Environmentalists protest in Amanzimtoti
The protest came after the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environmental Affairs gave permission to drill for oil in the ocean.
THE Total Filling Station in Amanzimtoti and Nyoni Rocks were sites of pickets by the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), along with other environmental activists, in protest against ocean oil and gas exploration on October 10.
The picket came after Barbara Creecy, who is the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environmental Affairs minister, gave permission for TotalEnergies, Total’s parent company, to drill in search of oil off the Western Cape coast.
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SDCEA’s Janeira Reddy said it is a cause for concern that corporations that include Shell, Sasol and TotalEnergies are exploring the South African coastline for oil and gas.
“The impact of this drilling in our ocean is immense. It affects not only the marine life but surfers, swimmers, traditional healers, ocean lovers and fisherfolk who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods,” said Reddy.
On the same day, other pickets were held at other locations, including Cuttings Beach, Amanzimtoti Beach, Umgababa Beach and Blue Lagoon in Durban.
Minister Creecy’s approval came after she dismissed an appeal from 18 applicants who had sought to stop the drilling for oil and gas off the Western Cape on September 24, saying there is no evidence that drilling would have any adverse impact on the environment.
TotalEnergies plans to drill in an area 60km from the coast, spanning 10 000kmsq, between Cape Town and Cape Agulhas.
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