A call for onshore seismic activity proposals by minerals and energy minister Gwede Mantashe has sparked outrage.
This is because of its timing, the impacts of seismic testing and because of how it augments the country’s use of fossil fuels.
It also relates to the Karoo Basin, which has already been a source of tension.
Mantashe published his call in the government gazette on November 18, just as COP27 was winding up.
In it, he called for proposals from companies who carry out, “seismic acquisition, seismic processing or any other companies involved in exploration data acquisition or enhancement, to enter into an agreement with the Petroleum Agency SA”.
The call clearly states the earmarked area “forms part of the greater Karoo Basin”.
Patrick Bond, a political economist at the University of Johannesburg, responded to Mantashe’s call for proposals just as COP27 was ending by saying: “That is really exceptionally arrogant timing by Mantashe.”
Paul Lado, attorney at the Centre for Environmental Rights, told TimesLIVE Premium that increased fossil fuel production is going to “compromise our international climate commitments, and expose the country to unprecedented social, economic and environmental risk”.
He said: “The calling for proposals for onshore seismic testing is contrary to the scientific evidence that we cannot continue to exploit fossil fuels, much less expand their use. The economics of fossil gas use have also been shown not to be consistent with a least cost pathway for energy generation.”
Also, “Fossil gas is neither clean nor necessary as a transition fuel. The methane emissions from the gas supply chain cancel out any benefits that it may have over burning coal, with the global warming potential of gas being over 80 times that of carbon dioxide over the short term.”
Bond urged as many people as possible to sign a petition on change.org
It calls for “all funders and investors to halt external funding for SA’s just transition”, because “the SA government is engaging in doublespeak and is not serious about ending its dependence on coal, oil and gas”.
The petition also says South Africans are living in one of 10 climate change hotspots, yet Mantashe “publicly calls for the intensification of fossil fuel extraction”.
There is growing scientific evidence and acknowledgement by governments of the exposure to the harms of climate change. Yet energy minister Gwede Mantashe continues to give into dirty industry lobbyists.
— Avena Jacklin, groundWork
Avena Jacklin, speaking on behalf of groundWork, a non-profit environmental justice organisation, said Mantashe’s call in the face of the climate crisis is unconscionable.
“The climate crisis is here, now, and intensifying. Africa is warming much faster than the rest of the world. Forty-five percent of the world’s population lives in areas of high vulnerability and will be increasingly affected by extreme weather events, including floods and droughts,” she said.
“There is growing scientific evidence and acknowledgment by governments of the exposure to the harms of climate change. Yet, energy minister Gwede Mantashe continues to give into dirty industry lobbyists. We need to stop the madness of imperial capitalism, profit-driven extraction and the burning of fossil fuels which is accelerating fossil fuel related deaths and climate vulnerability.”
Jan Arkert, speaking on behalf of The Green Connection, told TimesLIVE Premium: “The DMRE, under the direction of Mantashe, is prepared to abuse taxpayers’ money — once again. Seismic surveys are an integral part of the geological exploration process, and the cost and risks are borne by the oil and gas exploration company.
“To make the Karoo more attractive and to reduce the risk, our government has taken this unusual role.”
He said our politicians “clearly think they know better” when they go ahead with this plan of action despite “all the previous opposition” and the clear evidence of “economic losses in the fracking ‘bubble’ in the US”, on top of “well-documented socio-environmental impacts”.
Mantashe’s department was not available to respond to the criticism.
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