THE South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) and its affiliate organisations held a peaceful protest outside South African Petroleum Refineries (Sapref) recently.

The protest marked 30 years since the execution of Nigerian environmental hero, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the Ogoni Nine.

According to SDCEA, Saro-Wiwa and his colleagues were executed by the Nigerian military regime on November 10, 1995.

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Chairperson of the SDCEA, Desmond D’sa, said the activists were killed for speaking out against the devastating environmental destruction caused by Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta.

“Their struggle exposed how fossil fuel companies prioritised profits over people and the planet, a struggle that remains painfully relevant today.

“Ken Saro-Wiwa’s courage reminds us that the fight for environmental justice is far from over. Thirty years later, we see the same injustices in South Durban, our beloved continent of Africa and the world over with communities poisoned by pollution, livelihoods threatened, and corporations escaping accountability.”

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SDCEA’s call to action:

• Publicly acknowledge and remediate the environmental damage caused in the Niger Delta and South Durban.
• Establish a trust fund to support communities suffering from pollution-related health problems such as asthma and cancer.
• Decommission ageing refinery infrastructure responsibly and restore contaminated land and water sources.
• End offshore oil and gas exploration along South Africa’s coastlines, which threatens marine ecosystems and fishing livelihoods.
• Commit to a just transition toward renewable, community-owned energy systems that protect people and the planet.

“It is time for corporations like Shell to stop greenwashing and start cleaning up. Residents in the south of Durban and the Niger Delta deserve justice, clean air, and a sustainable future. Shell must be held accountable for their complicity in the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the nine Ogonis who died brutally,” D’Sa alleged.

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