Residents call for permanent move of Sapref
Residents believe that Sapref could enable a just transition applied to communities, casual workers and permanent staff.
RESIDENTS and activists are adamant that Sapref is capable of vacating its community, freeing them from the shackles of a living in a polluted environment.
Confident that Sapref, and the thousands of people under its employ, would easily be able to recover from a shift to a more appropriately structured location away from residential areas, members of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) and residents bearing the effects of the pollution welcomed Sapref’s spend freeze.
While insisting on a fully-fledged shutdown, SDCEA coordinator, Desmond D’Sa, said the shutdown of ‘this old rust-bucket refinery as part of decarbonisation’ has been a long time coming and this time, the health and well-being of the residents should be of paramount importance.
“Sapref owes a vast ecological debt, including climate-damage reparations, so if a just transition is more than mere politicians’ rhetoric, this is a perfect opportunity to detox the Merewent-Isipingo-Umlazi zone where the refinery has done so much damage. Shell’s gesture of offering these office facilities and investment opportunities would be logical, knowing that one day they would come back and seek the support and favour of the ruling party and government. Sapref, built in 1963 as the South African Petroleum Refinery, has imposed on our neighbourhood a litany of explosions, fires, pipeline leaks, flaring and other forms of pollution,” he said.
D’Sa’s sentiments of the largest crude oil refinery in Southern Africa neglecting to inform the residents living along the borders of the foreclosure directly, was disrespectful.
“We are happy to hear the refinery will close, but we want this to be made permanent. Shell issued a statement that they will shut down, and we suspect this will occur without them carrying out the required maintenance. Shell knew two years ago during Covid-19 that it would not be feasible to upgrade and improve the site. And their shareholders and bankers started divesting from the fossil fuel industry. It’s a disgrace that Shell’s senior management didn’t consult its fence line communities. We are concerned that Shell is running away from community health reparations. They should not get away with just closing down the refinery without a just transition applied to communities, casual workers and permanent staff,” he added.
Residents said a just transition, which secures the future and livelihoods of workers and the communities in the transition to a low-carbon economy, should be the crude giant’s only option.
Anjali Govender, who joined SDCEA representatives to engage outside the refinery last Friday, said many of her family members were affected by the pollution over the years and believed many residents were also hoping that the refinery shut down and relocates.
“We are aware of the job losses and the effect that the closure of this area would have on people’s lives, but it has been too long that the refinery was allowed to operate and cause negative effects to those living in the communities bordering it,” said Govender.
Following consultation with government, unions, and employees, Sapref shareholders, BP Southern Africa and Shell Downstream South Africa announced last week that they will commence with a spending freeze and pause refinery operations at Sapref no later than the end of March.
BPSA CEO, Taelo Mojapelo, said this will be for an indefinite period, but with a re-start possible in the future, including in the event of any future sale. The decision has been taken to allow informed finalisation on the various options available to the shareholders, a sale option being the most preferred.
“Until decisions about the future of the plant have been made – including a possible change of ownership – the Sapref shareholders are unable to commit to further investment in the refinery. The decision to pause refinery operations currently has no impact on full-time employees, and safety remains a primary consideration. Moving forward, the shareholders will use other existing assets and trading arrangements to ensure the ongoing security of fuel supply to the country and their consumers,” he added.
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