Page 63 - Research & Innovation Report 2020

BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC SCIENCES

Human rights

Prof Cherry has authored numerous articles and
book chapters on targets highlighted in the
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), including
the right to adequate housing and affordable,
reliable clean energy, and how the University is
actively engaged with communities in achieving
this. Her latest chapter based on her research is in
a forthcoming book titled: Emancipatory Human
Rights and the University, edited by Professor
André Keet and Professor Felisa Tibbitts from
the Chair for Critical Studies in Higher Education
Transformation (CriSHET) at Nelson Mandela
University.

Saltuba PV solar array connected

“The problem is that although the municipality has promised that system. We partner with the Centre for Integrated Post-School
they can buy electricity from township cooperatives, there is no Education & Training (CIPSET) at the Missionvale Campus and
institutional mechanism for them to get paid. They assured us this other food garden organisations at other township sites in the bay,
would be resolved by July 2021 but we are still waiting.” in KwaDwesi and Motherwell. The food gardens are all part of the
SA food sovereignty campaign linked to COPAC.”
Another part of the pilot is water harvesting: four houses have a
water harvesting system that leads rainwater from the gutters into The pilot project will expand to include aquaponics, producing
storage tanks – one for rainwater and another for grey water that fresh fish and vegetables in partnership with the non-profit
they re-use from their washing machines. international humanitarian development organisation INMED,
and create markets for fresh produce. These models have the
“We also partner with Trevin van der Walt of Urban Gardens in potential to meet the food, water and energy needs of millions of
Nelson Mandela Bay, who works with the Saltuba Cooperative for households, and to provide income to working-class households
establishing vegetable gardens grown in tunnels on a permaculture right where they live.

“There are several creative eco-social

alternatives to the current RDP housing model

that have been explored, using a circular

layout of houses built with local materials

around a common infrastructure to provide

integrated energy, water capture, gas from

waste, food gardens and ‘minimum flush’

toilets using greywater.”

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