Dr Desmond D’Sa, the co-founder of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, has passed away.
D’Sa, an activist in the Durban area with a very strong following, is well-known for his support of the rights of fishermen and environmental justice. He will be remembered for his many campaigns helping communities fight for clean air, dignity, the right to live free from harmful pollution, and for challenging the plans for the expansion of Durban’s port.
He is particularly acknowledged for helping secure the closure of South Durban’s Bulbul Drive hazardous waste landfill in November 2011. Using his knowledge of chemical plant operations he helped residents to understand development proposals, access legal advice and collect air-quality evidence, giving their objections substance beyond public protest.
This earned him the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014 and in 2015 an honours doctorate from the Durban University of Technology in recognition of his contribution. More recently, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Excellence Awards, acknowledging his environmental and social justice work.
According to local media reports D’Sa, his son Rodney, and his sister-in-law, died in a car crash earlier this morning.
He will be sorely missed by everyone who came into contact with him.
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