At 8.30 pm on March 28 Table Mountain will be plunged into darkness as South Africa joins the rest of the world to highlight climate change during Earth Hour.
In Johannesburg the lights at Sandton Square will be switched off.
The lights out initiative, which began in Sydney, Australia two years ago as a one-city environmental campaign, has spread across the globe and hopes to have at least one billion participants across the globe this weekend.
This year, Earth Hour will see the participation of 37 national capitals and some of the greatest cities in the world; including London, Johannesburg, Beijing, Rome, Moscow, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Athens, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Mexico City, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Manila, Las Vegas, Brussels and Helsinki.
Table Mountain will join other international landmarks such as the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Sydney Opera House and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Pyramids in Egypt and the Empire State Building in New York in switching off all lighting for an hour.
“The aim of Earth Hour is to raise awareness on climate change and how each and every one of us can do our bit for the planet,” says Esma le Roux of World Wildlife Fund South Africa.
“The idea is for households, businesses and other buildings to switch off any non-essential lighting for an hour. In the big scheme of things this will not really make much of an impact on energy saving but will make people aware that their actions can have a positive effect.”
Le Roux told the Teacher that 39 South African towns and cities will be joining in the initiative, with special events planned for Cape Town and Johannesburg.
“In Cape Town, this will include a performance by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, and Johannesburg residents will be entertained by the Soweto Gospel Choir at Sandton Square,” said Le Roux.
To generate the energy required to power the Cape Town concert, a two-day Cycling Challenge will take place at Market Plaza at the V&A Waterfront on 26 and 27 March. A cycling platform with 10 bicycles connected to generators, as well as solar panels, will generate the necessary electricity.