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JUST SA Northern Cape - Mzwandile Raymond Mene · TIPS Podcast

• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Trade Industrial Policy Strategies official podcast, Tips Talk, the show where we delve into the fascinating world of economics and its impact on global development.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Elise Hutting, and today we are asking why it is important for local and provincial government officials in the Northern Cape province to understand the impacts of climate change and the imperative to decarbonize our economy and especially in the Northern Cape, as well as make that transition just.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: So we're finding ourselves in Kimberley.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: We're looking at how government officials can turn policy into action.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: I've got a very special guest with me, Mr.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: Raymond Mene, and I'm going to ask him to introduce himself.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's an honor to be here because we're talking about issues that affect the community.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Mzwandle Raymond Menet.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: I'm based in the Northern Cape Province, which is the far eastern side.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: Kimberly City is the town that I'm actually based at.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: And therefore, when you look at the major development environmental projects, you'd see on the far western part, which is at the sea sides where now major projects like the Bukubai hydro plants are actually implemented.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: But as a local government official, my duty is to ensure that the policies regarding environmental climate change action plans are implemented is to consult with communities and ensure that community buy-in, counsellor buy-in, and also implementation in terms of the execution of all the policies to ensure that the outputs are going to benefit everyone.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: So local government seeks to address the climate policies by implementing a section which is called the climate change unit which focuses on all aspects that are going to address climate-related challenges like heat waves which we are currently experiencing, but socially, which is one of the aspects which you need to enforce to ensure that the implementation of all these policies are done correctly, is to address the unemployment issue, skilling issue, and ensuring that these are distributed equally amongst all people who are living within the local municipality.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: So when we are talking about distribution of all the opportunities to the relevant people that are within the local municipalities, is ensuring that the youth are given fair opportunities when it comes to faculties, universities, and also entrance into the labor market.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: The other issue is to ensure that in the labor market there is no biasness in ensuring that those who deserve to enter the labour market are not given a fair chance to enter.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And therefore, we feel that just transition efforts will ensure that all things that are done in local municipality are done considering the procedural justice, distributive justice, and the one that restores the dignity of everyone.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Therefore, I believe that as an official from the local municipality, when we do our work from the skills that we have acquired from this training, we will ensure that public participation processes are implemented correctly.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Inputs from both private and government and social sectors such as NGOs are put into documents which will reflect the true aspects of the community.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Raymond, thank you.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: That is really a very big challenge, and I think it's quite heavy on your shoulders to have this task.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I really like what you're saying that you creating also a space and being accountable as a custodian in just transition for youth to be able to access your opportunities.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: Do you see this as a significant barrier in terms of your role that you have the capacity and the mandate to actually take this task on?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: I believe that it won't be a huge task if everyone does what they should be doing.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: So it means that the youth as exiting from all the basic type of schooling environments should be given a platform to choose the type of careers that they feel are going to be suitable for their liking, not feels that are imposed onto them.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Therefore, it starts from the basics.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: If the basics are right, then it makes it easier that when it comes to the tertiary environment, then everyone agrees on whatever side of the let's just talk about the Kimberly environment.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: We were a mining predominantly focused area, and now because of the mine closures, we are now government-based and also private sector-based, including the universities.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: The problem is that concentration of interest should not only be from external but within, because if those who are within don't benefit, it means that there won't be any inputs.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: For instance, local municipalities would require that inputs from all those who stay in the municipalities should go back into the municipalities to ensure that services are paid.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: But if the interest are from the external part, then it means that all the monies that should have been inputted in the local municipalities will be benefiting the external part, which is now going to be a negative thing that won't be beneficial to everyone.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I believe the youth, if they are given a fair chance to participate, and those who are in government are doing this fairly, then it means that the beneficiation will be positive, and then it means that risk-killing programs will be addressing the shortfalls or shortcomings that we are facing as a province.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Raymond.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm very interested also what you mentioned around the heat waves and the climate impact.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: Do you see sometimes from the youth and the uptake in terms of Kimberley that there is a increased interest in climate change issues and challenges and how skills programs can also respond and create opportunities for climate adaptation?
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: The heat waves in the province, because we are a very arid environment.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: We are from a province that is actually big, especially, but the population numbers are low.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: And therefore, sometimes climate disasters, when they occur, it is taken that numbers dictate where the disaster funds would be going.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: And therefore, it disadvantages the province because of the low numbers that we are having.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: But we feel that if the distribution of finances, disaster adaptation programs are actually aligned to serve everybody equally, then that disparity will be addressed and everybody, regardless of the number in the province, will get the assistance from national government to ensure that these negative effects, the heat waves are addressed and people are able to survive within the province.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's very valuable insights.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: Coming to our next question regarding challenges that you're seeing with the just transition going forward, Monday, back to your desk, you know, the mandate that you have.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: Could you give us a bit of insight regarding some of these challenges in terms of the just transition?
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: Going back to work, it's quite intriguing what we have learned here.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: I did also meet with some of the colleagues who are serving in the different departments.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: We were actually deliberating on how it's important for everyone to be on the same page because a silo approach won't be assisting the tension that this program seeks to address.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: And therefore, silo approaches should now be the thing of the past, and we should now be looking at efforts that are going to be collaborative.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: And therefore, if we can adapt to or adopt practices of collaborative inputs, then it means the benefits will be greater than how we are currently working.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for sharing that.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that spirit of collaboration is really key to a green economy, and that's a principle of the green economy that you could foster and spearhead within the municipality, making sure that there's not just division of silos and people are left behind and different agendas are not aligned.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe do you feel that that could give you a better momentum, gaining a bit more speed in terms of making progress?
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, because at the end of the day, local municipalities as compared to national are more politically driven, where now the political and administrative part are functioning within the same environment.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: It means that now when the political principles see progress done by administration, they would also adopt the type of let me say it's a type of practice that is implemented by the administration and it will be applied within the political sphere.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: Then that will filter down to communities because counselors are closer to communities and that will ensure that now public participation is done correctly because the counselors have been taken through the process, and then that process is now filtering down to the communities.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, yes, it will be a benefit to the community and also the synergy between the political and administrative parts of the municipality.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Raymond.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_01: That's really um a very interesting point.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: I think the political will and the leadership that's really needed for you to have that same vision and to move forward.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: Is there anything that you'd like to add for us today in terms of your perspectives before we close off?
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: I believe a just environment is something that everybody would wish for.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: And therefore, by fixing what we have actually done incorrectly, will enable us now to be able to include the technological advancements that we are now currently in possession of, and therefore use it in the benefit of the environment, in the benefit of governance, and in the benefit of social interaction, which are positive and are going to ensure a better growth within our local environment.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Raymond, for your time.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that triple bottom line is very important.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: We look forward to staying connected with you through the community of practice and supporting your journey as a practitioner and a leader in the space.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: And we look forward to see how Kimberley will prosper with your leadership.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much for your time.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate the opportunity.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: That wraps up today's episode.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: A huge thanks to our guests for sharing their expertise, time with us, and attending this training.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_01: We hope you will continue to champion the mandate of greening the economy in a just and equitable way.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: And to our listeners, your support means the world.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining the Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies official podcast.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, sustainable growth is not just a goal, but a path to a more resilient and prosperous future.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and connect with us on social media.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, I'm your host, Elise Huttings, signing off.