18 hours ago
StopEACOP Campaign wants Total Energies out of Africa
StopEACOP Campaign not only wants Total Energies out of South Africa, but wants it to pay for the damages and harm it has caused.
Speaking in Rosebank on August 19 was StopEACOP Campaign coordinator, Zaki Mamdoo, who said the protest aimed to elevate the voices of communities across the continent and that the lived realities of communities who grappled with displacement due to Total Energies.
Read more: Watch: Protest action in Melrose Arch
'The demonstrations are part of the 'kick Total Energies out of Africa campaign' due to legitimate concerns and extreme frustration over the devastation and hyper-exploitation, and the distraction caused by Total in its various extractive fossil fuel ventures on the continent. This includes the East African pipeline, which is a major 1443km pipeline stretching from the Great Lakes of Uganda to Tanzania.'
Mamdoo added that to make way for the pipeline, more than 100 000 people have been displaced and pushed off their land.
In a public statement released by a climate change NGO, the Green Connection, on August 13, it explained that the Western Cape High Court halted Total Energies' drilling project.
'In a major victory for small-scale fishers and coastal communities, the Western Cape High Court has overturned the government's approval of Total Energies' Block 5/6/7 offshore drilling plans. The court ruled that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) was deeply flawed, failing to address key risks, legal requirements, and public participation,' said the statement.
Total Energies acknowledged the Western Cape High Court's halting of its project.
'Total Energies E&P South Africa acknowledges the decision of the High Court of South Africa to set aside the Environmental Authorisation granted in April 2023 for further exploration in offshore Block 5/6/7 and to remit the matter to the decision-maker for reconsideration following requested additions. Although the company announced its exit from this block in July 2024, it remained fully committed to respecting the judicial process to its term and to engaging continuously with all its stakeholders. '
Total Energies added that from the outset of the exploration project, the Block 5/6/7 joint venture complied with all required local regulations, in particular environmental and social.
Total Energies E&P South Africa, along with its joint venture partners, is in the process of legally assessing the judgment in more detail and deciding on the course of action.
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