KWAZULU-NATAL Premier, Sihle Zikalala, has revealed that the government has entered into talks with Sapref as it seeks to buy the company from its owners, Shell and BP.
ALSO READ: Sapref halts production in Prospecton
Speaking recently during a speech in Durban, Zikalala, said the government is doing this to protect jobs as well as to ensure that the country does not rely solely on imported fuel. Sapref recently announced that it will indefinitely cease operations at the Prospecton plant. The company accounts for 35% of all petroleum-based fuel produced in South Africa.
“We are disappointed by the decision of Sapref to indefinitely suspend refinery operations by the end of March. We are of the view that retaining the refinery especially the operations of refineries in our province, is key for economic growth and job creation rather than solely relying on importing refined oil for that reason. We have called on the national government to buy Sapref, not only to protect jobs, but to build the capacity of the state,” said Zikalala.
Samuel Majozi, who works as a fitter at Sapref, said he welcomes the news of the talks between the company and government as he believes it will eliminate the sense of uncertainty that has been hanging over the company like a dark cloud.
“Although we were promised that our jobs are safe, we can’t help but worry because everything is so uncertain,” said Samuel, adding that the talks need to be sped up so that everybody can have an idea of what the future holds.
Meanwhile, the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) has joined the communities that live close to the plant to call for its permanent closure. SDCEA coordinator, Desmond D’sa, said Sapref has contributed to air pollution for years. “They should not get away with just closing down the refinery without a just transition applied to communities, casual workers, and permanent staff ,” said D’sa.
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