Cape Town - Several civil organisations protested outside the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Wednesday, where the 3rd annual Southern Africa Oil and Gas Conference took place.
Activists and concerned residents from across communities in and around Cape Town gathered for the protest, calling for solutions to be sought in the renewable energy sector, as opposed to new investments in oil and gas exploration.
Organisations present included Green Connection, South African Faith Communities’ Environmental Institute (Safcei), Project 90 By 2030, Climate Justice Charter Movement, Feed The Future For Life, African Climate Alliance, Save Our Sacred Lands, and Extinction Rebellion Cape Town.
Student Qhama Kali from Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG) said: “We need to stop what we are doing, this polluting the air and burning fossil fuels. We need to move to more sustainable energy like solar, wind, hydro, instead of using coal because coal pollutes the air and endangers everyone.”
Kali said more engagements should take place with affected communities on “what they wanted”.
SAFCEI co-ordinator Sizwe Manqele said: “We are here today because we believe that God created this world for all of us, and so as people of faith we want to make sure that justice gets done.
“That the oil and gas extraction is not only happening in the name of profit, but that we do justice by leaving it in the soil and finding alternative means to have energy, such as renewable energy.
“Not much is being said on the negative effects of organic matter extraction, and that it impacts people negatively in terms of pollution and illnesses that people get due to this, and that's not to mention the money that people do not get due to the whole oil and gas extraction.”
Mantashe was present at the two-day conference, convened by the department and Petroleum Agency SA and the South African Oil & Gas Alliance.
The theme for this year’s conference is "Oil and gas development to address Southern Africa’s energy challenges while ensuring a Just Energy Transition”. The conference will conclude on Thursday.
During his keynote address, Mantashe said South Africa had a responsibility to “exploit deposits” and convert this into wealth for the country.
“And that wealth can help us deal with all the problems that we’re faced with – unemployment, poverty, inequality. You can only successfully fight those if we have access to resources.
“Development and climate change must co-exist. If they don't co-exist, there is a problem because in Africa, more than seven million people have no access to electricity. So when we talk about decarbonisation, your message becomes hollow on the continent.”
Mantashe said the country continues to face opposition from non-governmental organisations, which he claimed were foreign funded.
“Many of the NGOs that take us to court have unlimited resources, they're funded by foreign entities. It is deliberate to block development. It's not an accident, it's a deliberate problem that is directed at blocking development in a poor country like South Africa, and we’re determined to fight off that obstacle to development.”
Mantashe ended off by saying that South Africa was “open for business” to the global community and investors. He said the government would be supporting oil exploration in the West Coast and East Coast.
“All those explorations we’ll support and we’ll take that fight to the end.”