Just Us and the Climate - Climate Justice Coalition

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Nov 2026

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Welcome to Just Us and the Climate – a podcast by South Africa’s Climate Justice Coalition. Join us as we bring climate change back down to earth and show how it’s not only a crisis, but an opportunity to build a better, more just world.

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November 6, 202630 min

#041 The Future Is Ours: Climate Change, Children's Rights, and Education in South Africa

Young climate activists speak truth to power on education and climate Two teenage climate activists from Cape Town's Black Girls Rising organisation sit down with education law researcher Motheo Brody to expose how climate change is already violating children's right to basic education in South Africa - and what must urgently change. This episode is essential listening for young people, parents, teachers, policymakers, and lawmakers who need to understand that climate adaptation of the basic education system is not optional: it is a legal and moral obligation. Sixteen-year-old Likhanyise and fifteen-year-old Busani describe learning in shipping container classrooms that reach unbearable temperatures, school entrances flooded so badly that learners must bail water with buckets before class can begin, days missed because roads are impassable, and the hidden toll that heat and water shortages take on concentration, health, and exam performance. Their testimony is a ground-level account of what the UNESCO Chair on Education, Law and Africa at the University of Pretoria has confirmed in research: some South African classrooms hit 40 degrees Celsius, and academic performance drops sharply as a result. The episode unpacks the findings of two landmark reports from the UNESCO Chair's Climate Justice in Education project. The first audit of the CAPS curriculum from Grade R to Grade 12 found climate change appears as a topic almost exclusively in Grade 9 Natural Sciences - with no meaningful climate justice perspective, no discussion of gendered impacts, no treatment of inequality or human rights, and no call to action. The second report examines South Africa's constitutional and international legal obligations to climate-proof the basic education system, drawing on the Climate Change Act (commenced March 2025), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and UN Committee General Comment 26 on children's rights and the environment. Likhanyise and Busani also speak directly to the participation paradox: rights designed for children, made without children. Their challenge to adult decision-makers - lawmakers, curriculum designers, school authorities, and government officials - is clear: include us, speak our language, and stop making decisions on behalf of the people most affected. For anyone who wants to understand what urgent, rights-based climate adaptation of South African schools must look like, and why young people must be at the centre of that process, this conversation is the place to start. UNESCO Chair Education, Law and Africa - University of Pretoria · UN CRC General Comment 26: Children's Rights and the Environment · Website · Facebook · Instagram

September 1, 202642 min

#40 Youth Voices: The Future Under Pressure

This episode is for young South Africans, policymakers and activists who want an honest, ground-level conversation about how unemployment, the rising cost of living, climate change, and spatial inequality shape the daily realities of youth in townships, farming communities, and urban areas. Hosted by Snako Msi from Project 90 by 2030, this Youth Voices discussion on Just Us and the Climate brings together two young change-makers to speak candidly about what it means to be young in South Africa today - and what it will take to build a more just future. Jasnine Anthony, an agroecology and climate advocacy trainer working with the Social Employment Fund, Good Gedacht Trust and Surplus People Project, and Siya Mzansi, a visual storyteller and green economy ambassador from Khayelitsha, share lived experiences that cut to the heart of South Africa's socio-economic crisis. The conversation covers how corruption shapes perceptions of the economy, why spatial inequality means youth in farming areas and townships face fundamentally different barriers to opportunity than those in suburbs, and how the lack of mentorship, accessible information and transportation compounds unemployment. The episode explores how commercialised systems have replaced traditional sustainable practices, why agroecology offers a practical pathway to food security and community resilience, and how climate change - including chemical spraying by commercial farmers and dam failures causing floods - hits marginalised communities hardest even when residents have never heard the term. Listeners will hear a sharp critique of competitive models in social impact work and a compelling call for collaboration and unity among youth-led organisations. Practical themes include: using libraries, creative hubs and community resource centres as entry points; advocating for information in accessible mother-tongue language; the importance of public spaces for civic communication; and why youth-to-youth conversation builds the confidence that formal spaces often destroy. Recorded on International Youth Day, this episode closes with a call for young people to unite, collaborate across different skills and lived experiences, and claim their rightful place in decisions that shape South Africa's future. Climate Justice Coalition - learn more and get involved · Surplus People Project - land and food justice in South Africa · Project 90 by 2030 - youth and climate action · Website · Facebook · Instagram

July 29, 202642 min

#039 Green Industrialisation for who?

Who gets to decide what South Africa’s green industrial future looks like? And what happens when communities, workers, and activists are placed at the centre of that vision? In this episode, host Shaazia Ebrahim speaks with Tara Nair van Ryneveld and Motlatsi Makhasane about new research from the Climate Justice Coalition’s Economic Justice Working Group that explores bottom-up approaches to green industrialisation rooted in climate justice, democratic ownership, decent livelihoods, and ecological sustainability. Website · Facebook · Instagram

July 1, 202631 min

#038 Drowning whilst thirsting: South Africa's water crisis

South Africa is experiencing a water paradox. Communities in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern and Western Cape have lost homes and loved ones to devastating floods, while members in communities across Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Free State struggle with contaminated water, failing infrastructure, and chronic shortages. In this episode, we explore what it means to be "drowning while thirsting" and how climate change, inequality, and failing public infrastructure are reshaping everyday life. Through stories from affected communities, we examine who bears the burden of South Africa's water crisis and what water justice could look like. This podcast is hosted by Nomfundo Mkaba (Omama Bemvelo) was has lived through the floods in KwaZulu-Natal in 2022 with guests Tshidiso Monare (West Rand Community Association) and Ncamiso Mnisi (Carolina Eco Green), who are facing water shortages in Bekkersdal, Gauteng, and contaminated water in Carolina, Mpumalanga, respectively. Poem about water rights by Ncamiso Mnisi · Poem about water justice by Nomfundo Mkhaba · CJC focus on water · Website · Facebook · Instagram

April 14, 202644 min

#037 No Coal for Genocide

In this episode, we explore a new legal advisory report produced for the South African BDS Coalition, examining South Africa’s obligations in relation to the continued export of coal to Israel. Sunny Morgan of the PSA South Africa hosts SA BDS Coalition's Roshan Dadoo, and lawyer and author of the report, Sirhaan Ché Khan in discussion. Grounded in international law, constitutional principles, and the lived realities of Palestinians, the conversation unpacks how decades of dispossession, occupation, and systemic violence intersect with global systems of trade and energy. We ask what it means for South Africa to move beyond symbolic solidarity, and whether economic activity, including coal exports, can amount to complicity in ongoing international crimes. The report at the centre of this discussion argues that South Africa has both the legal authority and the constitutional duty to act. It highlights how existing legislation enables the state to regulate and even prohibit exports in the public interest, raising urgent questions about accountability, coherence, and political will. As calls grow for the South African government to halt coal exports to Israel, activists argue that such trade contributes to Israel’s energy supply and, by extension, its military capacity. This episode situates that demand within a broader climate justice and global solidarity framework, where energy, law, and justice are deeply intertwined. Advisory Report to DTIC on Coal Sale to Israel · South African BDS Coalition · Palestine Solidarity Alliance - South Africa · Website · Facebook · Instagram

November 3, 202542 min

#036 Radio Workshop Crossover: Just Enough Light

In this special crossover episode, Just Us and the Climate partners with Radio Workshop to bring you Just Enough Light — a story about community, resilience, and the uneven path toward South Africa’s energy transition. Before we dive into the story, host Shaazia Ebrahim speaks with Siya Mokoena, one of the reporters behind the episode. Siya shares how he got involved with Radio Workshop, what it was like to document life in Nomzamo, and the insights that emerged while telling this powerful story about hope, disappointment, and energy justice. Then, we head to Nomzamo, Mpumalanga, a community that has never had electricity, despite being surrounded by coal mines and power stations. For the past year, Siphesihle Magagula has been going door-to-door selling solar power, bringing light to nearly 400 homes. But as more lights switch on, new challenges appear. Many residents find that their solar kits can’t power fridges or TVs. What does this reveal about South Africa’s “just transition”? And will renewable energy bring true justice to the 1.6 million households still living off the grid? Just Enough Light is part of Power to Change, Radio Workshop’s award-winning series exploring South Africa’s transition from coal to renewable energy through the lives of young people in coal communities. To hear more, listen to This Coal Life, an earlier story in the series. Reported by Siya Mokoena and Dhashen Moodley. This Coal Life · To use episodes on your show, refer to Radio Workshop's toolkit · To host your own listening event, check out this guide · Website · Facebook · Instagram

September 2, 202558 min

#035 Women on the Frontlines of South Africa’s Broken Water & Energy System

South Africa’s water and energy crises are national emergencies — but for women in rural and township communities, these crises are daily struggles. In this special Women’s Month episode, we bring you the voices of women on the frontlines: those walking long distances to fetch water, cooking in the dark during load-shedding, keeping their families safe without public lighting, and managing households with scarce resources. Beyond survival, many of these women are also community organisers and activists: fighting for better service delivery, advocating for local solutions, and building solidarity networks in the face of state neglect. This episode features a recording of the Climate Justice Coalition’s webinar “Women on the Frontlines: Lived Realities of the Water and Energy Crises in Rural and Township South Africa.” This conversation is hosted by Francina Nkosi from the Waterberg Women’s Association, a community leader and organiser who has long been at the forefront of struggles for water and energy justice. She is joined by three of the Coalition's activists: Simpiwe Zwane from the Tembelihle Crisis Committee, Nomfundo Mkaba from Omama Bemvelo, and Lisa Makaula from the Green Connection. Together, they share their lived realities from rural and township South Africa, reflecting on the daily impacts of the water and energy crises while highlighting women’s resilience, organising, and leadership in the fight for justice. Website · Facebook · Instagram

July 15, 202539 min

#034 Beneath the Surface: Legalising Artisanal Mining in Stilfontein

This episode of Just Us and the Climate investigates the ongoing struggle to legalise artisanal mining in South Africa, focusing on the mining town of Stilfontein as a case study. The conversation is about how informal miners who, often vilified as illegal or criminal, are in fact survivors of economic exclusion, carrying historical knowledge and skills in a collapsing mining economy. The podcast sheds light on why formalising artisanal mining is a justice issue, both socio-economically and environmentally. It unpacks the legal vacuum and policing of informal miners, the economic and environmental impacts of unregulated mining, opportunities for regulation that prioritise people and the planet, and community-based solutions for sustainable small-scale mining. · MACUA and WAMUA Facebook page · MACUA X page · Website · Facebook · Instagram

April 24, 202546 min

#033 Integrated Development Planning 101

From Plans to Power: How Communities Can Drive Change Through IDPs. In this episode of Just Us and the Climate, we unpack a powerful yet often overlooked or misunderstood tool in the fight for social and climate justice: Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). Host Ferron Pedro explores how communities can make use of these strategic local government plans to drive real, equitable change on the ground — whether it's looking at housing, tackling drought in farming towns, or launching water conservation projects. Listen to climate activist Motlatsi Makhasane talk about how to use the IDP process to demand sustainable solutions — and win. Plus, we have IDP expert Tsekiso Majake who unpacks how you can get involved, influence municipal plans, and avoid common pitfalls. Whether you're a seasoned community activist or just curious, tune in and learn how power really works — at the local level. Website · Facebook · Instagram

February 19, 20251 hr 7 min

#032 Building Leaderfullness to Navigate the Crises Ahead

In this episode, Shaazia Ebrahim speaks to the outgoing leadership of the Climate Justice Coalition, as they reflect on the challenges, rewards, and lessons learnt from having led and grown the coalition from when it was just beginning just over five years ago. Mbali Baduza and Alex Lenferna, the outgoing and inaugural deputy and general secretary of the coalition speak about the challenges of movement building, the importance of mental health, the need to be radical, and so much more. The conversation gives open, honest, and heartfelt insights into the difficulties, rewards, and lessons of leadership, especially for younger people thrust into positions of hefty responsibility at the forefront of movements. This episode comes out just as the new leadership of the Climate Justice Coalition is taking the helm and is a useful resource to help the new leadership of the coalition, and the movement more broadly, navigate this challenging time ahead where the climate crisis intersects with so many urgent challenges. Website · Facebook · Instagram