South Africa: This Fight Isn't Over, Activists Warn As Court Hears Case Against Shell's Quest for Wild Coast Gas

Joseph Chirume/GroundUp
Representatives of civic organisations and local communities picketed on Monday outside the High Court where the case to have Shell’s seismic survey rights was heard.
30 May 2022
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Tembile Sgqolana

Civil society protests outside the Gqeberha High Court while lawyers fight to have Shell's exploration right reviewed.

Demonstrators led by affected coastal communities gathered outside the Gqeberha High Court on Monday to show their support at the start of the three-day legal challenge against Shell and Impact Africa's seismic surveys off the Wild Coast, and the 2014 decision by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to grant Shell an exploration right off the coast of South Africa.

Environmentalists say that while they are putting their faith in the justice system, they will not let Shell rest. The coordinator for the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, Desmond D'sa, said nobody was happy with Shell's seismic study.

Part B of the case against Shell and the department - which galvanised widespread protest action across South Africa in 2021 - began on Monday after Shell was temporarily interdicted from undertaking seismic blasting in search of oil and gas along the Wild Coast in December that year, until Part B of the original application had been finalised.

KZN's political ganglands: ANC councillor arrested for predecessor's murder

This time, the case goes beyond the original interdict to review the granting of Shell's exploration...

Read the full story on Daily Maverick.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2022 Daily Maverick. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.