FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA)
Only fools invest in fossil fuels
“It’s time to end the age of fossil fuels!” it has become vividly clear that is what it means to solve the climate crisis. Burning fossil fuels, includes coal and oil, is the number one driver of climate change and rising temperature and this in turn has been increasing the frequency and severity of flooding and droughts that are hitting many of the poorest communities across the continent hard. This has been proved as Malawi and Mozambique experience severe flooding and millions of people are displaced and lose their homes and meagre possessions. The people have had to endure and agonize the consequences of an ever changing climate on daily basis, unsure and without the necessary resources to adapt.
On the 13 th February 2015, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
(SDCEA)[1] held a ‘Divestment from fossil fuel’ picket at Sapref oil Refinery. In light of the fossil free Africa campaign, SDCEA together with 350.org[2] and other organisations such as
R2Know[3] KZN decided to picket and bring to the attention of the South African people that a move away from Fossil Fuel is possible in our life time. The focus was on Africa and its issues with fossil fuels and the effects of the pollution caused. Approximately 60 citizens from Isipingo, Merebank, Umlazi and Wentworth communities participated. The members were visible with their banners and placards with clear slogans such as ‘Only fools invest in fossil fuels’ and ‘Fossil Free Africa’.
A statement was read out and handed over to Sapref. The communities’ rights to a safe and healthy environment as provided for in the constitution of South Africa is being denied to the neighboring residents by Sapref, other refineries, paper mill and cluster of chemical industries. An insistent and peremptory request was put to Shell and BP to encourage their stakeholders to invest in suitable alternatives and move away from fossil fuel dependence.
They should practice safe, well maintained pollution standards and should reduce the rate of pollution. They must be transparent about information sharing regarding the communities and their emissions. The statement was received and acknowledged by Sapref’s management.
SDCEA stands in solidarity with the millions of affected people who are fighting the consequences of our changing climate every day. Those who have done the least to cause climate change are paying the ultimate price, by less water, rising food prices, crop failures, additional health risks will affect every one of us.
Footnotes
[1]The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) is a non-governmental coalition of 16 affiliate organisations concerned with environmental justice and sustainable development in south Durban and eThekwini. The SDCEA was launched in 1995 to unite members in a common struggle for a healthy living environment and environmentally sustainable and socially just development in south Durban. www.sdcea.co.za
[2] The 350.org is an international environmental organisation encouraging citizens to action with the belief that publicizing the increasing levels of carbon dioxide will pressure world

leaders to address climate change and to reduce levels from more than 385 parts per million to 350 parts per million.
[3] The Right2Know Campaign is a coalition of many rather than a single organisation. We current operate through four provincial working groups — in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng,
KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape — as well as an elected national committee made up of representatives from key civil society organisations, community groups and social movements from across our provincial support bases. Right2Know is a coalition of organisations and people responding to the Protection of State Information Bill (the Secrecy
Bill). www.R2K.org.za
Noluthando Mbeje
SDCEA communication and project officer