Cape Town - While many celebrated Heritage Day braaing with families and friends, a group of activists in Cape Town joined a global climate strike, gathering in front of Parliament for an #UprootTheDMRE and #UprootTheSystem protest.
The demonstration was about government’s alleged lack of action on the climate crisis, amid claims that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) continues to block the country's transition to renewable energy by pursuing oil and gas projects.
Part of the global climate strike held in various cities across the world, the local protest included songs, a hip-hop dance performance and music.
350.org team leader Glen Tyler-Davies called on the government to stop blocking what he called a socially-, economically- and environmentally-just energy and mining future for South Africa, and to remove Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Manatshe from his Cabinet post.
African Climate Alliance member Gabriel Klaasen said: “It is time we Uproot The DMRE as they are the biggest block to our just energy future, and it is important that we Uproot The System to ensure we combat climate change and all other justices that intersect it.”
The protest concluded with a memorandum of demands being delivered to government representatives.
Climate change and air quality deputy director-general Thulie Khumalo received the memorandum from the group.
“With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) results that have just been released, it is clear that the impacts of climate change are going to be worse in Africa than what was previously understood and that extreme weather events are going to be prevalent and, therefore, climate action is urgent.”