earthriza
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A community based newsletterTRANSCRIPT
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The Official Go Green Tembisa Newsletter
Editors note
Issue : 01
W elcome to the first issue of #Earthriza, a com-
munity based eNewslet-
ter focusing on issues of
Climate Change catastro-
phes on the ground. With
this introspective commu-
nication tool we aspire to
identify, expose and tackle
environmental injustices
by informing, educating
and engaging with local
communities about cli-
mate crisis.
#Earthriza is not only a
newsletter but a move-
ment founded on princi-
ples of addressing envi-
ronmental degeneration
within our communities
which poses a serious
threat to human develop-
ment and our planet. We
believe environmental
issues are Human Rights
concerns hence we begin
by providing educational
awareness tips on ecolog-
ical problems identical to
our situation in Tembisa.
We report on Human
Rights Day special broad-
cast The Big Debate
show hosted by etv
Masechaba Lekalake,
which our editor partook.
We also report on Cli-
mate Change Justice
Conference our editor
attended for a week long
hosted by Friends of the
Earth Mozambique, in
Maputo.
We highlight Go Green
Tembisa (GGT) programs
such as eradication of
illegal dumping sites and
stream pollution that we
intend to engage in for
the development of our
communities.
We therefore anticipate
to achieve our goal of
May 2015
Editors Note & Special Points
1
Simple Solutions: Educa-tional Awareness tips.
2
The Big Debate: Human Rights Day
3
Climate Justice Summit: Maputo, Mozambique
4
Go Green Tembisa: Meet Executive Team Members
5
Picture Power 6 & 7
Contact Details 8
Inside this issue:
empowering the less fortu-
nate and give them the op-
portunity and the platform
to raise their concerns. We
end by introducing our Go
Green Tembisa (NPO) exec-
utive team members.
Lastly I would like to thank
my GGT colleagues, family
and friends who contribut-
ed to the production of this
first issue, their input has
been vital in the develop-
ment of the newsletter iden-
tity.
This eNewsletter will be
available on a quarterly ba-
sis, contributions and feed-
back can also be made via
our social media platforms.
We wish all a green and
healthy 2015 .
#Earthriza
Special points of interest:
Go Green was invited by
Ekurhuleni Oversight Commit-
tee on environment to pitch
for a community development
program on stream pollution
on the 23rd April 2015.
The Project will be officially
launched on the 25th May
2015.
Go Green will be conducting
Community Educational
Awareness Workshops on
Environmental Justice.
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
It is our mission to ensure that we effect the lives of all
Tembisans by providing with adequate information to
better their decisions on environmental issues that will
help sustain todays live and those of the next coming gen-
erations.
Go Green Tembisa adopts this stream in Tembisa Ekurhuleni Municipality.
Mmatlou wa ga Tsipa
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SIMPLE SOLUTIONS: WAYS TO REDUCE POLLUTION AT LOCAL LEVEL
Everyday household activities contribute to water pollution. When it rains, fertilizers from lawn, oil from driveways,
paint and solvent residues from walls and checks and even pet waste are washed into storm sewers or nearby lakes,
rivers and streams. The same lakes, rivers and streams we rely on for drinking water supply, boating, swimming and
fishing. Also improper handling of materials around the house can lead to pollution.
In your Home
Recycle and dispose of all trash properly
Never flush degradable products such as disposable diapers or
plastics tampon applicators down the toilet.
They can damage sewage treatment process and end up littering
streams and waters. Make sure you properly dispose of all pet
waste from your property to keep it out of storm drains and water
suppliers.
Correctly Dispose of Hazardous Household Products
Keep paints, used oil, leaning solvent, polishes, pool chemicals and
insecticides, and other hazardous household chemicals out of
drains, sink and toilets.
Many of the products contain harmful substances such as sodium
hypochlorite, petroleum distillates, phenol and cresol, ammonia
and formaldehyde that can end up in nearby water bodies.
Incorrect disposal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products
leads to the presence of pharmaceuticals residues in our drinking
water.
Maintaining Your Car
Recycle used motor oil. Dont pour waste oil into gutters or down
storm drains, and resist the temptation to dump waste onto the
ground.
A single quart of motor oil that seep into ground water can pollute
250 000 gallons of drinking water.
Keep up with your car maintenance to reduce leaking of oil, cool-
ant, antifreeze and other hazardous fluids.
Be Green When Washing Your Car
Take your car to professional car washes which are required to
drain their wastewater into sewer system where is it treated before
being discharge.
This spares your local rivers and bays from the brake fluid, oil end
automotive fluids that could otherwise contaminate your water.
Professional carwashes to recycle their wastewater, and use less
than half the amount of water. Encourage car owner to use water-
less carwash products at home.
Be An Activist
Educate yourself about environment issues in your community.
Establish programs to control polluted runoff, ensure protection
for wetland and other aquatic ecosystem. Volunteer for a stream
clean up, tree planting, water quality sampling, stream pollution
and monitoring projects.
Car Wash in Vusimisi section, Tembisa
Scrapyard in Sangweni Section, Tembisa
GGT receiving an award from the DEA
This bridge is in main line, Vusimusi Section
A glass fitting business in Welamlambo Sec.
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THE BIG DEBATE #AMARIGHTZA
By Mmatlou wa ga Tsipa
The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, Democracy,
what does it mean, and who does it represent
and benefit, do ordinary members of the society
understand it?, well it doesnt seems so.
400 foreign owned spaza shops looted in Sowe-
to, Illegal occupation of land in Pretoria and Jo-
hannesburg, violence on the most vulnerable
members of our society, unfairly treatment of
farm workers. These were some of the issues
raised during the The Big Debate special broad-
cast show hosted by Masechaba Lekalake on
Human Rights Day, 2015 , at etv studios, Green-
side, Johannesburg.
The television show was attended by the Hon.
Deputy Minister of Justice John Jeffery, celebri-
ties such as DJ Sbu, Thandiswa Mazwai, Kelly
Khumalo, Tol Mo, Marikjie Bothma, soccer star
Portia Modise and comedian Mark Lottering. Farm workers, Religious groups, Foreign nationals and civil society
were in attendance.
Attacks on foreign nationals and looting of shops should be stopped and condemned at all cost, south Africa is a
constitutional democracy and respects all human rights regardless of their origin or colour of their skin, said dep-
uty minister of Justice John Jeffery referring to recent attacks on foreign nationals. On Land issues, he acknowl-
edges that there are challenges especially on land redistributions and land reforms however the deputy minister
assures government was working very hard to address issues of human rights abuses. Government is aware of
human rights abuses taking place at farms and farm workers are encouraged to report such abuses to the rele-
vant authorities so that they can be dealt with, concludes the minister.
However those sentiments were not shared by all. We have to go in and out of courts seeking legal intervention
so that we can burry one of our own who lived on the farm her whole life said one of the senior citizen. The
woman said that the deceased husband has been buried on the same farm where he has lived with his family the
entire life but the farm owner refused the late to be buried there. Another man, a farm worker from Cape Town
said he hate Zimbabweans because when they arrived in the Western Cape to work on farms all South Africans
lost their jobs because of labour.
Banyana Banyana striker Portia Modise who scored 100 goals for the national team being the only soccer player
to reach such a mile in the history of football in Africa; speaking for Gays and Lesbians rights said people should
love and accept themselves before they can judge other people. I don't want to be called by names, lesbian or
gay, I am Portia Modise, she said.
Nevertheless things took a different turn when a visibly angry man stand up within the audience and talks about
how the foreigners are taking advantage and abusing the Constitution on Human Rights issues. In all African
countries as a foreigner I wont get free health care, free housing, let alone be able to set a spaza shop amongst
the communities, Nigerians are drug dealers and they fake their qualifications to get jobs he said. That was in no
way going to be left unchallenged especially by Nigerians who were amongst the audience.
One Nigerian man with a newspaper article in his hand that he kept for over a decade pointed out how the Ni-
gerian government have given Freedom Movements in SA millions of rands during apartheid struggle. We have
doctors and other professions investing heavily in South African economy, He said.
The debate on xenophobia took a centre stage as the panellists and the audience all condemning attacks on for-
eign nationals. Dj Sbu encouraged black businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in African economy to help ad-
dress issues of socio economic challenges. That was all the big debate has called for, to debate issues and raise
concerns without fear and favour. However it will take more than debates like this and speeches by our African
leaders to seriously look into themselves and provide real solutions for real African problems.
From Left: Dj Sbu, Portia Modise, Mmatlou wa ga Tsipa, Maritjie
Bothma, Thandiswa Mazwai on Human Rights Day attending
the Big Debate show at ETV Studios, Greenside, Johannesburg.
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Delegates attending Climate Change Justice press conference in
Maputo, Mozambique.
By Mmatlou wa ga Tsipa
SEEDING CLIMATE JUSTICE- MAPUTO MEETING ON
REAL SOLUTIONS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS
We have enough resources to meet everyones needs
but not everyones greed.
C limate Change is one of the most overcharging and serious
challenges humanity is facing at present and will dispropor-
tionately affect the poor, who have contrib-
uted least to its cause. This sentiments were
shared by many attending the conference organised
by Friends of the Earth Mozambique, held in Capital
Maputo from the 21- 23 April 2015.
The conference was attended by local communities,
activists working on international Climate Justice Movements building,
Mozambican government officials, as well as movements from Southern
Africa.
The summit objective was to bring together community members, farm-
ers and international community who are faced by the threat of climate
change, dirty energy and land grabbing. The message was directed to
big corporations who continue to pollute the environment even if all the
dangerous sign are there and pointing directly at their door step.
False solutions of climate change are simply fraudulent, even if they
were to succeed, all scenarios reviewed by scientist show that Africa
would suffer sever negative impacts from such moves; said Nnimmo
Bassey.
Africa in particularly is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The
causes of climate change cannot be addressed by a single country in
isolation. This is a global problem requiring global solutions achieved
through the concerted and cooperatives efforts of all countries, she said.
Countries like South Africa with companies like Eskom and Sasol were
singled out as one of the most polluters in the continent. Already last
year and early 2015 in Mozambique, hundreds of thousands were dis-
placed by floods. Coal pollution by companies such as Sasol and Eskom
ends up in Mozambique through rivers, streams and dams,
Secunda is the single largest sources of greenhouse energy in
the world, said Bobby Peek, speaking on Energy Transfor-
mation.
1.3 billion people dont have any access to electricity, 3 billion
depend on traditional solid fuels for cooking and eating, dirty
energy impacts on social lifes and 7million died in 2012 around the
globe because of air pollution and fossil fuel, this were some of the facts
presented by the panellist at the summit.
Rural women were mentioned as the primary victim of climate change as
it impacts in their role as primary producers of food throughout the conti-
nent, and as the main reproducers of family. On food security the summit
concludes by saying agro- ecology can contribute towards mitigation
against the many global crises. It can contribute towards food sovereign-
ty, reduce poverty and rural-urban migration and empower rural com-
munities.
Across the world people are rising up to the fight climate change, to fight
dirty energy, and to demand transformation of energy and food systems.
Real solutions to climate crisis exit, they include stopping fossil fuels,
building clean, sustainable, community- based power solutions, steep
reductions in carbon emissions, transforming our food system and stop
We demand all govern-
ments to put a stop to
false solutions to the
climate crisis.
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#TEAM GREEN THINKERS
Go Green Tembisa Environmental Forum, is a registered NPO 122-866,
registered with the Registrar of NPOs on the 21 June 2013.
Who is Mr Chairman: My name is Vusi Dibane Mhlongo, Chairperson of
Go Green Tembisa, I was born
in Natal Spruit Mpumalanga
and graduated in Bookkeeping
Accounting. I am currently do-
ing an Environmental Learnership Program with Ekurhuleni Mu-
nicipality (NQF Level 4). I have passion on championing the inter-
est of environmental justice and I have participated on numerous
projects before.
Who is Ms Treasurer: My name is Sibongile Barbarah Ndlovu,
born and bred in Tembisa. I am the Treasure of Go Green Tembisa
and a Ward Committee member of SRAC in Ward 11. My respon-
sibilities include but not limited to organising and supervising
community events on Heritage Day, Womens Day as well as
Sports activities. My educational background includes a short
course in Sports Management, Early Childhood Development Pro-
grams from EWC and a Certificate in Bread and Flour Confection-
ary NQF level 2. I consider myself an enthusiastic environmentalist
who has volunteered in my community for the past four years
working around issues of environment and Community Develop-
ment as well helping learners at Phuthumani Primary School.
Who is Mr Gen. Sec. I was born Mmatlou wa ga Tsipa in a small
village of Moletjie Ga Mphela, Limpopo province. I am the Gen-
eral Secretary of Go Green Tembisa. I have qualifications in Public
Relations Management, majored in Communication Science and
Media Studies from University of Johannesburg, coupled with
short business courses from Regenesys and Media Literacy South-
ern Africa. I have work experience as an Intern Communications
Officer and as an Account Executive for a Communication and
Public Relations consultancy. I am currently doing an online Envi-
ronmental short course with University of East Anglia, London as well as doing lessons on Environmental
Politics with Earth Life Africa. I am fanatical about issues of Climate Justice at local level and I have been do-
ing freelance work for the past two years.
Who is Mr PR: My name is Mpule Merthen Mapota, born and bred
in Tembisa. I am the Public Relations Officer of GGT, Sound Engi-
neer at Tembisa Christian Church and a Kingdom Care centre Youth
Leader. My expertise includes computer studies, basic first aid, fire
safety, as well as certificate in Land Scaping and Irrigation. I have
participated in financial education and mini enterprise programs. I
am focused, energetic, dedicated and passionate about issues of
environment with strong desire about change creativity.
Please check out for the rest of our executive members in our next issue.
Vusi Dibane Mhlongo, Chairperson
Tshepo Tsipa, Gen .Sec
Mpule Mapota, Public Relations Officer
Sbongile Ndlovu, Treasurer
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PICTURE POWER: Climate Change Justice Conference, Mozambique, Maputo.
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PICTURE POWER: Go Green pitched to clean this stream in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni
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tal challenges in the community
of Tembisa and the surrounding
areas.
With experience from Govern-
ment as an intern and working as
an Account Executive for a PR
and Communication consultancy.
Mmatlou come with a lot of expe-
rience in media and communica-
tion consultancy.
We currently looking for gradu-
ates and under graduates in Hu-
manities, Law and Accounting
who are passionate about issues
of environment and willing to
gain experience operating at
NPO level to gain experience and
better chance of getting a paid
job. We aim to create opportuni-
Ownmedia is an independent em-
powerment Public Relations and
Communications organisation oper-
ating at NPO level. It owns all the
inclusive publication and distribu-
tion rights of Earthriza Newsletter.
In short we provide advisory role on
Public Relations, Media Liaison,
Stakeholder Management and
Events Management at NPO level.
A brainchild of Mmatlou, a universi-
ty graduate in Public Relations and
Media Studies from the University of
Johannesburg with numerous short
courses in Business Management
from Regenyses and Media Literacy
Southern Africa.
He was inspired by the fact that
most NPOs and NGOs at local level
lack the capacity of operating their
businesses at a more focused and
professional level as it does not at-
tract qualified and experienced indi-
viduals. This led to the coming and
going of most of these organization.
Currently studying an online Envi-
ronmental course offered by the
university of Anglia, London, Mmat-
lou is determined to dedicate this
unique platform to all environmen-
ties for ourselves by identifying
problems within our communities
offering highly quality services
through our innovative and crea-
tive vision
All rights reserved @ copyrights
Mission
To engage with individuals who have the instinct
and inspiration to embark on a process of communi-
ty development on environmental issues.
Vision
To develop our communities into fully multi skill and
experts that can contribute to the refinement of the
community development on environmental matters.
161 Enhlanzeni Section
Tembisa, 1632
Mobile: +27 733261553
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
f: earthrise Ekurhuleni
environmental movement
f: gogreen Tembisa
A candle loses nothing by lighting
another candle
OWNMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Mmatlou wa ga Tsipa: Founder and Editor In
chief