For nearly 10 years, Nonhle Mbutsuma has been traveling with a bodyguard. Mbutsuma, founder of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, a local group formed to fight a proposed titanium mine along South Africa's Wild Coast, has received support from many in the Xolobeni community in Pondoland over the years. I have received But the opposition has demonized Mr Mbutuma as the biggest enemy of all economic development, and some have been led to believe that they will become rich if he „disappears“.
Eight years ago, Mbutsuma's activist colleague Sihosifi „Bazooka“ Radebe, who opposed the mine, was shot dead by two men dressed as police officers outside his home. (Neither assailant was captured.) Mbutsuma was also targeted that day. Amadiba was successful in halting construction of the mine, and Mbutuma, 46, continues to work to protect this biodiverse region and the traditional culture of the Mpondo people.
This week, Mbutsuma and colleague Sinegugu Zukuru were awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for their recent efforts to stop Shell oil exploration along the Wild Coast. As the activist headed to San Francisco to accept the award, she spoke on Zoom. Yale University Environment 360 About Pondoland, about future development plans, and about the continuing threats to her life.
„Shell is a big company with a lot of money, but I said it's not bigger than our lives and culture.“
Yale University Environment 360: Please tell us about your struggle with shell oil.
Nonhle Mbutuma:When we heard that Shell wanted to carry out seismic blasting off our coasts at the end of 2021, it felt like someone had placed a bomb in our chests. These waters are rich in precious ocean currents and coral reefs that provide birthing grounds for whales and feed fisheries. That water is part of us. We have a cooperative that does environmental fishing with poles rather than nets that wipe everything out. However, the sea is also a sacred place. According to our tradition, our ancestors live in the sea. We have the right to practice our culture under our country's constitution, and that requires protecting our water. So we decided to fight it in court.
The government had already given Shell permission to begin seismic blasting. I said that Shell is a big company with a lot of money, but it's not bigger than our lives and culture. We mobilized communities to gather information to explain why the ocean is so important to us. We were supported by protests across the country.
Even though the surveying had begun, the High Court ruled in our favor. The judges said permission for the investigation was illegally granted because the government had not considered the impact on our lives and culture and Shell had failed to consult with local communities as required by the constitution. Ta. However, Shell and the government decided to appeal the ruling.
e360: The coastal waters off Pondoland are a marine protected area. Does Shell want to conduct seismic surveys within the area?
Mbutsuma: Yes, they will do it. It is an important refuge for fish that have been overfished elsewhere. We were shocked that this fact was not given importance by regulators. It was clear that short-term economic priorities were paramount for the government. But we cannot sacrifice long-term economics for such short-term gains.
e360: Seven years ago, the big threat to Pondoland and the Wild Coast was the Australian company Mineral Resources Commodities. my Ilmenite, a titanium-containing ore, can be found on grassy hillsides near sand dunes and coastlines near your village. What is happening in the mine?
Mbutsuma: Australians are not leaving. I think they are biding their time. In 2018, we won a legal judgment blocking the construction of the mine. The Department of Minerals and Energy said it would appeal the ruling, arguing it meant there could be no mines anywhere in South Africa. But that's not true. The judgment is very clear that people must be consulted and must give their full, free, prior and informed consent. It does not prohibit mining, but states that consent is required.
„There's been a lot of threats, verbal threats, text messages. I'm still being targeted and demonized just like I was with the bazooka.“
e360: Is there a deadline for the government's appeal?
Mbutsuma: no. The department has just (issued) a notice of appeal. We can't leave things hanging in the air forever. Starting titanium mining along the coast will require suitable roads to transport the mineral. There are currently no roads along the coast. The existing expressway runs far inland. However, the government is keen to build a coastal road. It passes through our village.
e360: Up until now, that could have been prevented, right?
Mbutsuma: yes. We are not against any roads. But we want to save the village and he is trying to negotiate with SANRAL (the government's road construction agency) for an alternative route that is less damaging to biodiversity.
SANRAL says it would take too long to change the preferred route, as environmental approvals take five years. However, an alternative route was previously explored as an option but subsequently rejected. With the support of the community, he only needs 90 days to get approval.
Sihosifi “Bazooka” Radebe, a community leader who was murdered in 2016.
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e360: Why don't they follow it?
Mbutsuma: This route is clearly intended to serve mining interests and other large-scale projects planned in the coastal region. SANRAL is difficult to argue with us, and in fact only obstructs the discussion. And sometimes it's even worse.
e360: You have been campaigning for a long time. Do you still have a bodyguard?
Mbutsuma: Yes, you have to. There are a lot of threats, including verbal threats and text messages. Last year, a whistleblower told me about an assassination plot against me. And just like with Bazooka, I'm still being targeted and demonized. For example, March 21st is Human Rights Day in South Africa. We usually hold gatherings here in Pondoland to celebrate our culture and rights. But this year, there were people trying to stop that. They rolled rocks onto the road to prevent people from arriving. Men armed with bush knives were guarding the rock. It was clearly organized. Someone provided a large amount of alcohol.
The message was that I was responsible for everything and that if Nonle could „disappear“ all would be well in the community. Of course, when a person „disappears“ it means that the person is dead.
„This is a natural hotspot. But[government officials]think hotels are more important than fields and nature.“
e360: This is a very personal thing.
Mbutsuma: yes. It's a very common tactic. To defeat the community, you name one person and say they are the problem.
e360: Does the government consider you an enemy of development?
Mbutsuma: Yes, it is. But I'm a friend of development, and I mean the right kind of development. Development is about people. There is no development without people. Therefore, our opinions matter. Our people must decide their own future. If we are not involved, it is not development.
e360: The Amadiba Crisis Committee has strong support within the community. But what about external support?
Mbutsuma: Other civil society organizations in South Africa are also supporting us. And internationally, from environmental groups and human rights organizations like Amnesty International. When I receive support from overseas, I feel like I'm not alone.
We have to stop highways because they enable mining and what I call hungry lions who enrich themselves instead of putting the environment first. Because it attracts people who come to the Wild Coast for this purpose.
A community meeting to discuss the titanium mine plan was held in Xolobeni village in 2017.
Karsanne Johnson / Yale University Environment 360
Our land is occupied by people who want to build houses and hotels. We met with the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works, which has big plans to „tame the Wild Coast''. We tell (the government) about the potatoes we grow, the goats we raise, and the trees we harvest fruit from. We tell them about our cultural traditions and biodiversity. This is a natural hotspot. However, they consider the hotel more important than the fields and nature. They say they want to build on the coast, and they want big tourist boats in the sea, not fish.
e360:So, what kind of development do you hope for? Is it possible to do tourism without damaging the coast?
Mbutsuma: Yes, we can find a way. We have a community-built lodge called Mtentu Lodge that has won an ecotourism award. It attracts people from all over the world. It creates jobs and the profits are democratically distributed to local communities.Unfortunately, the lodge was completely burnt down. It was rebuilt last December and is being rebuilt by the community.
“I hope that in the future there will be even more protection. Through the protection of communities, rather than people being forced out.”
e360: How will the Wild Coast change and what do you hope to see in 20, 30 years?
Mbutsuma: We hope that in the future there will be even more protection. Through protecting communities rather than displacing people. We hope that ecotourism will be supported by setting up more eco-friendly lodges in villages so that visitors can live with our people and learn about their culture. .
We dream of making the Wild Coast an agricultural hub where the produce we produce is processed rather than just marketed. I would also like to see support from fishermen's cooperatives so that they can process the fish.
e360:The government is legalizing the cultivation and possession of cannabis. This was an important crop in Pondoland for some time. So is this an economic opportunity?
Mbutsuma: Cannabis, which we call dagga, is part of our agriculture. We've grown a lot since before it was legal. For us it's medicine. People here have been arrested for years trying to protect our dagga fields. Now growing and processing it may be part of our future. However, a permit is required to grow it commercially. Obtaining a license is expensive and complicated, and currently only wealthy outsiders can benefit from the industry.
So the risk is that the wealthy will come back and try to profit from the Wild Coast's resources. our resources.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.