AROUND 200 protesters were part of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) march on Tuesday (March 24) from KE Masinga Road to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources offices on Anton Lembede Street where they handed over a memorandum of demands calling for the end to offshore drilling across South Africa.

The march was attended by small-scale fishers, Ubunye bamaHostela and various environmental organisations such as The Green Connection and Natural Justice.

It was an act of solidarity with the protesters who were peacefully demonstrating outside the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town where the Department’s 2023 decision to grant TotalEnergies environmental authorisation for offshore exploration in the Deep Sea Orange Basin, between Port Nolloth and Saldanha Bay, is being challenged.

Mvuzo Ntombela, SDCEA march co-ordinator, said the Durban march was also aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drilling for oil and gas on marine life and ecosystem which impact on climate change. The march coincided with the Ocean Innovation Africa Summit which concluded on Wednesday at Durban ICC which looked at capitalising on the blue economy.

Also Read: Durban environmental organisation marches for climate change

A concerned Ntombela said oil drilling projects are often presented as a means to create job opportunities, but many South Africans lack awareness and experience in the gas and oil drilling industry. “What people do not understand is that the continuation of drilling for gas and oil in the ocean could have huge impact on small-scale fisherfolk, whose livelihoods and families depend on the ocean,” said Ntombela.

“The project may interfere with climate change, disrupt marine ecosystems, reduce fish stock and cause water pollution. The chemicals that are used in gas and oil drilling can contaminate water sources and pose health risks to citizens, including respiratory issues, cancer and other diseases. The project may also increase electricity costs and food security which nobody tells you about.”

In their memorandum of demands SDCEA raised several concerns, including lack of proper planning and transparency by oil companies when drilling for gas. “There has been no adequate environmental assessment, and both government and companies involved have failed to be transparent or properly consult and inform affected communities,” said Ntombela.

“The ocean does not belong only to them, it belongs to all of us. Right now it might seem like something happening far away from Durban but climate change affects all of us. eThekwini has a large fishing community which depends on the ocean. We cannot keep sitting in silence and watch them destroy the ocean in the name of exploration,” added Ntombela as a call to action.

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