Oxfam South Africa Media Reaction to Climate Crisis in the Eastern Cape – 11 June 2025
Attention: Editors
Date: 11 June 2025
Early Warning Systems Are Not Enough. Government Must Act Now to Protect Rural Communities.
This week, South Africa has experienced severe and abnormal weather patterns threatening lives and livelihoods. Heavy snowfall and rains in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, at the very onset of winter, has exposed the government’s lack of a coordinated response to support the most vulnerable: rural communities.
The Eastern Cape remains the most rural province in the country, with over 60% of its population living in rural households. These areas are already under strain, and worsening climate conditions push them past the brink. Of critical concern is the disproportionate impact on black rural womxn, who make up the majority of household heads in these regions; 48.8% in the Eastern Cape and 46.8% in KwaZulu-Natal. When the state fails to act, it is these womxn who bear the brunt.
Most rural households rely on wood fires for heat and cooking. Womxn are the primary collectors of firewood and water and the caregivers for their families, who are in return confronting safety issues . Yet, under so much insecurity, they are expected to survive and provide without basic support. Their ability to farm, feed their families, and generate income is being devastated by unpredictable, extreme weather.
Oxfam South Africa, through its work with small-scale womxn farmers in the Eastern Cape, has witnessed the growing hardship. These womxn rely on backyard gardens and small plots to sustain their families and fund education and household expenses. When floods drown their crops or snow blankets their fields, they lose everything; from food security to financial stability.
“In winter it’s the snow, in summer it’s the floods, we never know what to expect. And we face it alone. No one helps when our crops fail. Commercial farmers have loans and greenhouses. We only have ourselves. We can’t even honour partnerships with retailers if we can’t produce a stable yield,” – Tembakazi Peter, Farmers Network South Africa (Oxfam SA partner)
These womxn are not asking for charity they are demanding justice.
This crisis is not random. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events are escalating due to climate change. Snowfall may be seasonal, but its volume and timing are no longer predictable. Early warning systems are not enough. They are a first step, but alone, they are a hollow response.
Oxfam South Africa calls on government to go beyond alerts and road safety. We demand a comprehensive, proactive mitigation strategy that centres the needs of rural communities and is fully gender-responsive. We pledge our solidarity with affected communities, and remain committed to advancing a equal future for all.
With South Africa holding the G20 Presidency, this is the moment to lead on climate finance for the Global South. The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance must deliver for those on the frontlines. Climate reparative justice is non-negotiable.
“We call on governments to support a wealth tax. Make Rich Polluters Pay! The NCQG must fund responses to displacement, job losses, and crop failure; and the realities that black rural womxn face daily. Those who have profited from decades of extraction must pay the price. The Global South should not carry this burden alone,” – Nkateko Chauke, Interim Executive Director, Oxfam South Africa
The time for reactive governance is over. Lives are at stake. We must act—urgently, justly, and boldly.
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For media interviews with Oxfam Representative or Farmers Network South Africa, please contact Bongani Maseko on +27 61 545 9425 or email ozacommunication@oxfam.org.za
