Sheree Bega

Johannesburg

Environment Reporter at Mail & Guardian

Environment reporter @mailandguardian [email protected]

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Articles

Environment minister reflects on his - and the GNU’s - first year in office

5 days ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

When Dion George took office nearly a year ago as the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, he did so as part of a new chapter in South Africa’s democratic journey — the formation of the government of national unity (GNU).
Documenting sacred ecology: Mamelodi to Rustenburg Kloof conservation walk begins

1 week ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

A unique project to document the conditions at sacred natural sites and traditional ecological knowledge from Mamelodi to Rustenburg Kloof began on Monday. It comes after Cathy Dzerefos, an environmental scientist and lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology, was awarded the 2025 Richard Watmough Magaliesberg Conservation Fund by the Mountain Club of South Africa Magaliesberg section for the project, which promotes environmental and water stewardship in the Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve.
Toxic pesticide ban a victory for people and environmental justice, say activists

1 week ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

Civil society groups have welcomed the cabinet’s of the highly hazardous pesticide, Terbufos, as a “significant victory”. In October last year, six children died after eating snacks bought at a spaza shop in Naledi, Soweto. Commonly known as Halephirimi, Terbufos is a chemical compound classified as an organophosphate and is used as an insecticide and pesticide.
Johannesburg water crisis: ‘Not everybody is built for living as if you’re on a survivor show’

1 week ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

Residents are fed up with the city’s water shortages, which contributed to a mother and child dying in a fire this week This content is restricted to subscribers only. Join the M&G Community Our commitment at the Mail & Guardian is to ensure every reader enjoys the finest experience. Join the M&G community and support us in delivering in-depth news to you consistently.
How the state plans to shield SA’s coast from climate change

2 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

Rising sea levels, an increase in storm frequency and intensity and the related rise in the damage and loss to coastal infrastructure, livelihoods and natural resources are the tangible effects of climate change in South Africa’s coastal zone.
New water crisis threatens as invasive plants overrun North West’s Vaalkop Dam

2 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

Hartbeespoort Dam on steroids. That’s how landowners around the Vaalkop Dam in the North West have described the dam’s heavy infestation with the invasive alien aquatic plants, water hyacinth and common salvinia. These water weeds are now smothering 100% of the Vaalkop Dam — a crucial water source for the Bojanala and Waterberg districts — and it’s become a “desperate situation”, according to Martin Frere, a board member of Bushwillow Estate, on the dam.
Draft oil and gas regulations spark climate justice concerns

3 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

Draft regulations under the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act may be prioritising oil and gas development and disregarding the imperative to shift away from fossil fuels and the risk of creating stranded assets. This is contained in a letter from eco-justice organisation, The Green Connection, to the department of mineral and petroleum resources.
Dehorning rhinos cuts poaching by 78%, landmark study finds

3 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

Dehorning rhinos can reduce poaching by as much as 78%, making it a significant and cost-effective conservation tool, a landmark international study has found. The research, published in the prestigious journal Science, focused on 11 reserves in South Africa’s Greater Kruger region from 2017 to 2023 — a critical global stronghold that conserves about a quarter of all Africa’s rhinos.
Snowfall and bitter cold to hit all provinces except Limpopo

3 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

South Africans must brace for “a spell of extreme winter weather” starting this weekend, with snowfalls possible in all provinces, except Limpopo, according to the South African Weather Service. For the thousands of runners participating in the Comrades 2025 ultramarathon on Sunday, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, the South African Weather Service expects predominantly mild to warm and windy conditions, with partly cloudy to cloudy skies.
Why Boksburg Lake turned red: Acid mine drainage confirmed as cause

3 weeks ago | mg.co.za | Sheree Bega

The reason the Boksburg Lake on Gauteng’s East Rand has turned a startling rusty red is toxic acid mine drainage (AMD) is seeping into the waterway from the Central mining Basin. This was confirmed by the state-owned Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA), which said on Monday that the decant associated with the Central Basin has affected the water quality in the Boksburg Lake. An AMD decant happens when the acidic mine water “daylights” on the surface from underground mining voids.