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The scene: Riverlands settlement, Western Cape.
The time: in the still of night.
The sole inhabitant of the house in the humble community is trying to sleep – but is unexpectedly roused by the sound of a vehicle approaching, followed by urgent knocking on her door. The message is chilling: the dam has broken and the water is coming.
The first episode of Corruption Watch’s new five-part podcast series on climate governance, In the Still of Night, starts with that resident’s harrowing first-hand account of the floods from nearby burst dams, that in 2024 ravaged the small community of Riverlands in the Western Cape – not once, but twice. The area had been experiencing sustained heavy rainfall which loosened the soil and most likely increased the vulnerability of the poorly designed and constructed dams located nearby.
“The first and second of the four dams were built during apartheid, allegedly without proper oversight, licensing or registration,” says series narrator Melusi Ncala. “Combined with prolonged extreme weather conditions, these factors culminated in the nightmare experienced by this community of farm workers and small scale farmers on 7 and 8 August and again later that month.”
This sets the scene for the establishment of the concept and context of climate governance and a gripping discussion with experts including legal researcher Mashudu Masutha, Transparency International climate researcher Gvantsa Gverdtsiteli, and Open Secrets investigators Michael Marchant and Zen Mathe, authors of the research report Who Has the Power: South Africa’s Energy Profiteers.
The series compellingly captures the Riverlands and other communities’ experiences with climate change and failures in disaster relief by government, as it explores the intersection of corruption and climate governance through narrative, personal accounts, and expert commentary.
The second episode will feature Joanne Yawitch, Head of the Project Management Unit at the Presidency; Thabo Molelekwa, Assistant Editor at Oxpeckers; Tim Lloyd, Associate at Alt-Advisory; and Bongani Johannes from Mining Affected Communities United in Action. Episode 3 features discussions with Professor Imran Valodia of Wits University, climate science writer Leonie Joubert, and community voices from Limpopo and Mpumalanga, including Grace, Mam’Nkuna, and Sinki. Episode 4 features voices including Wade Parker from Surplus Peoples Project and Blessing Nyoni of the Glory of the Last Days Community Organisation, alongside several community members. The final episode brings together voices heard throughout the series and serves as a conclusion.
Listen to episode 1 below, or download it:
