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Main Street 1549 (Pty) Ltd proposes 'downscaled and non-intrusive' surveys in Blocks 9 and 11B/12B, located between Mossel Bay and Gqeberha, to support potential oil and gas development in the Outeniqua region. The activities include seabed mapping, sampling, and the use of underwater robots, requiring a 500 m2 exclusion zone around survey vessels. The document warns of potential negative impacts on marine life, including whales and dolphins, and the livelihoods of local fishing and tourism sectors. It also notes that the project is unlikely to create significant local employment. Public comments on the Draft Scoping Report are requested by 3 April 2025, as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment process managed by SLR Consulting (South Africa).

Main Street 1549 (Pty) Ltd proposes 'downscaled and non-invasive' surveys in Licence Blocks 9 and 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin to inform future oil and gas production infrastructure. The surveys involve seafloor mapping, sampling, and the use of Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), with a 500-metre exclusion zone around vessels. Potential impacts include disruption to marine life (specifically whales, dolphins, and migratory fish), noise and water pollution from vessel discharges, and negative effects on local livelihoods tied to fishing and tourism. The document also highlights risks to the cultural and spiritual heritage of indigenous groups who view the area as 'living' waters. Public comments on the Draft Scoping Report are requested by 3 April 2025.

TotalEnergies (TEEPSA) plans to drill up to seven exploration wells for oil and gas in the southern Deep Water Orange Basin (DWOB), approximately 211 km off the South African coast at depths between 500m and 3,900m. The project is currently in the second stage of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), with the public invited to submit comments on the ESIA draft report by 10 March 2025. Potential risks identified include noise and pollution affecting marine life—such as whales, dolphins, and African penguins—as well as negative impacts on local fishing livelihoods and the cultural and spiritual significance of the coastline from Port Nolloth to Cape Town. Additionally, fishers and environmental groups are expected to challenge TEEPSA's existing environmental authorisation for the western DWOB in the Cape High Court in February 2025.

The document provides a comprehensive guide for South African small-scale fishing communities to navigate environmental laws and participate in decision-making processes. It details the legal framework—including the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA)—and explains the risks associated with oil and gas exploration, mining, powerships, and hydrogen plants. The guide outlines how to engage in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), appeal authorisations, and use the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to hold developers and the government accountable.

The document is a comprehensive guide for small-scale fishing communities in South Africa to exercise their environmental rights. It details the legal framework—including the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA)—and explains how communities can engage in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and legislative processes. It specifically warns against the risks of offshore oil and gas exploration, mining, and the impacts of climate change, using case studies like the Deepwater Horizon spill and the 2022 Durban floods to illustrate environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities. The guide provides practical steps for accessing information via the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and highlights successful legal challenges against companies like Shell and Searcher to demonstrate the power of collective community action.

The document provides a comprehensive framework for small-scale fishing communities in South Africa to exercise their environmental rights against industrial developments. It details the legal landscape, including the Constitution and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), and explains the processes for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and public participation. The guide highlights the risks associated with oil and gas exploration, mining, and power ships, while emphasizing the impacts of climate change on coastal livelihoods. It concludes with practical steps for legal challenges and accessing information via PAIA requests, illustrated by case studies involving Shell and Searcher.

The document outlines proposed survey activities by Main Street 1549 (Pty) Ltd in Blocks 9 and 11B/12B off the southern coast of South Africa. It describes the technical nature of the surveys—including bathymetry, sonar, and ROV use—and the potential negative impacts on marine biodiversity, local livelihoods (fishing, tourism, and shipping), and cultural heritage. The pamphlet serves as a call for public participation, detailing a schedule of community meetings in March 2025 and the process for submitting formal objections or comments to SLR Consulting by 3 April 2025.

The document provides a comprehensive guide for small-scale fishers in South Africa to exercise their environmental rights. It details the legal protections offered by the Constitution and acts like NEMA and MPRDA, explains the risks associated with oil and gas exploration, mining, and energy projects, and provides practical steps for engaging in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and legislative processes to ensure community voices are heard in ocean governance.

The document examines the mandate and effectiveness of South African parliamentary committees in overseeing the Executive. It identifies critical weaknesses, including severe under-capacitation of research and financial staff, high MP turnover rates, and a culture of rigid protocol and party loyalty that hinders substantive questioning. The brief highlights the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) and the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services (PCJCS) as models of effective oversight. It recommends increasing funding for committees, reforming meeting structures to prioritize questioning over presentations, and implementing a system to track the Executive's responsiveness to recommendations.

The paper proposes a state-led fiscal strategy for South Africa's energy transition, centered on a climate response fund. It recommends mobilizing domestic resources through carbon taxes, fuel levies, and mineral royalties, alongside the issuance of climate bonds. The goal is to protect vulnerable workers, particularly in coal-dependent regions like Mpumalanga, and provide an estimated R100 billion annually for climate priorities.

The document argues that South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is currently unable to meet the country's climate goals due to a reliance on commercial financing and a portfolio skewed toward carbon-intensive sectors. It proposes a significant recapitalisation of R280 billion, the introduction of concessional lending at 2% below prime, and the diversification of the IDC board to include civil society and workers to ensure a just transition.

The document assesses the limitations of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in South Africa, noting that its focus on infrastructure may sideline workers. It proposes reallocating bank lending and retirement funds to unlock billions for onshore developmental projects and recommends implementing a Green Financial Taxonomy and targeted credit allocation to support a worker-centred transition.

The study finds that while the South African Green Finance Taxonomy (SA GFT) shows high international interoperability regarding its 'Make Substantial Contribution' (MSC) pillar and climate change mitigation priorities, it faces significant usability and adoption challenges regarding the 'Do No Significant Harm' (DNSH) and 'Minimum Social Safeguards' (MSS) pillars. The document recommends introducing more flexible classifications, such as an 'eligible vs aligned' system, increasing the use of quantitative thresholds and international standards (e.g., ISO), and integrating national regulations like the B-BBEE Act into the MSS framework to reduce ambiguity and compliance burdens for market participants.

Civil society organisations are protesting the handover of McDonald’s-branded ‘Mi Desk’ desks to Cape Town schools, facilitated by the Minister of Basic Education. The groups argue that such donations are not charity but junk food marketing targeting vulnerable children amidst a crisis of malnutrition and obesity. They contend that corporate philanthropy fills gaps created by state austerity and disinvestment, particularly in rural and working-class communities. The statement calls for the immediate recall of branded desks, the finalisation of regulations to restrict the marketing of harmful foods to children, and proper funding of education by the National Treasury to remove the need for corporate partnerships.

The research paper asserts that while the 2024 general elections sparked unrest, the primary drivers of protest in Mozambique are declining living standards, high youth unemployment, and systemic corruption under the Frelimo party. It highlights a rise in poverty from 46% to 65% over the last decade and the lasting impact of the $2.2 billion hidden debt scandal. The author notes a shift in public action, with citizens increasingly protesting against private sector entities, such as Kenmare, TotalEnergies, and Desheng Port, over land rights and infrastructure failures. The paper concludes that stability requires a genuine dialogue including opposition figure Venâncio Mondlane, warning that continued instability could disrupt regional trade via Maputo Port.

On 24 February 2025, the UN Security Council and General Assembly passed three resolutions on Ukraine, revealing significant fractures in Western unity and a strategic shift in the Global South's approach. While Europe continues to demand Russian accountability and territorial integrity, the Trump administration has pivoted toward de-escalation and negotiations, leading the US to abstain from or oppose resolutions with harsh condemnatory language. Concurrently, Global South nations, including South Africa, India, and Brazil, are increasingly adopting a pragmatic, non-aligned stance that prioritizes diplomatic mediation and national interests over binary confrontations.

The report identifies that South Africa's public procurement, representing approximately 15% of its GDP, offers a significant opportunity to address environmental challenges. While national legislation specifically for green public procurement (GPP) is absent, existing regulations permit the integration of environmental considerations. Successes in the Western Cape and City of Cape Town demonstrate the feasibility of GPP in reducing water, energy, and waste. However, mainstreaming GPP is hindered by legislative gaps, limited practitioner capacity, financial constraints, and market readiness issues for smaller companies. The report recommends five strategic areas for improvement: embedding GPP into legislation, enhancing procurer capacity, integrating GPP into budget planning, establishing monitoring systems, and supporting small companies to improve market readiness.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques the South African National Treasury's focus on debt stabilisation through expenditure cuts and a proposed 2 percentage point VAT increase. The IEJ argues that such a VAT hike would harm poor households and may not generate substantial revenue due to potential decreases in consumer spending. Instead, the IEJ proposes six alternative revenue-raising strategies: improving SARS's collection capacity, drawing from the GFECRA account, removing unnecessary tax breaks, implementing a differentiated VAT system for luxury items, raising corporate and high-income tax rates, and taxing wealth. The document also suggests lowering the cost of borrowing through capital management and replacing broad expenditure cuts with a transparent spending review process.

The Public Affairs Research Institute and partners recommend expanding the Central Register's scope to include public entities, implementing stricter compliance measures for Accounting Officers, and establishing safeguards against the malicious use of disciplinary processes. They suggest a two-stage verification process during recruitment to prevent employees under investigation from bypassing the register and propose that the register eventually be made public to enhance oversight, provided that risks of abuse are monitored.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) issued a statement on 19 February 2025 regarding the Cabinet's decision to postpone the national budget to 12 March 2025. The IEJ criticizes the withdrawn budget for proposing a regressive VAT increase and failing to adequately resource government priorities, while urging the National Treasury to adopt progressive revenue-raising measures and a developmental fiscal policy.