BY: Langa Lulanga

Arch Bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu today urged western countries to join in the fight for a legal binding deal on climate change at COP 17 saying both the rich and the poor are prone to its effects.

He said climate change is a big enemy that no country can fight alone, hence the need for all nations to stand together and speak with one voice.

“I want to tell you that this [earth]is our home, whether rich or poor we both belong to this home, if you destroy it is not only Africa that will suffer, don’t be cheated you will also be affected,” said Tutu.

Youths carry the second Noah's Ark with 200,000 petitions on Climate Change

He welcomed other like-minded leaders- “For your own sake, we are inviting you who are rich to come to our side and fight climate change. God created us to be a family, we are all members of the human family lets care for one another as members of the same family,”.

Retired Arch Bishop Tutu spoke at the ecumenical interfaith rally held at Durban Kings Parks stadium where he handed over 200,000 petitions to Ms. Edna Molewa the South Africa Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs

While receiving the signed petitions, Molewa thanked the Faith leaders for organizing the Inter-faith rally and more so for taking the leadership role in addressing the climate change concerns. “Faith leaders are indispensable in the fight for climate change” she added.

As the incoming COP president, Molewa promised serious action on the petition and lamented the difficult times and called on faith leaders to “invite divine intervention”.

Youths who include school children, flocked the stadium in their large numbers to have their voice heard. A convey of cyclists and youth from “we have faith” caravan escorted the dummy petition in a wooden ark. The cyclists rode for seventeen days covering 1078 kilometers from Mesina on the South African boarder to Durban.

Athletes Lewis Pugh and Braam Malherbe shared challenges they faced in their climate change advocacy. Yvonne Chaka Chaka band Black Mambazo, Arno Carstens and HHP where other entertainers who kept the crowd dancing in pouring rain.

Even rains could not prevent the youths from enjoy and dance to the tunes of Chaka Chaka whose performance took the audience by storm with her old renditions like Winkomboti and other reggae tunes originally performed by Bob Marley and Lucky Dube.

Nigerian poet Nnimmo Bassey present at the Kings park stadium emphasized on the need for the parties to make a lasting deal to address and reverse present climate situation. “We want something tangible to come out of the COP 17 or else Africa will be cooked and fried. We will not stop until something is achieved” said Bassey.

Bassey who works at the Environmental Rights Action (friends of the earth) encouraged continued engagement on climate change and likened it to the apartheid struggle which was won despite several opposition.