SDCEA: 30 years of environmental justice in South Durban

FOR three decades, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) has fought against industrial pollution, challenged multinational corporations, and advocated for environmental justice.

- YOSHINI PERUMAL [e-mail]

The SDCEA was formed in 1995 by Desmond D'Sa as a direct response to the severe industrial pollution devastating the South Durban Basin.

D'Sa said at the time, they publicly rejected an attempt by the Engen refinery to buy their silence in exchange for community project funding, firmly solidifying their role as community watchdogs who could not be co-opted.

From rejecting corporate buyouts to winning international recognition, this is the story of a community that refused to be silenced.

The SDCEA's achievements include:

·1997: through persistent campaigning and mobilisation, the SDCEA successfully pressured authorities to close down the hazardous Waste-tech (EnviroServ) landfill in Isipingo. The alliance also took up the cause of workers suffering from mercury and chrome poisoning at the Bayer Lanxess plants.

· 1999: in a strategic leap for evidence-based advocacy, the SDCEA, in collaboration with GroundWork, introduced the "Bucket Brigade" to South Africa. This community-led air monitoring methodology empowered residents to collect their own air samples during industrial incidents, providing crucial evidence to hold polluters accountable.

·2000: following public pressure, the Durban Point Plan for environmental management was announced. However, intense lobbying saw the government weaken its commitments, backing away from a firm ban on dirty fuels, and yielding mixed results from devolved environmental management.