Joint SAFSC and Inala Memorandum to Wits University
Towards Zero Hunger and Zero Carbon Emmissions
13 May 2016
Wits is
not a business but rather a public
university that needs to ensure every student enjoys all the privileges and
learning experiences equally. Hunger and poor quality food choices undermines
this and entrenches class, race and gender inequalities. The university does
not keep transparent data on hunger and some estimates suggest 400 students a
month are hungry and another suggesting 2000 students are hungry. Hunger is
forcing students into desperation, learning becomes difficult and the way
university food aid is given, like behind the Matrix in a loading bay for
trucks, is unacceptable. It entrenches indignity, stigmatization and a
managerialist approach. Hungry students are treated as clients requiring
corporate social responsibility or food aid. The mentality of a ‘handout should
suffice’ is unacceptable and we reject this.
Currently South Africa’s drought and deepening
food crisis are connected to climate
change. Last year planetary temperatures exceeded a 1 degree Celsius increase
in temperatures since pre-industrial levels, the world experienced the hottest
year on record and serious feedback loops threaten to destabilize the Earths
climate. The COP21 Climate Summit failed humanity. Actually the UN process
failed us for 20 years when it tried to treat corporate induced climate change
as a market problem. We are running out of time to prevent a 1.5 degree Celsius
increase in planetary temperature. Current commitments in the COP21 ‘ratchet up
framework’ will result in a 3-4 degree
temperature increase. We have to act now through building citizens power and
institutional transformation from below to ensure de-carbonisation. WITS as a
University should be leading society, through its own pro-active efforts and
example, to help South African’s appreciate how serious the climate crisis is
and how we can ensure transformative solutions can be achieved now for a deep
just transition.
SAFSC and
Inala demand zero hunger at WITS and an end to dangerous greenhouse gas
contributions from WITS. In this regard we believe WITS needs to champion
systemic change through Food Sovereignty and Climate Justice transformative
solutions. In this regard we believe the University has to take forward the
following transformative demands as urgent and necessary:
·
Measure and make
transparent its data from all campuses about the state of student hunger.
·
Establish a pilot Food
Sovereignty Centre, at the Sanctuary Building, in which there is a communal
kitchen, cultural space, a seedbank, a full time agro-ecology gardner is
employed and a demonstration agro-ecology garden (including an orchard) is
located from which food is produced and sourced for students enduring food
stress and hunger. Such a space to be used by students to meet their food needs
through dignity. This food centre to be supplied its healthy, fresh and
nutritious produce from agro-ecological garden spaces on campus, campus
orchards and through small scale farmers in the city. This centre may be
reproduced on other campuses where applicable;
·
The creation of a food
commons through the extension and replication of agro-ecological
gardening spaces and fruit tree orchards (note our fruit tree petition),
integrated into general gardening services and maintenance. Such jobs will in
effect become climate jobs. The agro-ecology gardner at the food center to
support this process by training Wits staff.;
·
The linking of a food commons to a zero waste approach. A zero waste management approach must be instituted
with immediate effect which ensures re-use of amongst other materials paper,
bottles, plastics but also the re-direction of organic waste into campus wide
composting sites that feeds into agro-ecology gardening.
·
A study on the nutritional
status of food supplied in hostels and through food vendors, through the
WITs School of Public Health, and from which recommendations are made to
improve the quality of food, including sourcing from campus and non-campus
agro-ecological and food sovereignty food producers;
·
We welcome the insourcing efforts made by the University but
believe all workers at the University must have descent work, including those involved in food services at the
University.
·
An audit of University
investments to ensure it is not investing in fossil fuels and if it does,
to ensure it withdraws such investment with immediate effect. This to be
announced publicly;
·
The University to actively reduce
its carbon footprint and transform from a fossil fuel energy user to a
beacon of renewable energy use. All energy at the University to be transitioned
to solar and other renewable energy sources. A socially owned renewable energy
power pool to be the center of energy generation which should include smart
wind turbine technology, roof top solar, ground based solar (including a
concentrated solar park, if necessary) and a common battery bank.
·
The University to ensure sustainable
water management use by developing a bottom up water management plan, which
should include rethinking lawns, water harvesting from every building, grey waste
water re-use and so on.
·
The University transitions into a car free space in which there is a bicycle infrastructure, clean
energy bus system linking campuses and
connections are made to public transport transit points that links
seamlessly with the wider public transport system (Rea Via, Gautrain,
Parkstation etc) developing in the City, such that car use becomes unnecessary
while ensuring the needs of the physically challenged are also taken seriously.
·
Curriculum transformation to bring in just
transition, climate justice and food sovereignty ideas into teaching and
research.
Moreover, the proposals we are championing are also an invitation to all Universities to begin considering
systemic change through Food Sovereignty and Climate Justice transformative
solutions.
We encourage Wits to engage other universities, at the
highest levels, around these issues.
We request a meeting between SAFSC, the Inala Forum and WITS
Management at its most senior levels to address these issues.
Contact:
Thomas Fraser, Chairperson, Inala, WITS: 074 628 3198
Davine Cloete, National Coordinating Committee, SAFSC: 071
5922361
Vishwas Satgar, National Coordinating Committee, SAFSC: 082 775
3420
Xolisa Bangani, National Coordinating Committee, SAFSC: 081 414 8411
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