Activists await ConCourt decision on Shell appeal
Environmental activists are waiting to hear when the Constitutional
Court will sit to consider their appeal of a Supreme Court judgment on plans by
Shell for seismic testing on the Wild Coast.
Several years ago, the Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape found that the oil company's exploration right was unlawful as affected communities hadn't been notified and consulted about the activity.
The court set aside the exploration right.
Shell approached the Supreme Court of Appeal this year to try and overturn the High Court decision.
In its judgement last month, the SCA agreed with the lower court.
It did however suspended the order that set aside the Shell's exploration licence until the Department of Mineral Resources has considered the company's third application to renew the exploration right.
But a group of activist organisations including the KZN-based All Rise Attorneys for Climate And Environmental Justice, along with Greenpeace Africa and Wild Coast communities are challenging this suspension by the SCA.
They recently filed papers in the apex court.
All Rise Attorneys' Janice Tooley says it's not just the livelihoods of the Wild Coast communities that need to be considered.
"The community has a strong cultral and spiralual relationship with the seas."
Tooley adds that the welfare of marine life at risk if seismic blasting for oil and gas is allowed to go ahead.
"The sea manmals and these sound waves interput hugely and it becomes very noisey under the ocean although you can’t her it but in the water it is magnified."
