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REVIEW: South Africa urgently needs to prioritise upholding the rule of law.

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The perilous working conditions in South Africa's construction industry, plagued by the construction mafia, were brought to light when a Stefanutti Stocks executive narrowly escaped an attempted murder. Last week's news about Stefanutti Stocks coastal manager Matthew Horwill's survival of an assassination attempt near his office sparked widespread speculation. Many believe the attack is linked to the construction mafia, a notorious organization that has been very active in KwaZulu-Natal.  The construction mafia often target construction sites, extorting money from contractors, subcontractors, and developers. Although they have been a part of the South African construction landscape for some time, the government has finally taken action to address this long-standing issue through strategic initiatives. The Public Procurement Bill, currently open for public comment, tackles several concerns. It mandates a certain percentage of local participation and requires organizations to
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REVIEW : The surge in hydroelectric dams is driving massive biodiversity loss

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Globally,natural rivers with unimpeded flow are becoming increasingly fragmented due to the construction of dams, weirs, and other barriers. This is one of the most significant, yet often overlooked, drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide.


A recent report by the Living Planet Index indicates that river fragmentation is a significant factor in the 81% decline in migratory fish populations since 1970, which is six times higher than the rate of loss for land and sea animals.

Migratory fish, such as salmon and eels, need to move between different parts of rivers, estuaries, and oceans at various life stages. Salmon, for example, migrate from the sea to rivers or lakes for reproduction, while eels do the reverse. Therefore, it is essential to preserve free-flowing rivers to allow species and nutrients to pass from upstream headwaters to downstream floodplains, deltas, and estuaries.

Remediating the catastrophic impact of river fragmentation on migratory fish species is possible, but it requires significant and urgent engineering interventions that effectively balance the need for water storage in reservoirs with the preservation of freshwater biodiversity.


The full article can be read on The Conversation , follow our Whatsapp channel here for more hardhatREVIEWS.

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