Environmental Justice
latest news & developments
The community of Kabwe, Zambia, still awaits justice
Decades after the closure of the Broken Hill Mine, the people of Kabwe, Zambia, are still seeking justice and remediation from Anglo American as toxic lead contamination…
‘People over profits’: Constitutional Court deals blow to Shell’s Wild Coast plans
The Constitutional Court has delivered a significant blow to Shell and Impact Africa's Wild Coast exploration plans, setting aside their exploration right. The court found that…
Sbonelo Thandolwenkosi Nkomo
For Sbonelo Thandolwenkosi Nkomo, 34, the law begins where the map often ends. Raised in a remote farming community in KwaZulu-Natal, he became the first person there to attend…
Groenewald case highlights challenges of prosecuting wildlife crime kingpins
The conviction of hunting safari operator Dawie Groenewald in the world’s largest rhino horn trafficking investigation highlights the complexity of organised wildlife crime and…
From liberation to climate justice: Young lawyers reflect on Youth Day
Fifty years after schoolchildren took to the streets of Soweto in 1976 demanding dignity, equality and a voice in their future, young environmental lawyers say the promises of…
AI’s hidden environmental cost: UN report flags massive water, energy and land footprint
AI’s rapid growth is driving major water, energy, land and e-waste impacts, raising environmental justice concerns worldwide
Minerals boom but benefits bypass communities
South Africa is positioning itself as a key player in the global race for critical minerals but new research and warnings suggest those closest to extraction might lose out,…
‘No one asked us’: West Coast fishers oppose offshore oil and gas development
From Doringbaai to Port Nolloth, West Coast communities are pushing back against mining and offshore oil and gas expansion. Residents, activists and fishers say consultation…
Fruit of freedom withers under broken land deal
The death of Spokes Sithole at 108 exposes the broken promise of one of South Africa’s largest land restitution settlements, where freedom and land ownership have not translated…
No freedom without water
Across South Africa, communities are marking Freedom Day under the weight of an escalating water crisis, where unreliable supply, contamination and ageing infrastructure continue…
1.9 million Cape Town residents face high to very high air pollution risk, new UCT research reveals
More than 40% of Cape Town’s population is exposed to high or very high air pollution risk, according to a new UCT study that reveals sharp environmental inequalities across the…
‘Isitha Sabantu’: The new frontier for anti-colonial theatre
A powerful reflection on how Isitha Sabantu channels Fanon’s radical thought into a deeply political, emotionally resonant theatre of resistance and remembrance
“Rotten egg” smell over Joburg highlights toxic air pollution risks
Air pollution in the Highveld Priority Area threatens lives and violates environmental rights, as hydrogen sulphide levels recently spiked over Johannesburg
‘We can’t breathe’: Joburg communities choke as illegal dumping sparks toxic air crisis
Every night, the skyline turns grey as illegal waste fires sweep through mountains of discarded household waste, building debris, electronic, medical waste and toxic materials
Mpumalanga municipality slapped with record R650m penalty for years of raw sewage spills
In a landmark ruling, the Emalahleni local municipality was ordered to fund major repairs after pleading guilty to persistent sewage pollution that contaminated rivers feeding…