Creator
Sheree Bega
Sheree Bega is an environment reporter at the Mail & Guardian.
Is South Africa ready for El Niño? Water and food security concerns mount
Despite relatively healthy dam levels, failing municipal infrastructure, leaking pipes, and rising food prices could leave South Africa vulnerable as a powerful El Niño approaches.
Robotic sailors take on Antarctica’s winter storms
South African researchers have joined an international mission deploying autonomous Saildrones to brave harsh Antarctic winter storms and measure how the Southern Ocean absorbs…
Climate change makes November heat five times more likely in parts of South Africa
An analysis by Climate Central shows that human-caused climate change has made this week's extreme November heat in parts of South Africa up to five times more likely, affecting…
Guterres calls for climate justice compact to support developing countries
UN chief António Guterres has urged world leaders at COP31 to back a new Climate Justice Compact, pressing rich nations and oil giants to finance the global green transition.
Cape Town braces for heat, fires and water stress as very strong El Niño develops
As an exceptionally strong El Niño looms, Cape Town prepares for heightened threats of extreme heat, wildfires, and water shortages, alongside global efforts by C40 Cities to…
Parrot egg smuggler ordered to pay for wildlife rescue
A Thai national caught smuggling protected parrot eggs out of South Africa has been convicted and ordered to pay R300,000 towards the care of confiscated wildlife.
UN backs negotiations on global protocol to tackle environmental crime
UN member states have approved negotiations on a new global protocol under UNTOC to target organized environmental crimes, including wildlife trafficking, illegal mining, and…
Shorter queues, high satisfaction — but voter trust in IEC slips
An HSRC survey reveals South African voters experienced shorter queues and were satisfied with the 2026 municipal elections, even as trust in the IEC continues to slip.
Gates Foundation faces reckoning over AGRA
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food has backed calls by African faith leaders for the Gates Foundation to pay reparations after its agricultural initiative failed to…
Sophiatown’s patience is wearing thin
Frustrated by mounting crime, dry taps, and uncollected rubbish, Sophiatown residents headed to the polls demanding urgent solutions and accountable leadership.
Climate adaptation funding falling far short of what countries need
Developing countries will need up to $420 billion annually by 2035 to adapt to severe climate impacts, yet public funding remains critically low, according to UNEP’s latest…
‘I want him to feel safe’: Westbury mother votes for her son’s future
Haunted by gangsterism, chronic water cuts, and unemployment in Westbury, mother Lauren Smith walked kilometres to cast her vote in hope of securing a safer future and better…
No water, no order: Sophiatown voter wants Freedom Front Plus to rescue SA
Frustrated by daily water cuts, uncollected rubbish, and urban decay, Sophiatown voter Joanna Moleko has cast her ballot for Pieter Groenewald and the Freedom Front Plus in…
Sardine fishing in South Africa on hold after mass mortality linked to virus
Sardine fishing in South Africa remains halted while environmental authorities evaluate new catch limits following widespread fish mortalities caused by pilchard herpesvirus.
SAHRC warns Gauteng water crisis is about failing infrastructure, not a lack of water
A landmark SAHRC inquiry reveals that Gauteng's severe water outages stem from collapsing municipal infrastructure, massive leaks, and systemic institutional failures rather than…