We are appealing to enthusiastic volunteers to assist rural schools and promote literacy, computer skills, extramural activities, arts and sports development.
PRESS RELEASE 12 -04 -2010N2 TOLL ROAD - GOVERNMENT APPEARS OBLIVIOUS TO THE COMPLEXITY OF REAL ISSUES AT STAKEA recent parliamentary response to questions about the N2 Toll Road, posed to the Minister of Transport, shows the government has a deeply flawed understanding of the broader issues surrounding the N2 Toll road debacle.
The hearings involving interested parties appealing a decision to grant Transworld Energy Minerals (TEM) a licence to mine heavy minerals from the dunes near Xolobeni on the Wild Coast, scheduled to take place this week, were cancelled.
The committee of four people, which was appointed by the Mining and Minerals Board to oversee the presentations from all parties involved, could not proceed because it had not received the necessary documentation from the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).
The Legal Resources Centre's submission to DME on behalf of the ACC and Xolobeni community is rather long-winded and dry; but also interesting, and thoroughly convincing:
THE DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS AND ENERGY
INTERNAL APPEAL/REVIEW OF THE AWARD OF A MINING RIGHT TO TRANSWORLD ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES (SA) (PTY) LTD
2 Recent print articles, which only appeared in the Daily Dispatch Online today, have already been published in the Weekend Post and on other environmental sites; proving conclusively that public perception is strongly against the mining:</i>
Not to over-stress the absurdity in the first place, of bureaucratizing access to their coastal resources for the uneducated, impoverished, and already marginalized inhabitants of the Wild Coast; but there has been a recurring theme of blatant government incompetence played out over the past few years at Hole in the Wall.
So here's a basic outline of the Volunteer programme I would love to get going: www.wildcoast.co.za/ict4d Please contribute some constructive criticism and/or suggestions. I have this unshakable belief that it's important (even if only for the 2 percentile) and that it will work, but I've got zero resources, and even less confidence, at the minute.
EARTHWORX is very excited to be kicking off the new year working in conjunction with Wild Coast Kitchen and country Lodge just outside of Port St John's . We will gradually be building on a model sustainable village on the farm overlooking the mighty Umzimvubu river. The idea is to involve as many people as we can in the workshops to promote permaculture and sustainablity. We are hosting our first 5day workshop for the new year starting on the 7th of January. Space is limited. Book early or contact us for schedules for further workshops throughout the year.
For the past 3 years DEAT SRPP (Social Responsibility, Policy & Projects) has funded the Mussel Rehabilitation Project (MRP) which has been implemented by Walter Sisulu University along the Wild Coast between Umtata Mouth and Hole in the Wall.Download the video: Mussel Harvest The initiative has, without a doubt, been one of the most successful and effective social responsibility projects in the Eastern Cape. It has not only proven that rehabilitation and controlled harvesting of mussel beds is sustainable, but has literally produced tons of protein rich mussels for the benefit of the local community, while also contributing employment, skills training, environmental awareness, resource monitoring, catch-data collation, and many other vital linkages and benefits. Operating since 2000 under the care and guidance of Zoology lecturer, Dr. Calvo-Ugarteburu (affectionately known by all as “Gugu”), the Mussel Rehabilitation & Food Production Project has been funded variously by Marine & Coastal Management (MCM), WWF, and DEAT SRPP.
Earthworx workshops and the Kraal volunteer project will continue to be hosted by the Kraal Retreat in Mpande. That does not mean that Earthworx workshops will be restricted to the Kraal only. I intend to keep working on the volunteer centre at the Kraal, but also to be available for workshops and projects around South Africa for anybody with a genuine interest in Natural building and sustainability.
Over the last couple of months the Kraal Retreat,at Mpande, have been hosting my Eartworx workshops. We've had a tremendous response from the local community. It has been very successful and I hope to continue and expand my vision of uplifting the community in this area. Being a retreat I thought it a good idea to incorporate the Mexican sweat lodge (Temazcal) at the Kraal.
Upon arrival back in South Africa I was anxious to get back into the mud. The rural Eastern Cape, where I mixed my first African mud, has since become my home. The Xhosa people have been using natural building for centuries. Adobe bricks and wattle and daub structures are still found all over the Transkei. My vision here is to learn and teach.
During the years I spent in Mexico a great love for vibrant colour and mosaic was ignited in my work. I started combining natural building with mosaic. The time I spent with the Nahuatl tribes along the Pacific coast of Mexico also turned out to be very inspirational. I gathered a wealth of knowledge and new (old) ideas from these beautiful people. What started out as mosaic art suddenly evolved into many new useful and sustainable projects.
There are arbitrarily 2 types of people on earth: upright dudes, and uptight bastards. Cats and Grinches, or those who grew up reading Dr. Seuss, and those who did not. (Not too sure about the last one, but I speak for myself, and books like The Lorax inspired several generations with a love of reading and a strong bias toward environmental conservation. Thanks to Theodore (Dr. Seuss) Giessel: www.wildcoast.com/lorax)
The infamously dangerous 300km coastline between East London and Port Edward known as the Wild Coast has been described by experienced seafarers as South Africa's own Bermuda Triangle; where ships disappear without a trace.
I posted the following comment on a local resort owners blog (http://chintsa.blogspot.com/) after he came out in favor of the N2 toll road. Needless to say it never went past moderation:
<i>I believe your side of the argument is commonly known as "enlightened self interest": you own a resort on the coast and stand to benefit greatly from any infrastructural improvements and tourism opportunities. Fair enough.
the results are in – more than 100,000 Avaaz members took part in the worldwide vote about whether we should go all out to organise a massive global wake-up call on climate change on September 21, and over 96% of us voted YES!
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We are appealing to enthusiastic volunteers to assist rural schools and promote literacy, computer skills, extramural activities, arts and sports development. 
A recent parliamentary response to questions about the N2 Toll Road, posed to the Minister of Transport, shows the government has a deeply flawed understanding of the broader issues surrounding the N2 Toll road debacle.
The initiative has, without a doubt, been one of the most successful and effective social responsibility projects in the Eastern Cape. It has not only proven that rehabilitation and controlled harvesting of mussel beds is sustainable, but has literally produced tons of protein rich mussels for the benefit of the local community, while also contributing employment, skills training, environmental awareness, resource monitoring, catch-data collation, and many other vital linkages and benefits. Operating since 2000 under the care and guidance of Zoology lecturer, Dr. Calvo-Ugarteburu (affectionately known by all as “Gugu”),
the Mussel Rehabilitation & Food Production Project has been funded variously by Marine & Coastal Management (MCM), WWF, and DEAT SRPP.
Earthworx workshops and the Kraal volunteer project will continue to be hosted by the Kraal Retreat in Mpande. That does not mean that Earthworx workshops will be restricted to the Kraal only. I intend to keep working on the volunteer centre at the Kraal, but also to be available for workshops and projects around South Africa for anybody with a genuine interest in Natural building and sustainability.
Upon arrival back in South Africa I was anxious to get back into the mud. The rural Eastern Cape, where I mixed my first African mud, has since become my home. The Xhosa people have been using natural building for centuries. Adobe bricks and wattle and daub structures are still found all over the Transkei. My vision here is to learn and teach.
During the years I spent in Mexico a great love for vibrant colour and mosaic was ignited in my work. I started combining natural building with mosaic. The time I spent with the Nahuatl tribes along the Pacific coast of Mexico also turned out to be very inspirational. I gathered a wealth of knowledge and new (old) ideas from these beautiful people. What started out as mosaic art suddenly evolved into many new useful and sustainable projects.
