CHAMWE KAIRA
South African Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, has accused foreign funded groups of blocking development in South Africa and hiding behind protecting the environment.
“Shell was harassed out of the seismic survey in the East Coast, and they left. They went to Namibia made huge discoveries of oil next door, and there was no demonstration there. That discovery is generating an income for Namibia. We can’t touch our oil and gas,” he said. He was speaking at the ‘Investing in African Energy’ conference held in Cape Town. Namibia has become an oil exploration hotspot after several discoveries estimated at 2.6 billion barrels.
He emphasised the significant untapped potential of South Africa’s oil and gas reserves, urging investors to look beyond the global shift towards renewables and recognise the lucrative opportunities at hand.
However, the minister condemned what he called ‘unabated and frivolous litigation’ against oil and gas exploration by foreign-funded groups, arguing that it creates a climate of uncertainty and discourages investment.
“These NGOs must declare their source of funding because they are funded to block development.”
But Canadian activist, Rob Parker, who works with the Economic and Social Justice Trust of Namibia told Observer Money that the fact is that environmental jurisprudence in South Africa is very mature because communities have used the courts there to protect their rights.
“Namibians have also tried to use the courts to protect their rights. In September, a Windhoek high court judge ruled in favour conservancies in Kunene who a stopped a mining company. Conservancies in the Kavango regions who say they were never consulted by ReconAfrica on the other hand are frustrated that their case never gets to reach the court due to ministerial delays,” Parker said.
Mantashe said it is encouraging that over the last 10 years, the African continent has seen considerable interest in oil and gas blocks with major petroleum players making valuable investments. He pointed to Eni’s discovery in Côte d’Ivoire and Mozambique’s booming LNG revenue as prime examples of the sector’s potential.
Mantashe expressed strong confidence in South Africa’s own offshore oil and gas reserves, particularly in light of promising discoveries in neighbouring Namibia.
“The discoveries of gas and condensate from two exploration wells drilled in Block 11B/12B offshore in the South Outeniqua Basin have also proven that South Africa’s under-explored deep waters have significant potential for oil and gas. We are keen to see drilling happening here in South Africa.”
Mantashe emphasised the government’s commitment to supporting the oil and gas sector and ensuring that South Africans benefit from their natural resources.
Ministers and senior energy officials from more than 20 African countries convened today for a closed-door session to address the continent’s pressing energy needs and shape a collective vision for a sustainable energy future.
Ghana’s Minister of Energy, Herbert Krapa, emphasised the importance of regional cooperation in achieving these goals.
While acknowledging the global shift towards cleaner energy sources, the conference emphasised that Africa’s energy transition must be pragmatic and consider the continent’s unique circumstances.
