Protest to demand Standard Bank, TotalEnergies cut ties over alleged 'ecological destruction'
The demonstration, part of a continent-wide Week of Action (August 18-24), calls on the bank to sever ties with the oil giant over alleged plundering and ecological destruction across Africa.
Organisers have said the protest will begin at Standard Bank HQ and proceed to TotalEnergies' local offices. It is timed to highlight what they describe as the financiers' complicity in fossil-fuel projects that harm communities and the environment.
Zaki Mamdoo, coordinator for the Stop East African Crude Oil Pipeline (StopEACOP) Coalition, issued a statement linking the action to a broader regional campaign.
'As part of the continent-wide Week of Action, communities and movements from Uganda to Mozambique, from Benin to the Cape, Tanzania to Senegal, Nigeria to Zimbabwe, are rising to demand an end to TotalEnergies' plunder and widespread destruction.'
'We will march from Standard Bank, Africa's biggest funder of fossil fuels and one of Total's most arrogant supporters, to the headquarters of TotalEnergies, whose operations have been linked to land grabs, displacement, and ecological devastation ,' said Mamdoo.
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Stop East African Crude Oil Pipeline and other organizations protest outside Total Energies offices in Rosebank during the week of action (18 - 24 August) Image: Supplied: Zaki Mamdoo/ StopEACOP A coalition of activist groups, Stop East African Crude Oil Pipeline (StopEACOP) embarked on a protest in Johannesburg with the intention of voicing their frustrations against Standard Bank and Total Energies for their alleged exploitative and non-environmentally friendly activities in Africa. According to StopEACOP, Standard Bank has positioned itself as a chief accomplice to Total Energies' wreckage across the African continent and is bankrolling the exploitation, destruction and harm imposed onto so many communities. In a memorandum on Tuesday, the coalition said to Total Energies: "We, organisations, communities and ordinary people from across South Africa and the African continent, are united in our unequivocal condemnation of Total Energies and its destructive fossil fuel operations. "As communities and activists demonstrate, come together and speak out through this week of action (18-24 August 2025), we send a clear and urgent message that Total must back off." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Zaki Mamdoo, a coordinator of the StopEACOP outlined that the demonstration, part of a continentwide Week of Action (August 18-24), calls on the bank to sever ties with the oil giant over alleged plundering and ecological destruction across Africa. Expressing contentment and hope to succeed, the coalition said: "We welcome the decision of the Western Cape High Court setting aside the exploration right granted to Total Energies and its partners to pursue offshore oil and gas drilling along South Africa's southwest coast. The court found that the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) and Total Energies failed to adequately consult affected communities and ignored the serious environmental and climate risks posed by the project. This judgment is a victory for coastal communities, small-scale fishers, and environmental defenders who have long resisted the imposition of destructive projects that threaten their livelihoods, marine ecosystems, and our collective future." Activists protest against Total Energies and Standard Bank Image: Supplied: Zaki Mamdoo
