3.4 Analysis
143
Debra Roberts, founder and former manager of the EPCPD, and currently the
Head of eThekwini’s Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, is also co-Chair
of the IPCC’s Working Group Two. She shares the chairpersonship with Hans-Otto
Pörtner, who has affiliations with the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven and
the University of Bremen in Germany (IPCC 2019). The IPCC, which is a body
of the United Nations (UN), assesses science that is related to climate change, or
more specifically, that ‘determines the state of knowledge on climate change’ (IPCC
2020). According to the IPCC (2020), it was ‘…created to provide policymakers
with regular scientific assessments of climate change, its implications and potential
risks, and to also put forward adaptation and mitigation options. It identifies where
there is agreement in the scientific community on topics related to climate change,
and where further research is needed’.
C40 (p. 122), on the other hand, is a global network of the world’s mega-cities.
It is closely linked to matters pertaining to climate change, and ‘…supports cities to
collaborate effectively, to share knowledge and to drive meaningful, measurable and
sustainable action on climate change’ (C40 2020). The fact that the former Mayor
of eThekwini, Councillor Zandile Gumede, was the Vice President of C40 indicates
the role that the municipality plays in the organisation and on the issue of climate
change adaptation and mitigation in cities. By being the co-Chairperson of the IPCC,
it is possible that Debra Roberts played a pivotal role in elevating Ms Gumede to this
position.
At the time that I conducted the interviews, Gumede was the Mayor of eThekwini.
However, a year later she resigned from her mayoral duties, but later revoked the
notice. Finally, the ANC announced Gumede’s departure from the municipality’s
Executive Committee. Nevertheless, she has remained on as an ordinary councillor.
According to the ANC, Gumede’s ousting was more about the poor administration
of the local government than it was about the criminal charges brought against her
for alleged fraud and corruption (Singh 2019). Gumede faces charges of attempting
to influence the award of a tender of about R208 million for a Durban Solid Waste
contract in 2016 (Naidoo 2019). It is not impossible to assume that the circumstances
surrounding Gumede’s ousting as mayor has tarnished the reputation of Durban as
a high-profile C40 city, especially since it involved an environmental issue, such as
solid waste removal.
Small, medium and micro enterprise contracting
Speaking of contracts and tenders, another way in which eThekwini ‘collaborates’
with business is by awarding contracts to SMMEs for specific ecological infrastructure service delivery, particularly the clearing of alien vegetation along rivers,
streams and around wetlands (p. 123). According to eThekwini (2020), ‘Ecosystem
restoration, sustainable development and the provision of green jobs are key factors
in achieving community ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change’. In 2006, the
EPCPD initiated an ecosystem programme, which was based on the philosophy ‘to
build a holistic and positive interaction between local communities and the environment’ (eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality 2020a, b). The municipality uses the
143
Debra Roberts, founder and former manager of the EPCPD, and currently the
Head of eThekwini’s Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit, is also co-Chair
of the IPCC’s Working Group Two. She shares the chairpersonship with Hans-Otto
Pörtner, who has affiliations with the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven and
the University of Bremen in Germany (IPCC 2019). The IPCC, which is a body
of the United Nations (UN), assesses science that is related to climate change, or
more specifically, that ‘determines the state of knowledge on climate change’ (IPCC
2020). According to the IPCC (2020), it was ‘…created to provide policymakers
with regular scientific assessments of climate change, its implications and potential
risks, and to also put forward adaptation and mitigation options. It identifies where
there is agreement in the scientific community on topics related to climate change,
and where further research is needed’.
C40 (p. 122), on the other hand, is a global network of the world’s mega-cities.
It is closely linked to matters pertaining to climate change, and ‘…supports cities to
collaborate effectively, to share knowledge and to drive meaningful, measurable and
sustainable action on climate change’ (C40 2020). The fact that the former Mayor
of eThekwini, Councillor Zandile Gumede, was the Vice President of C40 indicates
the role that the municipality plays in the organisation and on the issue of climate
change adaptation and mitigation in cities. By being the co-Chairperson of the IPCC,
it is possible that Debra Roberts played a pivotal role in elevating Ms Gumede to this
position.
At the time that I conducted the interviews, Gumede was the Mayor of eThekwini.
However, a year later she resigned from her mayoral duties, but later revoked the
notice. Finally, the ANC announced Gumede’s departure from the municipality’s
Executive Committee. Nevertheless, she has remained on as an ordinary councillor.
According to the ANC, Gumede’s ousting was more about the poor administration
of the local government than it was about the criminal charges brought against her
for alleged fraud and corruption (Singh 2019). Gumede faces charges of attempting
to influence the award of a tender of about R208 million for a Durban Solid Waste
contract in 2016 (Naidoo 2019). It is not impossible to assume that the circumstances
surrounding Gumede’s ousting as mayor has tarnished the reputation of Durban as
a high-profile C40 city, especially since it involved an environmental issue, such as
solid waste removal.
Small, medium and micro enterprise contracting
Speaking of contracts and tenders, another way in which eThekwini ‘collaborates’
with business is by awarding contracts to SMMEs for specific ecological infrastructure service delivery, particularly the clearing of alien vegetation along rivers,
streams and around wetlands (p. 123). According to eThekwini (2020), ‘Ecosystem
restoration, sustainable development and the provision of green jobs are key factors
in achieving community ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change’. In 2006, the
EPCPD initiated an ecosystem programme, which was based on the philosophy ‘to
build a holistic and positive interaction between local communities and the environment’ (eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality 2020a, b). The municipality uses the