Desmond D’Sa’s house has been firebombed: he was left severely burnt and his family deeply traumatised. Over the years, he has also been offered money, cars and jobs to keep quiet. All part of the job of defending South Africa’s most disenfranchised communities from developments that wreck their environment, safety and health.
‘I know that what I am doing is right. I owe it to all those who have died – and to the next generation,’ says the 57-year-old, who was recently awarded the 2014 Goldman Environmental Prize. ‘People have said that I was swimming against the tide, that the big corporations have money and politicians on their side. But when people stand together, they are strong.’
