French-owned company, TotalEnergies, with partners Shell and PetroSA, has been granted environmental authorisation to drill up to five oil wells 60km off Cape Point, after Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Minister Barbara Creecy rejected an appeal brought by environmental lobby groups.
The appeal to stop TotalEnergies from drilling Block 5, 6 and 7 off the Cape coast was the latest in a series of actions brought by the groups who seek to halt energy companies from exploring for new offshore discoveries at the foot of Africa.
But Creecy in a decision following the appeal said she was satisfied that the impacts of noise and light have been “adequately assessed and mitigated to ensure low impacts on the receiving environment”.
In a joint statement, the groups, including small-scale fisher organisations, the Masifundise Development Trust, Coastal Justice Network among others, said Creecy, who they depended on as being on the side of the environment and communities well-being, had betrayed their trust.
“On her watch, South Africa has been ranked the worst carbon emitter in Africa, and one of the 12 highest carbon emitters in the world. Yet despite this shameful pollution of our planet, the burden of which falls most heavily on the poor, Minister Creecy decided to ignore the Makhanda judgment in the Shell matter, which states that an application must consider exploration and production as discrete stages in a single process that culminates in the production and combustion of oil and gas, and the emission of greenhouse gasses.
“She says she isn’t obliged to take that into account since it’s under appeal and her legal team doesn’t agree with it anyway.
“On the contrary, it seems she has laid out a welcome mat for foreign energy companies – embracing TotalEnergies in a complete green washing exercise through celebrating its partnership with SANParks this week,” they said.
DFFE spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa said should any party be dissatisfied with the Minister’s decision, they may apply to a competent court to have it judicially reviewed.
“Judicial review proceedings must be instituted within 180 days of notification hereof in accordance with the provisions of sections 6 and 7 of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act No.3 of 2000,” he said.
TotalEnergies said it will not be responding to the groups’ statement at this time.
PetroSA said it was not at liberty to comment at this stage as there were processes unfolding which involve the exploration activities in Block 5, 6 and 7.
Shell could not be reached for comment by deadline on Wednesday.
Cape Times