At a recent climate law discussion at Stellenbosch University, former judge Dennis Davis took aim at government inertia on both the environment and the economy, saying the real work lies not in the courts, but in politics.

At a recent climate law discussion at Stellenbosch University, former judge Dennis Davis took aim at government inertia on both the environment and the economy, saying the real work lies not in the courts, but in politics.

South Africa's climate crisis is not just about emissions - it's about accountability. And the courts, for all their power, cannot substitute for the political will of a government that has failed to rise to the challenge.

This was the message delivered with characteristic candour by former judge Dennis Davis in a keynote address at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Law on 28 June 2025.

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Speaking at a colloquium on climate change law and green finance, Davis gave a blistering critique of government policy, warning that while civil society and the judiciary have done their part to uphold constitutional rights, it is ultimately the legislature and the executive who must "just do their job".

"The South African growth story is nothing more than absolutely disastrous," he said.

He traced the country's failure to strike a suitable balance between economic growth and environmental protection to a deeper absence of political leadership - and urged a "serious debate" on the kind of policy South Africa actually...