PICS & VID: Organisations call for Engen Refinery to be shut down
SDCEA's air quality and GIS officer, Bongani Mthembu said they want every demand on the memorandum to be met, including the shut down of the refinery.
DISAPPOINTMENT and disrespect are what residents felt at the protest outside the Engen Durban Terminal Gate on Wednesday morning, 9 December.
Spearheaded by the South Durban Community Environment Alliance (SDCEA) in response to the explosion at the refinery, leaders of various community organisations, including residents, gathered to support a joint plan of action to hold Engen liable for the outcome.
Protestors picketed outside the refinery for hours before the company sent out its representatives to address the crowd.
SDCEA’s air quality and GIS officer, Bongani Mthembu, said they want every demand on the memorandum to be met including the shut down of the refinery.
“We will not be accepting anyone else besides the refinery general manager, Sykry Hassim, as the person who disregards the community of South Durban especially Merebank, Wentworth and the Bluff. If he does not pitch, it’ll show that he is disrespecting us.”
“He and his delegation are well aware of the fact that we are here today because he was part of a Zoom meeting we had yesterday (Tuesday, 8 December). In our meeting, they had a presentation about the explosion incident. He should be responsible to come outside to where we are to receive the memorandum,” he said.
In his address, Mthembu said that for 66 years, the oil company had disregarded the communities of South Durban. He said the site which has been rotting for decades, keeps exploding, which left little wonder as to why the CEO of the company does not visit it.
“Let’s compare apples with apples, I am not saying SAPREF is better but they are much more respectful. We have fought with the general manager on numerous occasions but he is always willing to meet with the community and engage. Engen has never met with any genuine leaders of the community, instead, they dictate to us who they want to engage with,” he said.
Representatives from Engen eventually joined marchers protesting outside the plant, the crowd, however, decided not to hand the memorandum over. They collectively insisted on the general manager to be the one to receive it.
The SUN was able to get a copy and the main concerns and demands are as follows:
Concerns:
– The release of toxic gases into neighbouring communities contributes to health issues and climate change.
– The violation of Section 24 of the Constitution guarantees the right to a clean environment.
– The violation of Section 28 of the Bill of Rights as children are vulnerable to pollution and one sustained burn wounds.
– The dumping of oil and chemicals into the Badulla Canal and the Durban Harbour.
– The high number of fires occurring at the refinery since 1999.
Demands:
– The manager and senior managers account to the South Durban community for the damage caused by the recent explosion.
– All those affected (residents and workers) by the blast be adequately compensated.
– Full time, qualified and experienced core maintenance personnel be appointed.
– Engen subject itself to a full independent review of its operations to determine the impact on the health and wellbeing of adjacent communities.
– Engen engage in a long-term consultative planning process to a decarbonisation strategy.
