Two members of environmental action group Earthlife Africa climbed on top of the Sandton Convention Centre on Wednesday afternoon and then abseiled over the edge, unfurling a six-storey-high yellow banner saying “Don’t let big business rule the world”.
In a statement sent to news organisations to coincide with the unfurling of the giant banner, Earthlife called on the government to play a stronger role in increasing access to and affordability of energy services, coupled with the development of local industries in renewable energy technologies.
The demonstration is being held on the second anniversary celebrations of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
Speaking to the Mail & Guardian Online from the roof, Earthlife Africa demonstration coordinator and abseiler Claire Taylor said security guards could be seen swarming around demonstrators.
“Our demonstration is in support of government. Security is here … they’re trying to pull down the sign … Hey … we’re being arrested,” said Taylor.
In the statement, Richard Worthington, branch coordinator of Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, said the failure to agree to global targets for sustainable access to energy and for the use of renewable energy is one of the noted failures of the WSSD.
“The summit emphasised the role of the private sector, but two years on there has been little progress on either issue and it is largely left to national governments to provide energy services to the 1,5-billion to two billion people in the south without adequate energy and to initiate a just transition to sustainable energy.
“Two years on, millions of South African households are still without access,” said Worthington.
Taylor, who is a climber, said her organisation had been planning the demonstration for about two weeks and that she had been practising abseiling with her colleague Madoda Nhlengethwa.