Environmental organizations, The Green Connection (TGC) and Natural Justice, have taken legal action against the environmental authorization granted to TotalEnergies Exploration and Production South Africa (Teepsa) for exploratory drilling in Blocks 5, 6, and 7 along the Cape Town and Cape Agulhas coast.
The application, filed in the High Court, targets several respondents including Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, the director-general of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), and Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy.
Teepsa received environmental authorization last year for the drilling, despite the submission of 18 complaint appeals during the statutory appeal period.
TGC’s strategic lead, Liziwe McDaid, emphasizes the importance of defending South Africa’s oceans and the sustainable livelihoods of coastal communities, advocating for decisions to be made with the long-term conservation of marine resources in mind.
The legal challenge is based on concerns over the failure to assess the socioeconomic impacts of a potential oil spill on local fisheries and the neglect of climate change implications associated with oil or gas usage.
TGC and Natural Justice also highlight inadequate evaluation of Teepsa’s oil spill blowout contingency plans, expressing worries that drilling activities’ impacts may extend beyond South Africa’s borders.
Melissa Groenink, Natural Justice’s programme manager, stresses the importance of adhering to South Africa’s legal frameworks, including the National Environmental Management Act and the Integrated Coastal Management Act.
These laws prioritize the conservation and protection of coastal resources, emphasizing meaningful public participation.
Furthermore, Groenink asserts that investment in oil and gas projects undermines climate goals and community resilience to climate change, particularly affecting small-scale fishers already experiencing diminished fish stocks and severe floods.
Teepsa, in collaboration with Shell and State-owned PetroSA, holds an exploration right over Block 5, 6, and 7.
The proposed drilling aims to determine the presence of oil or gas in geological structures within the area of interest, covering 10,000 km² located 60-170 km from the coast.
The biodiverse coastline in the Cape Agulhas region, characterized by converging currents attracting diverse marine life, underscores the importance of assessing the drilling’s potential impacts on various species, including whales, sharks, dolphins, snoek, and juvenile turtles.
Given the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, TGC emphasizes that the proposed drilling project is unnecessary and undesirable within this context.
