Environmental movement in South Africa

The environmental movement in South Africa traces its history from the early beginnings of conservation, to the rise of radicalism and activism amongst local ecologists. Before the Chernobyl disaster and the fall of the Berlin Wall, there were very few green activist groups in the country. Koeberg Alert and the Dolphin Action and Protection Group are probably two of the oldest post-conservation groups.

South African youth climate activists in 2020.

While most early conservationists, with few exceptions, implicated themselves in the apartheid system, groups such as Earthlife Africa were consciously aware of their role as nurturers of freedom and human rights as well as the rights of the earth and animal kingdom. The Cape Town Ecology Group for example, openly campaigned for political freedoms with a platform that "ecologised politics and politicised ecology".[1]

During apartheid while political parties were banned, environmental groups served as an outlet for activism and political expression. In Durban, the Environmental Justice Network, sprung up alongside ant-apartheid issues that affected the environment as well as the rights of workers. While many radical environmentalists were later absorbed into the governing African National Congress, some toyed with the formation of a political party that would represent green interests.

The environmental movement moved into the political space in 1989 with the establishment of the Ecology Party, which disbanded shortly thereafter. In 1992 Ian Brownlie launched the Green Party, but it too disbanded after a disastrous election campaign in 1994. Judy Sole then founded the Government of the People Green Party in 1999.