Durban - Put the plans for shale gas fracking on hold immediately or get ready for court.
That’s the blunt challenge sent to Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi by anti-fracking groups, amid concern that the Shell petroleum company and the ruling party were linked in a “highly undesirable and possibly unlawful” relationship, via the Batho Batho Trust and the Thebe Investment Corporation.
In a joint letter to the mining on Tuesday, the Treasure the Karoo Action Group and Afriforum called on Ramatlhodi to reinstate the moratorium on gas exploration and production until two scientific reports were finalised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).
The two anti-fracking groups also requested Ramatlhodi to provide written undertakings within 15 days and to reinstate the moratorium on fracking within 30 days.
A previous 14-month moratorium was lifted by the cabinet in 2012 amid declarations by President Zuma that fracking could be a “game changer” for the South African economy.
Several companies including Shell, Bundu, Falcon, Sasol, Anglo and Sungu Sungu have requested exploration licences to search for natural gas reserves in the greater Karoo Basin – which extends over six of the nine provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal.
Though stopping short of an explicit threat to take the matter to court, Treasure the Karoo and Afriforum said they had briefed a legal team and wished to send a “stern warning to government” to refrain from actions on shale gas fracking that could be seen as undesirable, unreasonable, unlawful or irrational.
Acting prematurely
The anti-fracking alliance argued that the government would be acting prematurely or irrationally if it was to issue or consider any fracking rights before the CSIR and ASSAF published the results of separate investigations into the environmental impacts.
Apart from regulations being “vague” and difficult to enforce, the two groups alleged that Ramatlhodi would have a conflict of interest if he adjudicated any fracking application by Shell.
The Batho Batho Trust, formed nearly 20 years ago by Nelson Mandela, made regular donations to the ANC.
Spokesmen for Ramatlhodi, Shell SA, Thebe Investment Corporation and the Batho Batho Trust did not respond to The Mercury’s requests for comment on Tuesday.
The Mercury