Institute for Social and Health Sciences (ISHS)

Unisa adds academic muscle to safe energy campaign

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Prof Ashley van Niekerk, ISHS, College of Human Sciences

Prof Ashley van Niekerk from the Institute for Social and Health Studies in the College of Human Sciences presented his inaugural lecture entitled "Energy impoverishment and burns: The case for an expedited, safe, and inclusive energy transition in South Africa" on 18 August 2021.

Van Niekerk’s research interests include socio-psychological and public health understandings of injury causation, vulnerability and prevention, with a focus on child safety, the development of integrated theoretical perspectives of burn causality and prevention, and analyses for the development of evidence-based injury prevention policy in South Africa.

He acknowledged with gratitude Unisa's support for and commitment to research and innovation. His lecture presented a case for an expedited inclusive energy policy in South Africa. He highlighted health, human rights and energy justifications that demand an energy transition responsive to South Africa’s energy poor.

Van Niekerk mentioned that his research interests have been influenced by his commitment to growing knowledge to inform a collective service to humanity and justice. In his presentation he highlighted some of the energy poverty issues in South Africa. "Statistics SA reported that 600 000 households, comprising two million people, are in extreme energy deprivation, and rely on paraffin for domestic energy. Indeed, South African surveys indicate that the energy sources responsible for the majority of burn incidents are paraffin, candles and firewood."

Under the banner "No Paraffin!", a safe energy campaign was launched by Unisa in partnership with the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), said Van Niekerk. "The campaign calls for accelerated transition to safe, affordable and modern energy to prioritise the needs of socio-economically impoverished communities." He called upon the government to play a central role in the campaign. "Government is expected to strengthen paraffin hazard management and the removal of risks for greater public protection," he said. "This would entail significant scaling up, through the provision of appropriate structures and budgets, with a relevant government entity actioning both near and long-term measures."

In conclusion, Van Niekerk said the energy campaign is aligned with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal on universal access to safe and sustainable energy. "This campaign is cognisant of current indications of the scale and impact of energy impoverishment and the recent emergence of energy alternatives that may be feasible for South Africa," he said.

* By Martina Jege, Communications Specialist, College of Human Sciences

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Publish date: 2021-08-27 00:00:00.0

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