We remember Nelson Mandela's courage for the cause of justice and freedom, but few Canadians know about his love of nature. Even fewer people are aware of the role Canada played in the development of South Africa's environmental policy.
We remember Nelson Mandela's courage for the cause of justice and freedom, but few Canadians know about his love of nature. Even fewer people are aware of the role Canada played in the development of South Africa's environmental policy.
In his inaugural address on May 10, 1994, he said: …When the grass turns green and the flowers bloom, we are moved by joy and elation. ”
I had the honor of meeting Mr. Mandela in September 1994 and submitting a report recommending a new environmental policy for South Africa. In lieu of a brief formal photo-op, Mr. Mandela spoke with us for almost an hour about the 200-page report, the work of 16 volunteer environmental scientists and activists. We traveled across South Africa and spoke to hundreds of members of the public and decision-makers.
This environmental mission was brought together by a strong alliance of the African National Congress, the South African Congress of Trade Unions, the South African Communist Party and the South African National Civil Organization.
The research was funded by Canadians through the Center for International Development Research, and was preceded by Canada's longstanding support for South African researchers who were unable to obtain funding from the apartheid regime. Thus, by 1994, with Canadian aid, much scientific groundwork had been done by apartheid opponents, and their experience helped them play an important role in the new South Africa.
However, in the run-up to the April 1994 elections, bombs killed people in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the situation in KwaZulu-Natal was so unstable that there were fears that elections could not be held there. Ta. Initially, in these turbulent times, we realized that the environment was not seen as a middle-class “white” issue, synonymous with conservation and animal parks, and divorced from the reality of most black South Africans. I was worried about that.
How wrong we were! Across South Africa, in crowded townships like Soweto, trade union halls and small rural areas, we believe that people are proud of their natural environment and want to leave that legacy to their children. I discovered that there is. If there was one message we heard in common, it was that South Africans equate their own health with the health of their land, air and water. . And so was their president.
At our meetings, many experienced the playfulness, intense focus, and steely determination that they remember from Mandela. His first question to me was, “Do you like my new shirt?” And he was waiting for a thoughtful answer from an uninterested visitor about his colorful silk batik.
Mr Mandela raised concerns about air pollution, particularly its impact on children, in a report covering environmental sectors from agriculture, mining, nuclear power, nature conservation and waste management. He said he was proud that the Bill of Rights being drafted at the time included environmental rights for all citizens (Featured, Canada). These environmental rights are enshrined in the South African Constitution (1997) as follows:
“Everyone has the right to an environment that does not harm their health or well-being. It is to protect that environment for the benefit of present and future generations.”
Towards the end of the meeting, Mandela promised in a quiet but steely voice: “This report will not be put aside. The issues it deals with are too important.”
That wasn't the case. Following national public consultation, the National Environmental Management Act was passed in 1998. This is a far-reaching law that embodies the “polluter pays” principle and the precautionary principle of “do no harm.”
Mandela wrote the following foreword to a mission report that attested to his commitment to the environment:
“Our people are tied to the future of our land. The regeneration of our nation depends on how we treat our land, our water, our energy sources, and the air we breathe. …ourselves Let us restore our country in a way that is satisfactory not only to us, but also to our descendants.”
Canadians can be proud of the support the Canadian government gave to Nelson Mandela's environmental research and work in South Africa 20 years ago, but is it possible that that support would come from Canada today, or would we? You may also be wondering whether this is required.
Victoria's Anne White is a former Director of Environment and Natural Resources at the Center for International Development Research, Ottawa, and served as leader of the South African Environmental Mission from 1993 to 1994.