https://solidgold.co.za Welcome to Just Us and the Climate – a podcast by South Africa’s Climate Justice Coalition. Join us as we bring climate change back down to earth and show how it’s not only a crisis, but an opportunity to build a better, more just world. Society & Culture en Wed, 27 Jan 2021 10:15:15 +0200 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:15:43 +0200 30 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss iono.fm 2.5.2.0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard no Yearly feeds@iono.fm (Feed Manager) https://cdn.iono.fm/files/p1036/logo_6045_20250910_162146_1400.jpeg https://solidgold.co.za Welcome to Just Us and the Climate – a podcast by South Africa’s Climate Justice Coalition. Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard episodic Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard info@solidgold.co.za false ZA https://iono.fm/e/1665693 https://iono.fm/e/1665693
Grounded in international law, constitutional principles, and the lived realities of Palestinians, the conversation unpacks how decades of dispossession, occupation, and systemic violence intersect with global systems of trade and energy. We ask what it means for South Africa to move beyond symbolic solidarity, and whether economic activity, including coal exports, can amount to complicity in ongoing international crimes.

The report at the centre of this discussion argues that South Africa has both the legal authority and the constitutional duty to act. It highlights how existing legislation enables the state to regulate and even prohibit exports in the public interest, raising urgent questions about accountability, coherence, and political will.

As calls grow for the South African government to halt coal exports to Israel, activists argue that such trade contributes to Israel’s energy supply and, by extension, its military capacity. This episode situates that demand within a broader climate justice and global solidarity framework, where energy, law, and justice are deeply intertwined. Advisory Report to DTIC on Coal Sale to Israel · South African BDS Coalition · Palestine Solidarity Alliance - South Africa · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0200 0 0 #037 No Coal for Genocide 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 44:32 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1613981 https://iono.fm/e/1613981
Before we dive into the story, host Shaazia Ebrahim speaks with Siya Mokoena, one of the reporters behind the episode. Siya shares how he got involved with Radio Workshop, what it was like to document life in Nomzamo, and the insights that emerged while telling this powerful story about hope, disappointment, and energy justice.

Then, we head to Nomzamo, Mpumalanga, a community that has never had electricity, despite being surrounded by coal mines and power stations. For the past year, Siphesihle Magagula has been going door-to-door selling solar power, bringing light to nearly 400 homes. But as more lights switch on, new challenges appear. Many residents find that their solar kits can’t power fridges or TVs. What does this reveal about South Africa’s “just transition”? And will renewable energy bring true justice to the 1.6 million households still living off the grid?

Just Enough Light is part of Power to Change, Radio Workshop’s award-winning series exploring South Africa’s transition from coal to renewable energy through the lives of young people in coal communities.

To hear more, listen to This Coal Life, an earlier story in the series.

Reported by Siya Mokoena and Dhashen Moodley. This Coal Life · To use episodes on your show, refer to Radio Workshop's toolkit · To host your own listening event, check out this guide · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:45:00 +0200 0 0 #036 Radio Workshop Crossover: Just Enough Light 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 42:25 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1592915 https://iono.fm/e/1592915
In this special Women’s Month episode, we bring you the voices of women on the frontlines: those walking long distances to fetch water, cooking in the dark during load-shedding, keeping their families safe without public lighting, and managing households with scarce resources. Beyond survival, many of these women are also community organisers and activists: fighting for better service delivery, advocating for local solutions, and building solidarity networks in the face of state neglect.

This episode features a recording of the Climate Justice Coalition’s webinar “Women on the Frontlines: Lived Realities of the Water and Energy Crises in Rural and Township South Africa.”

This conversation is hosted by Francina Nkosi from the Waterberg Women’s Association, a community leader and organiser who has long been at the forefront of struggles for water and energy justice. She is joined by three of the Coalition's activists: Simpiwe Zwane from the Tembelihle Crisis Committee, Nomfundo Mkaba from Omama Bemvelo, and Lisa Makaula from the Green Connection. Together, they share their lived realities from rural and township South Africa, reflecting on the daily impacts of the water and energy crises while highlighting women’s resilience, organising, and leadership in the fight for justice. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:45:00 +0200 0 0 #035 Women on the Frontlines of South Africa’s Broken Water & Energy System 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 58:12 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1576379 https://iono.fm/e/1576379
It unpacks the legal vacuum and policing of informal miners, the economic and environmental impacts of unregulated mining, opportunities for regulation that prioritise people and the planet, and community-based solutions for sustainable small-scale mining. · MACUA and WAMUA Facebook page · MACUA X page · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:00:00 +0200 0 0 #034 Beneath the Surface: Legalising Artisanal Mining in Stilfontein 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 39:16 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1549506 https://iono.fm/e/1549506
In this episode of Just Us and the Climate, we unpack a powerful yet often overlooked or misunderstood tool in the fight for social and climate justice: Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). Host Ferron Pedro explores how communities can make use of these strategic local government plans to drive real, equitable change on the ground — whether it's looking at housing, tackling drought in farming towns, or launching water conservation projects.

Listen to climate activist Motlatsi Makhasane talk about how to use the IDP process to demand sustainable solutions — and win. Plus, we have IDP expert Tsekiso Majake who unpacks how you can get involved, influence municipal plans, and avoid common pitfalls.

Whether you're a seasoned community activist or just curious, tune in and learn how power really works — at the local level. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0200 0 0 #033 Integrated Development Planning 101 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 46:37 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1529010?v=1 https://iono.fm/e/1529010?v=1
Mbali Baduza and Alex Lenferna, the outgoing and inaugural deputy and general secretary of the coalition speak about the challenges of movement building, the importance of mental health, the need to be radical, and so much more. The conversation gives open, honest, and heartfelt insights into the difficulties, rewards, and lessons of leadership, especially for younger people thrust into positions of hefty responsibility at the forefront of movements.

This episode comes out just as the new leadership of the Climate Justice Coalition is taking the helm and is a useful resource to help the new leadership of the coalition, and the movement more broadly, navigate this challenging time ahead where the climate crisis intersects with so many urgent challenges. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 19 Feb 2025 11:45:00 +0200 0 0 #032 Building Leaderfullness to Navigate the Crises Ahead 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 1:07:57 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1503951 https://iono.fm/e/1503951
This podcast episode is incendiary, a must-listen – affording a vivid insight into what economic colonialism means, and why it’s urgent that the public exercise their democratic right to participate in fundamental decisions about how Limpopo's scarce water resources will be exploited in the future to support the planned expansion of coal mining, development of a new coal field, and a dirty, foreign-owned industrial zone.

In this episode, host Robert Krause of the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) a human rights organisation based at the University of Witwatersrand, explores with his guests, Mphatheleni Makaulule from Dzomo La Mupo and Lauren Liebenberg of Living Limpopo, the cultural, spiritual, ecological, and economic significance of water for the vha-Venda people of Limpopo, the potentially devastating impacts of the MMSEZ and coal mining on water resources, on biodiversity, and the profound implications of the ongoing water 'Reserve determination' process in water resource management. Living Limpopo's website · Wits Centre for Applied Legal Studies, Wits School of Law · Dzomo La Mupo, Voice of Creation · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 19 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0200 0 0 #031 Plundering Limpopo's water for coal 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 48:57 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1471988 https://iono.fm/e/1471988
In this episode, Francina Nkosi of the Waterberg Women's Advocacy Organisation leads a powerful discussion on the meaning and impact of People's Power. Joined by Thandi Tess Tshaka from the Botshabelo Unemployed Movement, Brighton Phiri of Nu-Climate Vision, Priyanka Naidoo from Green Connection, and Thumeka Magwangqana of the Sinethemba Women's Organisation, the panel explores what a People's Power movement could look like.

The conversation is set against the backdrop of the nationwide People's Power marches in March 2024, where communities and workers across South Africa demanded clean, affordable, and reliable electricity in response to the ongoing load shedding crisis.

Listen to how ordinary South Africans are uniting for change and pushing for urgent action on the country’s energy and climate crisis. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 19 Aug 2024 10:30:00 +0200 0 0 #030 Unpacking People's Power 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 24:06 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1467765 https://iono.fm/e/1467765
In this episode, CJC General Secretary Alex Lenferna and Deputy Secretary General Mbali Baduza host a live session at the May 2024 Gathering tracing the Coalition's beginnings. They engage an audience of Coalition members on how the Coalition came to be, tracking how the Coalition grew from a moment of solidarity to the force it has become today.

From the various campaigns and protests, to the major shifts and changes, this is the story of the CJC. Link to the full video episode · Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 05 Aug 2024 16:30:00 +0200 0 0 #029 The Story of the Coalition (So Far) 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 38:32 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1452104 https://iono.fm/e/1452104
In this episode, Trevor Shaku, the national spokesperson of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), talks to host Alex Lenferna about the major electricity market reforms underway in South Africa. The discussion revolves around South Africa's electricity future and the government's proposals for reforming the electricity sector, such as unbundling and the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill.

Trevor Shaku explains SAFTU's opposition to the privatisation of the electricity sector and the unbundling of Eskom, the state-owned electricity utility. He argues that privatisation will lead to higher electricity prices, making it unaffordable for the majority of South Africans, and will prioritise profit over public interest. SAFTU advocates for a 'public pathway' approach, where Eskom remains the primary producer and provider of electricity, with a focus on transitioning to renewable energy sources through a 'Green New Eskom' initiative.

Trevor highlights the risks of the government's plans, including the potential for private companies to demand guarantees and risk mitigation measures, effectively transferring risks to the government. He also criticises the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill as a legal framework for privatisation and liberalisation of the energy markets.

The discussion touches on the international context, with Trevor expressing concerns about the influence of institutions like the IMF and World Bank in pushing for privatisation and the role of the Just Energy Transition Partnerships. He emphasises the need for a global movement of trade unions to resist the privatisation of energy provision and advocate for a just transition that prioritises public ownership and workers' interests. Visit the SAFTU website · Green New Eskom campaign webpage · Trade Unions for Energy Democracy website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 18 Jun 2024 19:30:00 +0200 0 0 #028 Unbundling Eskom | Trevor Shaku 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 1:01:28 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1433166 https://iono.fm/e/1433166
The General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, also known as the Spy Bill, aims to put into action certain suggestions from a review panel regarding the State Security Agency. However, it has sparked significant worry among South African civil society groups. In this episode, CJC coordinator Busisiwe Zasekhaya talks with Heidi Swart from Intelwatch about the proposed changes and why they're concerning for both civil society and regular citizens in South Africa. Bill briefing note · Follow Intelwatch on X · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 22 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0200 0 0 #027 How the Spy Bill is Shrinking Civic Space in South Africa 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 40:10 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1431934 https://iono.fm/e/1431934
In this episode, Janet Cherry (Professor of Development Studies and renowned anti-Apartheid activist) speaks to us about the exciting work she has been doing on the social ownership of renewable energy. The episode host, Alex Lenferna, speaks to Janet about the team she has been leading, and the research they undertook to understand what social ownership of renewable energy means, what the state of it is in South Africa, and how we can advance it.

Their research culminated in a report delivered to the Presidential Climate Commission with several recommendations on ensuring that renewable energy is not merely owned by and for the benefit of the elite few, but is instead delivering large scale benefits and ownership to the working-class majority as part of a truly just energy transition. Presidential Climate Commission Social ownership report launch · Report on Social Ownership Models in the Energy Transition · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:00:00 +0200 0 0 #026 Owning the Renewable Means of Production 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 56:49 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1415025 https://iono.fm/e/1415025
Contact Ferron Pedro (+27 82 565 2393) or Cleo Shezi (+27 63 594 1566) to get involved. Key demands for the People's Power march · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:30:00 +0200 0 0 #025 Mpumalanga is not a Sacrifice Zone! 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 26:30 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1413475 https://iono.fm/e/1413475
In this podcast episode, we speak to Ruth Ntlokotse, the president of the South African Federation of Trade Unions and a new coordinator of the Climate Justice Coalition. We speak to her about the important role that trade unions have to play in the climate justice movement. We discuss how her workplace, which manufactures catalytic convertors, was shut down largely due to the transition to electric vehicles, and how the failures to protect workers demonstrates the need for a truly just transition.

We discuss a range of other questions like:
- What would a truly just transition be, and what is the world we are fighting for?
- What is social ownership of renewable energy, and how have trade unions been pushing for it (and failing in their fight for it)?
- How can the trade union movement be better organised to ensure they are actively fighting for a more progressive future, and not being reactive and defensive?
- Why the climate justice movement must show up for workers, and how our movements are aligned.

The episode is hosted by Climate Justice Coalition General Secretary, Alex Lenferna. The 2012 NUMSA statement on social ownership of renewable energy · The Green New Eskom campaign advancing socially-owned renewables · South African Federation of Trade Unions website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Thu, 07 Mar 2024 12:30:00 +0200 0 0 #024 Building Red-Green Alliances 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 57:54 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1375613 https://iono.fm/e/1375613 The Green Connection website · The Green Connection on Instagram · The Green Connection on X · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 31 Oct 2023 16:30:00 +0200 0 0 #023 Karpowerships Are No Turkish Delight 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 14:41 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1365603 https://iono.fm/e/1365603
In this episode, we delve into how this coal-fuelled industrial development threatens rural communities living in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province and the extent to which it is driving a corporate land grab in the region and the failings of the Public Participation Process.

Host Lauren Liebenberg of Living Limpopo interviews Makoma Lekalakala of EarthLife Africa and Mphatheleni Makaulule of grassroots community organisation, Dzomo La Mupo, who have both been deeply involved in the campaign against this ecocidal development. Makoma testifies to the dangerously flawed Public Participation Process in the context of the enormous costs that will be borne by local communities relative to the potential job benefits, while Mphathe gives voice to the anger – and fear – of indigenous communities whose traditional way of life, food and water security is fundamentally threatened by coal and heavy industrialisation. Living Limpopo's website · Earthlife · Dzomo La Mupo · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 02 Oct 2023 15:15:00 +0200 0 0 #022 The Public vs the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone - Part 2 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 54:25 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1360705 https://iono.fm/e/1360705
In this episode, the first in a two-part series unpacking the significant dangers posed by the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ), host Robert Krause of Centre for Applied Legal Studies speaks to Lauren Liebenberg of Living Limpopo and Heard Reserve, and Kirsten Youens of All Rise Attorneys.

Lauren, a leading voice in opposition to the MMSEZ will speak of the environmental and human rights dangers of this carbon-intensive heavy industrial development. Kirsten Youens, the attorney representing Living Limpopo, Heard Reserve and CALS will explain how the development is being challenged legally. Living Limpopo's website · All Rise Attorneys' website with case info · CALS website (the Environmental Justice Programme) · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Fri, 15 Sep 2023 17:00:00 +0200 0 0 #021 The public versus the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone - Part 1 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 49:01 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1335582 https://iono.fm/e/1335582
In this episode, we dive into one of the biggest questions surrounding South Africa’s energy and climate crisis - how do we ensure a just energy transition for the people of Mpumalanga? Mpumalanga is the province most heavily dependent on coal for its economy and livelihoods. It accounts for 80% of all South Africa's coal production and 76% of all electricity, generated primarily from 12 major coal-fired power stations, out of the 18 in the country.

Many people of Mpumalanga have a love-hate relationship with coal, as while it brings jobs, it also brings devastating air, water and soil pollution, making it one of the most polluted places on Earth. Coal also drives economic path dependency, pushing out other economic activities. As a result, Mpumalanga has one of the worst unemployment rates in the country, with about half the population unemployed and half in poverty.

As the world moves away from coal, Mpumalanga faces an existential question: will the energy transition truly be just, creating a better future for them, or will they be left behind as the world moves forward to renewable energy?

This episode is hosted by the Climate Justice Coalition's general secretary, Alex Lenferna. He is joined by two inspiring journalists working on the cutting edge of climate and energy reporting. Andiswa Matikinca is an award-winning journalist who joined Oxpeckers in September 2018 to manage the Oxpeckers extractives digital tool, #MineAlert. Thabo Molelekwa is an award-winning health and environmental journalist with a focus on climate change and renewable energy, food security, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Thabo and Andiswa worked together on a three-part investigative series exploring the challenges of the just energy transition in Mpumalanga. The series is linked in the show notes. A New Light on the Future of Eskom's Assets · South Africa's Coal Lobby Pushes Back · Mind the Green Skills Gap · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 25 Jul 2023 14:45:00 +0200 0 0 #020 The Heart of Coal Country 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 56:12 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1327827 https://iono.fm/e/1327827
We must address the deep traumas faced by those who are fighting in our social movements. When we fail to care for and acknowledge them and their trauma, we risk burnout of activists themselves and the movement as a whole. The climate justice movement is no different.

Recognising that trauma is not dispersed equally, young, Black, non-Black, people of colour, women, and queer climate activists shoulder a greater trauma load.

In this episode, Ferron speaks to youth climate activists Mbali, Shaazia, and Gabriel about how trauma has manifested for them in its multiple and intersectional ways while in or outside the climate justice movement. We speak about how to manage our mental health so that we are able to build a lasting, effective climate justice movement. Climate Justice Coalition · SA Depression and Anxiety Group · SA Federation of Mental Health · Mental Health Information Centre (MHIC) of Southern Africa · Grace Counselling · Lifeline · Free counselling · OUT LGBT Well-being · Counselling Hub]]> Society & Culture Thu, 06 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0200 0 0 #019 Healing the Frontlines: Nurturing Resilience in the Climate Justice Movement 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 33:15 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1291018 https://iono.fm/e/1291018
In this episode, we speak to Lebogang Mulaisi, the labour market policy coordinator at the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and a commissioner on the Presidential Climate Change Coordinating Commission. Lebogang coordinates and implements COSATU's labour market policy and the just transition to a low-carbon economy. She joins host Alex Lenferna as they discuss why capitalism is at the root of the climate crisis, and why COSATU believes that a truly just transition must mean a radical transformation towards ecosocialism. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 20 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0200 0 0 #018 Eco-socialism in our lifetimes 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 47:03 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1281073 https://iono.fm/e/1281073
Health, as we understand it, should be considered central to climate change. Climate change will have profound impacts on people and public health.

In this episode, we speak to guests who work at the intersection between coal, climate, energy, and health. We reflect on the outcomes of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt, specifically about discussions relating to the health sector and climate change. Our guests weigh in on whether or not we are making meaningful progress towards defining climate change as a health issue.

We've long advocated that the health sector should be vested in climate change and all the associated ways of tackling climate change. Listen to this episode to understand why. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Thu, 16 Feb 2023 14:10:00 +0200 0 0 #017 How climate change impacts our health 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 29:26 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1224335 https://iono.fm/e/1224335
The need to mitigate and adapt to the realities of the climate crisis in these and other sectors has become increasingly apparent. This episode will focus on the adaptation pillar of climate action. Climate change adaptation means anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimise the damage it can cause.

Government will have to develop and strengthen national and sectoral climate adaptation policies and ensure they are implemented. This will require significant resources and climate finance is thus a critical issue for successful adaptation efforts. This includes the need for a just transition away from investments in fossil fuels and other climate-damaging expenditures toward climate adaptation policies.

This episode will offer a robust and nuanced conversation, as it seeks to interrogate the role of the national budget in advancing climate justice and adaptation efforts - looking specifically at frontline sectors, such as health and education. Section 27 website · Adaptation Network · 350 Africa · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 07 Sep 2022 12:45:00 +0200 0 0 #016 Climate friendly budgeting: where do we start? 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 47:25 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1212078 https://iono.fm/e/1212078
The tabling of the Climate Change Bill before parliament represents an important moment in tackling climate change, the most severe crisis facing the future of humanity and the planet. As impacts of the climate crisis are especially keenly felt by the Black working class, and marginalised groups (women, youth and persons living with disabilities etc), it is vital that the legal framework is developed in a manner that facilitates the broadest involvement and which contains mechanisms to ensure that prevention and adaptation measures advance gender, class and racial justice.

This podcast is designed to be part of broader education and capacitation drives to ensure as broad-based participation in the public hearings for the Bill as possible and to promote a public dialogue on what should be included in climate legislation.

To help us understand the Bill, its strengths, weaknesses and what changes we should be pushing for, we have four guests representing different perspectives and sectors in the climate justice movement.
To provide a legal synopsis of the Bill we have Brandon Abdinor, the Climate Advocacy Lawyer at the Centre for Environmental Rights.
To provide the perspective of women in working-class communities we have Francina Nkosi from Waterberg Women Advocacy Organisation (WWAO).
To provide a labour perspective we have Matthew Grant, the Research and Policy Co-ordinator at the South African Federation of Trade Union (SAFTU).
And to provide a youth perspective we have Gabriel Klaasens representing the African Climate Alliance.
The discussion is moderated by Robert Krause, a researcher at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 03 Aug 2022 17:14:00 +0200 0 0 #015 The Climate Change Bill: A breakthrough for climate justice? 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 59:59 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1205046 https://iono.fm/e/1205046
Guests: Cleopatra Shezi (United Front)

In this special episode of Just Us and the Climate, we take you to a live People's Tribunal, entitled the People of South Africa versus the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). We hear stories from people across the country about how the policies and practices of the DMRE are harming them. We hear about the "crimes" that the DMRE is enabling against its own people, from air pollution to energy racism, climate chaos to load shedding, corruption to exclusion. We also explore the better future that could be built if the DMRE actually put people over the profit of polluting corporations. Join the Climate Justice Coalition and its members as we put Minister Mantashe and his DMRE on trial, explain why we need to #UprootTheDMRE and call for a more socially and ecologically just energy and mining future. Sign the coalition's petition to the presidency · Join the Climate Justice Coalition's campaign to #UprootTheDMRE. · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Thu, 14 Jul 2022 09:57:00 +0200 0 0 #014 The People Versus the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 41:32 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1164585?v=1 https://iono.fm/e/1164585?v=1
Guests:
Nonhle Mbuthuma (Amadiba Crisis Committee)
Sinegugu Zukulu (Sustaining the Wild Coast)
Wilmien Wicomb (Legal Resources Center)
Christian Adams (Steenberg Cove Small Scale Fishers Community)
Dr Mnqobi Ngubane and Moenieba Isaacs (Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies)

Big corporations’ plans to blast marine life along South Africa’s wild coast and west coast galvanised activists and ordinary citizens to put a stop to it. But what exactly are the impacts on small scale fisher livelihoods and ocean conservation when big corporations roll into town hunting for gas and oil? Join us for this episode as a panel of experts involved in the legal challenges dive into the politics – and the future of seismic exploration in SA.

This is a special episode of the Just Us and the Climate podcast, where we are adapting a discussion held by the University of Western Cape's Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (UWC PLAAS). The discussion was so good that we thought we had to make it into a podcast episode. Many thanks to PLAAS, UWC, Living Landscapes in Action project and the Oak Foundation who made the discussion possible. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Fri, 11 Mar 2022 15:38:00 +0200 0 0 #013 We cannot eat oil and gas 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 59:47 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1129551 https://iono.fm/e/1129551
Guests: Nina Callaghan (Centre for Sustainability Transitions)
Dr Emily Tyler (Meridian Economics)

In this episode, we dive into the details (or lack thereof) surrounding South Africa's major R130 billion climate finance deal announced at the COP 26 UN Climate Summit in Glasgow. Nina Callaghan a researcher from the Centre for Sustainability Transitions and Dr Emily Tyler an economist from Meridian Economics, join our host climate justice campaigner Alex Lenferna from 350Africa.org. They talk about questions like: what role does trust play in a just transition? Does climate finance come with strings attached? What do we make of fossil-fuel-friendly politicians who are resisting the finance deal on supposedly anti-imperialist grounds? Can this climate finance deal be the spark that ignites transformative change for South Africa that tackles social, ecological and economic justice at once? Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:12:00 +0200 0 0 #012 South Africa's R130 Billion Climate Finance Deal 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 57:18 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1126526 https://iono.fm/e/1126526
Host: Robert.Krause (Researcher: Environmental Justice | Wits)

Guests:
Nomakhosazana Precious Nomnqa (Women Affected by Mining United in Action – WAMUA)
Ramabina Mahapa (Land and Accountability Research Centre – LARC)
Patrick Bond (Professor of Sociology, University of Johannesburg)

The often unchecked exploitation of South Africa’s so-called mineral wealth has destructive effects far beyond the obvious impact on the local environment.

Local communities bear the burden of a wide range of long-term consequences that impact health, society, local economy, and well as food and water security. And as with many other exploitative fields, it is often women who experience these harms most acutely.

Access to land, ownership, tenure and mutually beneficial land stewardship is also often disrupted, impacting on non-mining related livelihoods and local communities’ ability to grow food and engage in land-based economic activity.

The ramifications go further, impacting on, and being impacted by, the global climate crisis. And then there is the macro level aspect of the mineral endowments of the country and continent being sold at a low rate that denies benefit to future generations.

The panel discussion illuminates these often unspoken about dynamics, describing the difficulties and creating a space to envision a different approach that benefits people and planet, both now and in the future. Connect with Robert · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 15 Nov 2021 17:10:00 +0200 0 0 #011 The Full Costs of Mining 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 52:49 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1044261 https://iono.fm/e/1044261 James Irlam (PHASA)
Thandile Chinyavanhu (Greenpeace Africa)
Thomas Mnguni (groundWork)

With three exciting and considered guests and hosted by SECTION27, this episode is in conversation about the impact of climate change on health, honing in on the consequences of poor quality air on population morbidity and mortality. The association between the quality of an individual’s environment and their health is a well-documented concern articulated by experts on climate change and advocates for climate justice.

Research extensively points to air pollution as a health hazard. Over time, as air quality standards have dropped due to uncontrolled pollution and harmful environmental practices, the morbidity rate of populations living in unclean environments has worsened.

This episode offers a robust and dynamic conversation on the case of air pollution in South Africa. Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 24 May 2021 16:01:00 +0200 0 0 #10 Suffocated by the air we breathe: A Tale of Two Pandemics 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 40:23 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1040853 https://iono.fm/e/1040853
In this episode Mandy Rambharos, head of Eskom's Just Energy Transition office, speaks to Dr Alex Lenferna, the secretary of the Climate Justice Coalition and campaigner with 350Africa.org.

The episode focuses on Eskom, the biggest polluter on the African continent, and how it plans to enact a just energy transition away from polluting coal towards a renewable energy future. It discusses some of the positives of Eskom's plans and the opportunities it creates, such as Eskom's plans to secure international climate finance to accelerate its transition to renewable energy.

The episode also talks about the challenges Eskom faces and what obstacles to change exist. We also discuss the Climate Justice Coalition's campaign for a Green New Eskom and some of the places where it's vision for transforming Eskom differs from those put forward by Eskom itself. Take action and join the Green New Eskom campaign · Learn more about what a Green New Eskom looks like · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Mon, 17 May 2021 19:03:00 +0200 0 0 #09 Transforming Africa's Biggest Polluter | A Green New Eskom 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 53:41 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/1029647 https://iono.fm/e/1029647
Just transitions have featured regularly in national-level conversations in South Africa around its energy transition plans and climate change policies and commitments. In this episode, with climate policy expert Brenda Martin we unpack “Climate Policy in a Developmental State” and we explore where we are, where we need to be and how we shall get there? The home of the South African Climate Action Network (SACAN) · A podcast by South Africa’s Climate Justice Coalition · Listen to the Sustain267 podcast · Connect with Brenda on LinkedIn · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Sat, 24 Apr 2021 13:18:00 +0200 0 0 #08 Struggles for the climate | Climate Policy in a Developmental State 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 42:12 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/987444 https://iono.fm/e/987444
Thando Lukuko (Mansa advisory | Director)
Rev. Oscar Siwali (SADRA | Director)

This episode looks at the impacts of climate change policy decisions for frontline communities across southern Africa. We explore what climate science predicts for the region and what it means for the populations living in those areas. Specifically, the show focuses on the intersectionality between depleting natural resources (water, food insecurity etc.), livelihoods and the conflicts which may arise as a result.

We provide suggestions on how to mediate those conflicts and a means to get support should the need arise. Southern African Development & Reconstruction Agency (SADRA) website · South African Climate Action Network (SACAN) website · Mansa Advisory · Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:48:00 +0200 0 0 #07 Environmental Conflict: Cause and Effect 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 50:58 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/987445 https://iono.fm/e/987445
Alex Lenferna (350Africa.org)
Mpai Nkali (Women Affected by Mining United in Action)
Francina Nkosi (Waterberg Women's Advocacy Organisation)

Join us as we explore climate, environmental and gender justice for women on the frontlines of extractive and polluting industries. Francina shares her experiences and insights living next to one of the world's biggest coal power stations in Lephalale, Limpopo.

Mpai tells us about what it's like living with the toxic legacies left behind by mines in Welkom in the Free State. Together we explore questions like, what is a just transition, why do communities need free prior informed consent, and much more. Waterberg Women Advocacy Organisation on Facebook · Mining Affected Communities United In Action and Women Affected by Mining United In Action (MACUA/WAMUA) website · Green New Eskom campaign · Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:47:00 +0200 0 0 #06 Women on the frontlines 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 34:16 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/987446?v=1 https://iono.fm/e/987446?v=1
Boitumelo Masipa (Section27)
Raeesah Noor Mahomed (Parktown Girls)
Awande Duma (SA YCCC )
Liyema Saliwa (Equal Education | Equaliser)

In this episode, we explore the intersection between the right to basic education and climate. Speaking with three young climate justice activists, we hear about how the school curriculum doesn't pay enough attention to issues around climate change or how climate change can be understood in the context of other topics and subjects. Young climate justice activists are ultimately frustrated that they seem to care about climate justice more than those in charge of climate and environmental affairs. Tune in to hear what the message these brilliant young activists have for governments and leaders. Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:44:00 +0200 0 0 #05 They don't really care about us 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 45:50 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/987447 https://iono.fm/e/987447
Jennifer Wells (Amnesty International | Campaigner)
Nabeelah Mia (Centre for Environmental Rights | Attorney)
Tatenda Muponde (Centre for Environmental Rights | Candidate Attorney)

In this episode, Jennifer Wells talks to an all-star female line up as she welcomes guests Nabeelah Mia and Tatenda Muponde from the Centre for Environmental Rights to the podcast. The right to water is enshrined in our constitution, however it is still not enjoyed by many in this country.

- Is climate change impacting our water?
- What does it mean to be a water scarce country?
- How is the right to water enjoyed differently by different genders?
- How has the COVID pandemic exacerbated inequalities?

This episode takes a deep dive in to the relationship between climate, the right to water and women. We explore the legal framework surrounding water in South Africa and unpack what it means to enjoy the right to water as a woman in this country. Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn · Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:43:00 +0200 0 0 #04 Women and Water: Human Rights in Jeopardy 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 39:28 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/987448 https://iono.fm/e/987448
Khodani Mulaudzi (WWF South Africa | Research and Project coordinator)
Vhalinavho Khavhagali (Palladium | South Africa Country Facilitator - Climate and Environment)
Pfunzo Mudau (British High Commission | Policy and Campaigns Officer - Climate Change and Energy)

The episode conducted in Tshivenda, presents the basics of climate change in a simplified way that breaks down the science and impacts of climate change without using overwhelming jargons. The episode aims to make climate change information accessible by presenting the episode in a local language, Tshivenda. British High Commission on Twitter · Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:41:00 +0200 0 0 #03 Climate change 101 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 28:46 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/987449 https://iono.fm/e/987449
Tumi Masipa (section27.org.za)
Alex Lenferna (350Africa.org)
Caroline Ntaopane (Womin)
General Moyo (Makause Community Development forum)

In this episode, we speak with few members from the Climate Justice Coalition (CJC) who tell us more about the work about the CJC and share a glimpse into upcoming episodes of the 'Just Us and the Climate' podcast series. Representing different South African communities and organisations, our speakers highlight the climate challenges that face vulnerable communities and contend with whether the South Africa government and industries are taking the climate crisis seriously. Tune in below and contribute to the conversation on social media. Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Wed, 16 Sep 2020 17:39:00 +0200 0 0 #02 The Climate Crisis: Building a People's Based Movement 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 21:50 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition https://iono.fm/e/987455 https://iono.fm/e/987455
Alex Lenferna (350Africa.org)
Sonia Phalatse (Institute for Economic Justice)
Carilee Osborne (Institute for Economic Justice)

In this episode Sonia Phalatse and Carilee Osborne from the Institute for Economic Justice talks to Climate Justice Coalition secretary Alex Lenferna about the need for a just recovery to COVID-19. We explore why austerity will cause more pain for South Africa, and why we need to invest instead in building a more socially and ecologically just future.

Sonia and Carilee discuss a recent report they co-authored about what a just recovery for South Africa could look like. We discuss interesting questions like how does a purple feminist economy compliment an ecologically and socially just green economy.

We also discuss why Tito Mboweni's special budget will lead to devastating austerity. We show why the best path forward for South Africa is to instead invest in a socially and ecologically just recovery.

Find out more about what a just recovery is and how you can support the call here. You can read the report and take action for a just recovery!

Join the art competition to envision what a just recovery for South Africa could look like. See what art has been submitted so far to the competition. https://JustRecovery.co.za · https://350Africa.org/JustRecoveryArt · Institute for Economic Justice · Climate Justice Coalition website · Website · Facebook · Instagram]]> Society & Culture Sat, 11 Jul 2020 17:26:00 +0200 0 0 #01 No To Austerity, We Need a Just Recovery 0 0 Solid Gold Podcasts #BeHeard full 41:15 Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition