Environmental activists protest against Standard Bank and Total Energies over fossil fuel financing
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."
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."
Mamdoo said: "For years, Standard Bank has not only ignored the legitimate concerns of communities but has met peaceful protest with arrogance and repression. Instead of engaging in good faith, Standard Bank has chosen to brutalise activists, dismiss civil society, and double down on investments that endanger millions of lives across Africa."
StopEACOP said Standard Bank has by virtue of financing the Mozambique LNG Project, Coral FLNG (Floating LNG) Facility and East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) contributed to the destruction of communities across Africa, the carbon emissions driving climate collapse, the violence, human rights abuses, and ecological destruction that accompany these so-called 'developments.
Under pressure from protestors, Total Energies committed to providing a written response to the memorandum within 14 days. Similarly, a Standard Bank representative promised a written response to the demands within 14 days, despite one protestor angrily demanding an immediate answer.
IOL News
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
New African law to safeguard children from online threats
A new model law is being developed for the African Union to protect children online across the continent, the Y20 Summit currently under way in Ekurhuleni heard on Wednesday. Image: Supplied A new continent-wide law to protect children and youth from sexual violence, grooming, cyber bullying, and trafficking across online platforms is on the cards. This emerged during a panel discussion titled 'Brave Movement – Beyond the Screen: AI (artificial intelligence), Online Safety, and Skills for a Safer Digital Future' at the Y20 Summit at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday. ChildFund International's senior advocacy manager: Africa and liaison to the African Union, Joshua Ongwae, said the international development organisation was supporting the continental body to develop a model law on child and youth online safety, and that it will be finalised by the end of the coming year. He stated that child online safety is a transnational issue requiring collaboration among African countries. 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 ✕ According to Ongwae, they also encourage tech developers to adopt safety by design, which has a section in the proposed model law. He explained that the initiative started with sexual violence but now included grooming, cyber bullying, and trafficking. 'Once the model law is approved, young people advocate in their countries and ensure that there is budget allocation for child and youth online safety,' Ongwae added. He said the model law was still open to adding many other issues, which were raised at the summit. However, Ongwae also noted that they were conscious that the model law is not used to ban people from expressing themselves as well as political speech. Sheila Makhado of the Brave Movement, a global movement of survivors and allies working to end sexual violence against children and adolescents, said not much action is taken against online violence and not only cyber bullying and doxxing. She said the perpetrators were professional and they hack phones, but there are no repercussions. 'If it does not stop with me, it will definitely continue with the next person,' warned Makhado. She added that all users had a duty to create a safe environment online and always be aware of safety features of the platforms they use. Bhavna Lutchman of Childline South Africa said online child sexual exploitation has changed and with the advent of AI, the changes are immense with deep fakes and misinformation. 'We need to start changing how we think about things,' she said. Lutchman said as the internet does not come with an instruction manual, digital literacy and skills are needed to maintain children's safety online.
The Citizen
4 hours ago
- The Citizen
Zuma's African tour to discredit ‘sellout' ANC could lead to trouble
According to the MK party, Zuma will travel to several African countries this year. Weeks after a controversial trip to the Kingdom of Morocco, former President Jacob Zuma has slammed the ANC in a public address in Ghana. On Tuesday, Zuma delivered a guest lecture at the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA) in the country's capital. He told students and other guests at the lecture that he left the ANC because it no longer represented the aspirations of indigenous South Africans. 'I disagreed with those I was with, and I was honest, I told them that, you are selling out, you are selling out our ancestors who said let us be free. 'The problem is that our enemies know how to buy people and make them feel that they are wonderful when they are actually killing the nation,' said Zuma.a Zuma rejects the ANC Zuma said the ANC was no longer a party that is 'loved' by the majority of South Africans and has turned into 'something else.' At the same lecture, he encouraged relations between countries from the East and slammed the West for being complicit in the colonisation of Africa. Zuma also challenged the ANC's position on relations between Morocco and the people of Western Sahara. 'Some may disagree, but Africa must not be divided for the convenience of the outsiders,' he said. He spoke of the more than two dozen bilateral agreements signed between the countries and spoke about the need for closer collaboration. Zuma's utterance could cause trouble, diplomatic storms Political analyst Theo Neethling told The Citizen that there is nothing wrong with Zuma going on international trips, but not when his utterances can be interpreted as speaking on behalf of the country. 'Former American presidents do so regularly, and South Africa's own former leaders such as FW de Klerk and Thabo Mbeki have also done so without controversy. 'The difficulty arises, however, when Zuma positions himself in ways that contradict or interfere with official foreign policy, and when he makes pronouncements that suggest he is speaking on behalf of the South African nation,' said Neethling. However, he said it is clear that he is attempting to discredit the ANC on the continent. 'Zuma appears to be playing a deliberate political game of disruption against the ANC. 'The danger is that he places South Africa's already strained foreign policy in jeopardy, generating confusion and potentially placing President Ramaphosa and the government not only in an awkward diplomatic position but also in embarrassment on the international stage,' he said. ALSO READ: Dirco blasts Zuma for using SA flag for meeting during Morocco visit Advancing the interests of the MK party on the continent Neethling said it is also clear that Zuma is attempting to advance the interests of the MK party in an international arena. 'That may serve his personal and factional agenda, but it is highly problematic when set against the practice of South Africa's foreign policy by government leaders, officials and diplomats,' he addd. In a recent press briefing, Zuma's party said it sees nothing wrong with his association with countries that have strained relations with South Africa. Some of these countries include countries where power was taken forcefully by certain militia groups and have not been recognised as democracies by Pretoria. His visit to Morocco became controversial when the South African flag was flown at the bilateral. But the MK party said there was nothing wrong with the South African flag being flown during the meeting. ALSO READ: 'MK party only true hope for total liberation of SA people,' – Zuma
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Zulu royal council defends King Misuzulu's proposed R10 monthly contribution for his independence
A monthly R10 contribution for King Misuzulu's independence has been proposed. Image: Independent Media Archives Zulu royal council chairperson Inkosi Zuzifa Buthelezi has lashed out at those who have politicised the proposed monthly R10 contribution to make king Misuzulu kaZwelithini and the royal family financially independent from government. Entering the debate for the first time, the royal council accused those opposed to the gesture as anti-ubukhosi (traditional leadership) in the country. Buthelezi, who is also the late Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi's son, said his council sees no problem with the proposal as it is voluntary and has been a historical cultural practice in African traditional leadership that the subjects from time to time will pay a 'khonza fee'' (to pledge their allegiance) as a gesture of appreciation to their king. "This is not new and every time that people, politicians and businesspeople visit the king, they come with different presents, including monetary gifts. We do not understand the noise about this proposal and we suspect that those opposed to it are anti-ubukhosi who want the government to control the traditional leaders through salaries and cultural funding for political reasons. These people fear that when traditional leaders are fully recognised and independent they will rise against their nefarious actions,' said Buthelezi. 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 ✕ The king's advisors, African historian Professor Jabulani Maphalala and Abantu Batho Congress founder Philani Mavundla issued a statement at the weekend with the proposal that Zulus living in the country and abroad pay R10 a month to ensure the king was financially independent. This sparked a debate with some suggesting that the king is struggling financially, however, Buthelezi dismissed this assertion, saying the proposal did not come from the king or the royal family. He said it was strange that people make offerings every Sunday to the church and no one complains about it because they understand the church and the pastor need to be financially maintained, however, when the king's subjects want to do the same, people raise the issue of unemployment as if they are being forced to support the king. Zulu royal spokesperson Prince Thulani Zulu also defended the proposal, saying the advisors, as the king's subjects themselves, are entitled to their opinion.
