with the army and police stopping legitimate small scale fishers from carrying out their livelihoods. We need a healthy ocean to help us respond to climate change. A government that puts oil and gas profits over food for people is not just one. We need to use our constitution and its institutions to take back our democracy and this means going to court if necessary to defend our rights.”
“If government were genuinely committed to transforming South Africa’s economy from one based on the exploitation of and gross neglect of black working-class communities, they would be implementing bold policies to redistribute wealth and build an economy that works for everyone living in South Africa. Instead we see plans like the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 which would cut government’s renewable energy almost in half. This would mean the private sector and affluent would dominate the renewable energy future, leaving the poor majority behind, reliant on an increasingly expensive, polluting and unreliable Eskom power supply. It’s time for a massive state investment in a clean energy and climate jobs programme as part of an ambitious green industrialisation strategy that delivers widespread economic opportunities. Government must invest heavily in community- and publicly-owned renewable energy and a Green New Eskom that drives that future.”
“We urgently call on our government to tell the truth about climate change: that it is a “threat multiplier”. This means that all our existing problems – poverty, inequality, food insecurity, unemployment, secure housing, gender-based violence – are all going to become worse. Not only is climate change causing more extreme weather more often: storms, floods, wildfires, droughts and heatwaves; but it is threatening the very systems that support our ability to live: food security, water access, and breathable air. We call for urgent action to solve our current crises in a way that also prevents the worst of the climate collapse and prepares our people for what cannot be prevented.”
For questions/interview requests please contact:
Sarah Robyn Farrell by emailing sarah@africanclimatealliance.org or call 083 409 5557
