South Africa: The king of Western Pondoland’s contracts with a Chinese company could see an untouched stretch of the Wild Coast undergo massive development. The same company has plans to dam the Orange River in the Northern Cape and put up gas-to-power plants. Is any of it likely to happen? Even if not this time, the paper trail speaks of the intentions at the core of Operation Phakisa and China’s Belt and Road Initiative – enormous development projects that are driving our changing climate."

"...these companies have been signing deals that disregard the land tenure rights of South Africa’s rural poor."

[dailymaverick.co.za]