Coastal towns urged to protect oceans
There was also a free screening of Blue Burning, a documentary film by Janet Solomon with Viki van den Barselaar Smith.
The South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) held an informative meeting on oil and gas exploration at the NG Kerk in Scottburgh on October 25.
The aim was to create awareness and educate as many people as possible on oil and gas exploration, which has been earmarked for the entire South African coastline as a resource for offshore oil and gas drilling.
SDCEA has been vocal about this matter for some time, stating that this is devastating for the health of fish, wildlife and the people who live and feed off of the coast.
“Oil and gas exploration is an unpopular topic in South Africa, and SDCEA tries to inform people of the negative effects that come with this development,” explained Janeira Reddy (SDCEA Oil, Gas, Livelihoods project officer).
People of all ages attended, including learners from Kings Harvest Academy in Hlutankungu.
There was also a free screening of Blue Burning, a documentary film by Janet Solomon with Viki van den Barselaar Smith.
Solomon is a passionate environmental and climate activist, artist and award-winning filmmaker.
“The South African government, driven by a vision of a national petroleum company, is pushing for 30 new offshore oil and gas wells by 2030. This is the story of the growing social opposition to these plans, uniting fisher and traditional healer collectives, coastal communities, indigenous groups, scientists, environmental NGOs, academics and the general public in defence of the ocean commons and climate futures in what has been described as the biggest environmental campaign of South Africa,” added Solomon.
Her compelling interventionist approach includes forging links between collectives, mobilising public awareness, fostering collective action and documentary film critique.
“By making the extremity of unliveable conditions imposed by offshore petroleum development on those who live in and depend on the ocean understandable, my process provokes public dialogue and the imagination to envision another future and to advocate for it.”
The team hopes that the ‘oceans-not-oil’ resistance is transforming silence into language, bridging differences, and giving people grounds to act and define a future together.
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