Challenges and opportunities for coal communities in a just transition: towards a transition underpinned by environmental justice

Abstract

To respond to the global crisis caused by climate change, South Africa is embarking on a Just Transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. The transition is premised on a decarbonisation process undertaken through a Just Energy Transition (JET). At the core of this study lies the following question: what are the opportunities and challenges for coal communities in a Just Transition? Given the complex context within which the Just Transition is unfolding, the study argues that a Just Transition is only possible (and can only be truly just) if it ensures wide-reaching societal welfare for communities in the coalfields. The study deployed an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, consisting of Dependency Theory, Socio-technical Transition Theory with a specific focus on the Multi-level Perspective (MLP), Political Ecology and environmental justice. The study also deployed qualitative research methodologies to solicit data to respond to the research question. This included the use of participatory observation to gather data at the national level through different dialogues, stakeholder engagements and other relevant platforms, as well as semi-structured interviews to gather data at the level of coal communities. The findings point to an unfolding Just Transition characterised by non-linearity and the presence of multiple actors with vested capitalist and political interests, unfolding in a complex political and socio-economic context. The opportunities documented include the promise of an alternative economic path that seeks to reset and correct the current economic context; prospects for environmental justice premised on distributive, procedural and restorative justice; and a shift towards a post-coal landscape with opportunities for the empowerment of affected and dependent communities. The study has also documented challenges such as navigating a contested transition; a disruption of the current economy, which may translate into job losses and lost livelihoods; the displacement of families through a new migrant labour system; capacity issues at the local government level; and inconsistencies at the national level, which make it difficult to determine the Just Transition Trajectory. v The study makes a significant contribution through its use of a multi-disciplinary theoretical framework to study the Just Transition; a comprehensive and decolonial environmental justice framework that merges the radical environmental justice framework with decolonial epistemologies, political ecology, social justice, and cognitive justice, as a suitable framework for achieving a truly just transition; and its engaged scholarship-informed methodology in which coal communities became co-creators of knowledge.

Go arabela mathata a lefase ka bophara ao a bakwago ke phetogo ya tlelaemete, Afrika Borwa e phethagatša lesolo la Phetogelo ye e Lokilego ya gore go be le ekonomi yeo e tšweletšago khapone ya fase le yeo e kgotlelelago tlelaemete. Phetogelo ye e theilwe go tshepedišo ya phedišo ya khapone yeo e dirwago ka go diriša Phetogelo ye e Lokilego go Enetši (JET). Se bohlokwa ka mo dinyakišišong tše ke potšišo ye e latelago: naa ke dibaka le ditlhohlo dife tšeo di hwetšwago ka ditšhabeng tšeo go rafšago malahla ka go tšona ka go Phetogelo ye e Lokilego? Ka lebaka la seemo seo sehlakahlakanego seo ka go sona Phetogelo ye e Lokilego e phethagalago, dinyakišišo di bolela gore Phetogelo ye e Lokilego e kgonagala fela (ebile e ka fa fela ye e lokilego ka nnete) ge e le gore e netefatša gore go ba le seemo sa tlhokomelo ya tša bobotlana ditšhabeng ka bophara go ditšhaba tšeo go rafšago malahla go tšona. Dinyakišišo di dirišitše motheo wa teori wa mekgwa ye mentši, wo o nago le Teori ya Kgatelelo ya Bahloki, Phetogelo ya Sethekniki sa Setšhaba go nepišitšwe kudu Seemo sa Magato a Mantši (MLP), Ekholotši ya Sepolotiki le toka go tikologo. Dinyakišišo di dirišitše gape mekgwa ya dinyakišišo tša boleng go hwetša tshedimošo gore di kgone go fetola potšišo ya dinyakišišo. Se se akareditše go šomišwa ga temogo ya go kgatha tema go kgoboketša tshedimošo maemong a bosetšhaba ka go šomiša dipoledišano tše di fapafapanego, go rerišana le batšeakarolo le dibokeng tša maleba, gammogo le dipotšišo tše di nyakago dipoledišano go kgoboketša tshedimošo maemong a ditšhaba tšeo go rafšago malahla gona. Dikutollo di šupa go Phetogelo ye e Lokilego yeo e tšwelelago yeo e bonwago ka go hlakahlakana le go ba gona ga batšeakarolo ba bantši bao ba nago le dikgahlego tša bokapitale le tša dipolotiki, tšeo di tšwelelago ka seemo seo se hlakahlakanego sa dipolotiki le sa ekonomi ya setšhaba. Dibaka tšeo di ngwadilwego di akaretša tshepišo ya gore go tla ba le tsela ye nngwe ya ekonomi yeo e nyakago go beakanya leswa le go phošolla seemo sa bjale sa ekonomi; e lego dikgonagalo tša toka go tikologo yeo e theilwego go toka ya kabelano, ya tshepedišo le ya pušetšosekeng; le go fetogela go seemo sa ka vii morago ga go rafa malahla fao go nago le dibaka tša maatlafatšo a ditšhaba tšeo di amegilego le tšeo di sego tša ikema. Dinyakišišo di ngwadile gape ditlhohlo tša go swana le go nyaka phetogelo ye e phenkgišanelwago; tšhitišo ya ekonomi ya bjale, yeo e ka feletšago ka tahlegelo ya mešomo le go lahlegelwa ke go iphediša; go timetša ga malapa ka tshepedišo ye mpsha ya go huduga ga bašomi; mathata a bokgoni maemong a pušo ya selegae; le go se swane ga tshepedišo maemong a bosetšhaba, fao go dirago gore go be boima go tseba Seemo sa Phetogelo ye e Lokilego. Dinyakišišo tše di tsenya letsogo kudu ka go šomiša ga tšona ga motheo wa teori wa mekgwa ye mentši go nyakišiša Phetogelo ye e Lokilego; motheo wa toka go tikologo wa kakaretšo le wa go fediša bokoloniale wo o kopanyago motheo wa toka go tikologo wo o tseneletšego le dikgopolo tša phedišo ya bokoloniale, ekholotši ya sepolotiki, toka ya setšhaba, le toka go dikgopolo, bjalo ka motheo wa maleba wa gore go fihlelelwe phetogelo ye e lokilego ya mmakgonthe; le mekgwa ya tšona yeo e theilwego go dikgopolo ya go rerišanwa yeo go yona ditšhaba di fetogilego bahlami ba tsebo.

Ukuze sibhekane nenkinga yomhlaba wonke edalwa ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu, iNingizimu Afrika iqalise (uhlelo lokubhekana bukhona nesimo) i-Just Transition maqondana nokwakheka komnotho ngokunciphisa ukungcola komoya nokumelana nesimo sezulu. Lokhu kusekelwe uhlelo lokuqeda ukungcola komoya ngokusebenzisa Uhlelo Lokubhekana Namandla Kagesi (JET). Umnyombo walolu cwaningo unalo mbuzo olandelayo: ngakube Uhlelo Lokubhekana Bukhoma Nesimo lunamaphi amathuba kanye nezinselelo emphakathini enezindawo zamalahle? Uma kubhekwa umongo oqukethwe yizimo okwenzeka ngazo Uhlelo Lokubhekana Bukhoma Nesimo, ucwaningo luveza ukuthi lolu hlelo lungenzeka kuphela (futhi lungaba nobulungiswa ngempela) uma lungaqinisekisa ukubhekelela inhlalakahle yomphakathi onezindawo zamalahle. Ucwaningo lusebenzise uhlaka lwetiyori yemikhakha eyahlukene, oluhlanganisa Itiyori Yokuncika Kwamazwe Ahluphekayo Kwabusayo, Itiyori Yoguquko Kwezobuchwepheshe Nenhlalo egxile eNdleleni Yokuqonda Uguquko Ngokwahlukahluka (MLP), Ipolitiki Yezomnotho Nenhlalo kanye nobulungiswa bezemvelo. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lwasebenzisa izindlela zokucwaninga iqophelo ukuqoqa idatha ukuze kuphenduleke umbuzo wocwaningo. Lokhu kuhlanganisa ukusetshenziswa kwemibono yababam-biqhaza ukuze kuqoqwe idatha ezingeni likazwelonke ngokusebenzisa izinkulumongxoxo ezahlukene, ukuxoxisana nababambiqhaza nezinye izinkundla ezifanele, kanye nenhlolovo evulelekile ukuze kuqoqwe idatha ezingeni lemiphakathi enezindawo zamalahle. Imiphumela incoma Uhlelo Lokubhekana Bukhoma Nesimo olungakhethi kanye nokubandakanya labo abanolwazi olunzulu nentshisekelo yezepolitiki, okukhanyiseleka ezingeni lezepolitiki nezenhlalo-mnotho. Ukuvuleleka kwa-mathuba abhalwe phansi kuhlanganisa isithembiso sendlela yezomnotho ehlukile eyenzelwe ukulungisa kabusha isimo somnotho njengamanje; ukuba nethemba lokwenza ubulungiswa kwezemvelo, ukulandela inqubo kanye noku-buyisela isimo kwebesiyikho; ngokunjalo nokushintshela esimweni esidaleka ngemuva kokuthathwa kwamalahle kuhambisane namathuba okuphucula leyo ix miphakathi ethintekayo. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lwabhala izinselelo mayelana nokuphikisana ngoguquko; ukuphazamiseka komnotho njengamanje, okunga-holela ekulahlekeni kwemisebenzi nokulahlekelwa yimpilo; ukufudulwa kwemindeni ngohlelo olusha lwendlela yokusebenza; izindaba ezithinta ama-khono ezingeni lahulumeni wendawo; kanye nokungahambisani ezingeni likazwelonke, okwenza kube nzima ukunquma ngoHlelo Lokubhekana Bu-khoma Nesimo. Lolu cwaningo lunegalelo elikhulu ngokusebenzisa kwalo uhlaka lwetiyori yemikhakha eyahlukahlukene ukuze kucwaningwe ngoHlelo Lokubhekana Bukhoma Nesimo; uhlaka lobulungiswa obuphelele bezemvelo kuhlanganisa nohlaka lokuqeda ubukoloni, ipolitiki yomnotho nenhlalo, ubulungiswa beze-nhlalakahle, kanye nobulungiswa besimomqondo, njengezinhlaka ezifanele ekuzuzeni uguquko olunobulungiswa; kanjalo nendlela yokubandakanya imifundaze edala ukuthi imiphakathi esendaweni enamalahle iqhamuke nolwazi okuyilo.