Day of environmental action - see more here.

MANDATORY ENTRY ON ANY XHOSA-RELATED BLOG...and thus on ours as well

January – EyoMqungu (month of the Tambuki Grass)
February – EyoMdumba (month of the swelling grain)
March – EyoKwindla (month of the first fruits)
April – UTshazimpuzi (month of the withering pumpkins)
May – UCanzibe (month of Canopus)
June – Isilimela (month of the Pleiades)
July – EyeKhala / EyeNtlaba (month of the aloes)
August – EyeThupha (month of the buds)
September – EyoMsintsi (month of the coast coral tree)
October – EyeDwarha (month of the lilypad)
November – EyeNkanga (month of the small yellow daisies)
December – EyoMnga (month of the mimosa thorn tree and simba)

Today we helped Seaview Secondary School plant the saplings that the students grew from the seeds they planted in February. Prizes were awarded to the best horticulturalists. Read more about the project here.

Excerpts taken from Integrated Coastal Management Act User Friendly Guide, 2009 – Department of Environmental Affairs: Marine and Coastal Management:

Where is the coastal protection zone?

The next component of the South African coastal zone is what is referred to as the coastal protection zone. In essence, the coastal protection zone consists of a continuous strip of land, starting from the HWM and extending 100 metres inland in developed urban areas zoned as residential, commercial, or public open space, or 1000 metres inland in areas that remain undeveloped or that are commonly referred to as rural areas. There are however some provisions in order to justify certain adjustments to this zone.

The coastal protection zone is established to manage, regulate and restrict the use of land that is adjacent to coastal public property, or that plays a significant role in the coastal ecosystem.

What is the purpose of the coastal protection zone?

The coastal protection zone is established to manage, regulate and restrict the use of land that is adjacent to coastal public property, or that plays a significant role in the coastal ecosystem. More specifically, the coastal protection zone aims:

    * To protect the ecological integrity, natural character, and the economic, social and aesthetic value of the neighbouring coastal public property;
    * To avoid increasing the effect or severity of natural hazards;
    * To protect people, property and economic activities from the risks and threats which may arise from dynamic coastal processes such as wave and wind erosion, coastal storm surges, flooding and sea-level rise;
    * To maintain the natural functioning of the littoral active zone
    * To maintain the productivity of the coastal zone; and
    * To allow authorities to perform rescue and clean-up operations.

By Daniel and Anna

We've started a research project to document the perceptions of the local community with regards to the value, use and management of natural resources in the area. We've been painstakingly reviewing appropriate research methodologies, reading relevant case studies, translating explanations and questions and learning topical vocabulary. We've hired a translator and on Wednesday, in anticipation of our first meeting, we set out to invite people.

“Molweni. We are doing uphando (research). We are gathering ulwazi (information). We are going to make a big imephu (map) of the izinto zendalo (natural resources) here. We are meeting at the creche on Friday. Please do come.”

On the way home we stopped at a spaza for a celebratory coke, but we stood waiting while the shop owner came running back from a meeting halfway up the hill where two white bakkies were parked.

“Ah. What is your meeting about Mr-shop-owner?”

“Those guys over there are doing uphando. They are from Nature. They are collecting ulwazi to make a big imephu. They are having a meeting on Friday at the creche (a different one).”

We learned that the researchers in the white 'Nature' bakkies are collecting information all along the coastline from East London to Port St Johns in order to compile a database of buildings and residents... so that if (when) government decides to enforce the Integtrated Coastline Management Act, a law which prohibits building within 1000m of the sea along the Wild Coast, those found in contravention will be politely asked to move.

Oh dear. Who are these people? Everyone is starting to panic that they will be evicted from their homes. They are government.....what if people start to think we're government? No no no. This will not do at all. Everyone's going to go to the meeting about eviction and law-breaking. What if no one comes to our meeting?

By Dan and Anna

To get to our local service centre, Mqanduli, we have to walk for an hour, and then catch a taxi for an hour. Once there, we do a massive shop and pack our backpacks brimful of essential items – nestle white chocolate smartie bars. Then we squish into another taxi and come home. The walk is long and hot, and on the way home we are weighed down with groceries. The taxi rides are claustrophobic and stressful: the roads are variable in quality but invariably windy and steep. There are sections missing (typically oval shaped) – some call these potholes – we call them absences of service delivery. Despite adversity, taxi drivers work paradoxically hard to ensure that their passengers arrive in Mqanduli early. Some of them work too hard. Some drive at 140km/h in a 60km/h section while avoiding absences of service delivery on both sides of the road. As a result, the journey is not fun at all.

The only sensible solution is to drive the taxi yourself.

By Anna

After almost three months of gross rudeness on our part, we can confirm: It is inappropriate to call your peers / elders by their given name. You can call them Mama, Tata, Sisi or Bhuti. If you want to differentiate between Mamas / Tatas / Sisis / Bhutis – you relate them to their family members. If you have children, you are referred to as mother / father of your child. For Daniel and I to show each other respect, we have to call each other Bhuti kaKerry and Sisi kaMaya, respectively.