#UprootTheDMRE

Solutions to South Africa’s crippling energy and climate crisis exist. Yet they are being blocked by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) under the leadership of Minister Gwede Mantashe. Mantashe’s DMRE is holding back a rapid and just transition to renewable energy -  the fastest, most affordable way to solve load shedding. Instead they are working to lock South Africa into an expensive, polluting and outdated energy future. They’re also ignoring the voices of mining affected communities and allowing polluting corporations to put profit above people. 

That’s why the Climate Justice Coalition is saying it's time to #UprootTheDMRE.  

Petition

The tribunal

Open Letter

Phone the DMRE

Join the Twitterstorm

Petition: Sign and share widely



Mr President, Remove Mantashe and fix our energy crisis!

Sign the Climate Justice Coalition’s petition to the Office of the Presidency. We are calling for President Ramaphosa to implement an emergency renewable energy plan to end loadshedding, replace Minister Mantashe, and fix the DMRE.
Read and sign petition here

#ThePeoplesTribunal

On the 25 March, 2022 the Climate Justice Coalition held a People's Tribunal, placing the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) on trial for the harm and destruction that's resulted from the departments failure to transform and prioritise a sustainable energy system for South Africa. During #ThePeopleTribunal, community representatives and activists from across South Africa testified to how the DMRE’s actions are hurting communities, workers, our economy, and the environment.

  

Listen and share widely

#014 The People Versus the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy

You can now listen to the collection of testimonies from the People's Tribunal in this special episode of the Just Us & the Climate podcast.


#Open letter

 In 2021, hundreds of people representing dozens of civil society organisations marched to Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) offices, in every province across the country, under the banner #UprootTheDMRE. Instead of responding to the demands or engaging in public debate, Minister Mantashe threatened to sue the secretary of the coalition that organised the march. We wrote this open letter in response.

We now need your help to get the DMRE to respond to our list of demands.  Can you send them an email?

We have a draft email ready for you to send.😊 All you have to do is to click on any of the provinces below to email the DMRE regional manager in that province (you will be able to tweak the email if you want to):
Eastern CapeFree StateGauteng
KwaZulu-NatalLimpopoMpumalanga
North WestNorthern CapeWestern Cape

Our demands

The UprootTheDMRE campaign has the following five summarised demands. For the full list of the demands delivered to DMRE offices across the country, Parliament, and the Presidency, click here.

  • The leadership and structure of the DMRE must be transformed to fulfil a mandate for an inclusive socially, economically, and ecologically just energy and mining future. Mantashe must step aside to allow new progressive leadership.
  • A rapid and just transition to a more socially owned, renewable energy powered economy, providing clean, safe, and affordable energy for all, with no worker and community, left behind in the transition.
  • No to new polluting, corrupt and expensive coal, oil, and gas projects. Officials within the department to be investigated around irregular deals. Reject the corrupt, costly and unnecessary powership program. We demand One Million Climate Jobs instead.
  • Communities must have the right to say no to mining projects, which includes free, prior informed consent, the upholding of social labour plans, and the right to sustainable alternative modes of development.
  • Minister Mantashe and the DMRE must stop blocking and inhibiting Eskom’s transition to renewables. We need a Green New Eskom driving a just transition to a more socially owned, renewable energy future.

Phone The DMRE

We set out a clear list of demands around transforming our archaic and harmful mining and energy sector to ensure a more socially, economically and environmentally just future. But the DMRE has yet to respond.

Can you now phone the DMRE regional manager in your province to ask them to respond to the list of demands?. Click on your province below to see the phone number:

Eastern Cape

Manager: Ms Brenda Ngebulana

City: Port Elizabeth

Phone number: (041) 396 3900

Call now→

Free State

Manager: Ms Kalipa Kewuti

City: Welkom

Phone number: (057) 391 1300

Call now→

Gauteng

Manager: Mr Sunday Mabaso

City: Johannesburg

Phone number: (011) 358 9700 / 9758

Call now→

KwaZulu-Natal

Manager: Ms Ncamisile Mtshali (Acting)

City: Durban

Phone number: (031) 335 9600

Call now→

Limpopo

Manager: Mr Azwihangwisi Mulaudzi

City: Polokwane

Phone number: (015) 287 4736

Call now→

Mpumalanga

Manager: Ms Mashudu Maduka (Acting)

City: Emalahleni

Phone number: (013) 653 0500

Call now→

North West

Manager: Mr Phumudzo Nethwadzi

City: Klerksdorp

Phone number: (018) 487 9830

Call now→

Northern Cape

Manager: Mr Ndlelenhle Zindela

City: Kimberly

Phone number: (053) 807 1700

Call now→

Western Cape

Manager: Mr Pieter Swart

City: Cape Town

Phone number: (021) 427 1000 / 1013

Call now→

Twitterstorm

Click any of the links below to Tweet right away — or write your own and include any of the graphics below.
We are calling on @DMRE_ZA to show real support for our planet! 
🛑 STOP THE COAL PROJECTS 🛑 Help us take action! Send them an email today! https://uprootthedmre.org/ #UprootTheDMRE #StepAsideMantashe #GreenNewEskom @GwedeMantashe1 

Tweet this→

In September, we called on the @DMRE_ZA to show us their commitment to a just energy future. We haven’t heard a word from them! 🙄 Help us push for change! Send them this/ your own email 👉 https://uprootthedmre.org/ #UprootTheDMRE #StepAsideMantashe #GreenNewEskom @GwedeMantashe1

Tweet this→

We cannot achieve the vision for a #GreenNewEskom if we don’t #UprootTheDMRE #StepAsideMantashe. Help us get answers from @DMRE_ZA and @GwedeMantashe1! Send this email today. 👉 https://uprootthedmre.org/

Tweet this→

It’s time for the @DMRE_ZA to give us a solid plan for a renewable energy future! Join the action to secure #SouthAfrica’s future https://uprootthedmre.org/ #UprootTheDMRE #GreenNewEskom #StepAsideMantashe 

Tweet this→

GRAPHICS TO SHARE

Click to download here

Click to download here

Click to download here

Click to download here

Why

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is blocking the flow of energy into our democracy. They are ignoring the voices of those most impacted by energy planning decisions, leaving many without access to basic electricity and approving polluting projects while our just transition to renewable energy languishes on Mantashe’s desk. Climate justice and our shared energy future demand action.

Who

This mobilisation is a collaborative effort by:

African Climate Alliance (ACA), Bathalbine Foundation, Botshabelo Unemplyed Movement, Climate Justice Coalition (CJC), Green Connection, GroundWork, Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), Nu Climate Vision, Oceans Not Oil, Project90 by 2030, Sekhukhune Environmental Justice Network, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), South African Green Revolutionary Council, Support Centre for Land Change and 350Africa.org.

And supported by:

Alternative Information Development Centre (AIDC), Collective Movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), Eastern Cape Enivornmental Network, Fossil Free South Africa, General Industrial Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA), Greenpeace Africa, Newcastle Environmental Justice Alliance (NEJA), OTT (Orlando Task Team), SAFCEI, Soweto Sukuma Sinqobe, Thembelihle Crisis commitee, United Front, United Front, Women Affected by Mining United in Action (WAMUA) 

 

Latest updates

Wanted: A real emergency energy plan – yesterday

Load shedding will get even worse unless we implement an emergency plan to roll out renewable energy and storage and appoint a new energy minister capable of delivering. By Alex Lenferna and Cleopatra Shezia

Climate Justice Coalition calls for Mantashe to step down

The Coalition says it views Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe as the biggest obstacle to a just climate, energy, and mining future. Activists have in the past accused Mantashe of being pro-coal. By Brenton Geach

‘Dead bodies’ raise awareness of the DRME’s continued support for fossil fuels

Cape Town – Ahead of the global climate strike organised by the Climate Justice Coalition (CJC) this week, a demonstration was held on Wednesday outside the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE) Cape Town offices where employees and passers-by came face-to-face with what appeared to be a gruesome crime scene with dead bodies laying in front.

SABC News: Calls for Energy Department to scrap plans to build new coal-fired power plants

The Department of Minerals and Energy has been given until the 8th of October to respond to demands by the Climate Justice Coalition to scrap plans to build new coal-fired power plants. And to rather use clean, safe, affordable renewable energy. This will help fast-track Eskom’s transition to renewable. They are also demanding answers to Nersa’s approval of three-generation licences for floating power ship provider Karpowership and for government officials of the department to be investigated for irregular deals.

FacebookTwitter