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Three trailblazers were celebrated at this year’s Eco-Logic Awards, recognising the difference they are making and their active contribution to the conservation of the planet.
Sinegugu Zukulu, Margo Tamzone Adonis and Daniel Nyarenda were among 44 finalists across 12 categories of people who are setting the benchmark for ecological thinking with innovative water saving solutions, fossil fuel initiatives, eco-friendly schools, conservation training, recycling and waste management, passionate youth programmes and more.
Zukulu, Adonis and Nyarenda won gold, silver and bronze awards, respectively, in the eco-warrior category, for “individuals whose actions have defended, protected or prevented damage to the Earth’s life forms, ecosystems, or natural resources”.
Making a difference starts in your community and this is how these three warriors are changing their and our world:
SINEGUGU ZUKULU
Zukulu’s life work has been committed to enabling people to rediscover themselves as living “of the Earth”, and awakening their consciousness to cherish alllife.
The rich wildlife of Pondoland Wild Coast blooms as much in his soul as it does in the ravines, grasslands, rivers and coastal waters where his ancestors lived and died.
At great personal sacrifice he has led his traditional community, the Amadiba, in a decade-long campaign against the ambitions of powerful people intent on extracting mineral deposits and imposing the N2 toll road on the Wild Coast.
Zukulu went to court against the approval of the SA National Roads Agency’s toll road project. His opposition is founded on a conviction that any development intervention that fails to honour indigenous knowledge, customary law and ecological integrity only serves to create dependency and leaves bigger problems for future generations to resolve.
With the Amadiba community having succeeded in pressurising an Australian mining company to divest of its plans for Xolobeni dune mining, the community approached the high court for a declaratory order for the right to say no, and won.
The judgment affirmed the land rights of communities affected by mining.
MARGO TAMZONE ADONIS
Adonis entered Miss Earth SA last year and even though she did not win the title, she has spent the past seven months advocating for the environment.
During her campaign she conducted a variety of projects throughout the Western Cape, promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community and youth development.
As the Western Cape was severely affected by drought, for World Environment Day last year she conducted water conservation talks at schools on the West Coast, educating pupils about the cause and impact of the drought and explaining what they could do to respect water and to conserve it.
She also completed beach clean-ups, community clean-ups and educational school visits to warn pupils against single-use plastic.
Adonis is dedicated to her campaign to promote environmental conservation and the preservation of our environment and natural resources.
DANIEL NYARENDA
Nyarenda has been involved in outdoor environmental education since 1987. He was part of establishing the programmes, projects and outdoor education of Bush Pigs 32 years ago. This has added value to environmental conservation and enhanced environmental knowledge for the youth.
He believes that wildlife should be protected and conserved for future generations, therefore there is a great need for educating and helping change attitudes towards nature.
He says he has seen a great positive impact as a result of his work, which has been measured by seeing people whom he taught when they were young coming back to the centre as teachers bringing learners and other teachers, with the aim of learning more about nature and “going the whole hog” for the environment.
