Mash to head Anglican church's environmental affairs

Canon Mash, who will continue to head the Diocese of Cape Town's HIV and AIDS programme, Fikelela, will be working to develop the church's response to climate change and eco-justice. She will strengthen existing partnerships with SAFCEI, the Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute, and broaden global ties particularly through ACEN, the Anglican Communion's Environmental Network.

Archbishop Makgoba said he was delighted by the appointment. "Rachel will serve the Anglican family across Southern Africa, coordinating our Environment Network and enhance our ability to participate in inter-religious responses to critical questions of climate change. She will also provide me with invaluable resources in the new role I have recently taken on as chair of ACEN." Explaining that one of their immediate challenges through ACEN is to lend whatever weight they can to the call for governments to ensure a fair, binding and ambitious outcome at the COP-17 meeting opening in Durban later this month.

Dr Makgoba said that he hoped the Anglican Church in Southern Africa would deepen its dialogue with governments, and added that he anticipated engaging further with the Minsters of International Relations and Cooperation, MaiteNkoana-Mbashabane, and of Water and Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, following the conclusion of COP-17.