Durban - Fishing communities along the country’s coastline who are opposed to Shell’s bid to explore for gas and oil off the Wild Coast, gathered in Durban this week to denounce Mineral resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s meeting with traditional leaders during a charm offensive.
In December, the Makhanda High Court found that Shell’s community consultation was not sufficient, and that the “king” could not make representations on behalf of all community members.
“In terms of customary law, you need to talk to the people,” said Sinegugu Zukulu of the organisation, Sustaining the Wild Coast.
“When you talk to the traditional leaders, you are not consulting. Why is the government running away from communities? It seems they are only prepared to talk to traditional leaders.”
Desiree Laverne of Greenpeace Africa in Durban said Mantashe’s consulting traditional leaders and excluding the community was, “like eating from two different plates”.
“One is the leadership, already living the lives of the elite. The other is the plate that matters, those people who are living hand-to-mouth. So, it seems that the government likes to consult with those with full plates, not those with empty plates.”
Nonhle Mbuthuma, spokesperson for Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC), stressed that communities and not traditional leaders had taken Shell to court.
“Now we demand that our government not undermine communities, but to respect communities… it is very insulting to our customary law, because it is a top-down approach. You cannot just consult traditional leaders and think it is a done deal. Traditional leaders can only be leaders because of the people.”
Ntsindiso Nongcavu from Port St John’s, a leader of one of the many small-scale fishing communities along this coast that has fishing rights, asked: “Why are these elected politicians prepared to defend the corporates rather than acting as public officer bearers who are supposed to represent the interests of the people on the ground.”
Christian Adams, a small-scale fisher from Steenberg Cove in the West Coast, added: “Mr. Mantashe, you are sitting making choices about which university to send your kids to, while in my case the only option I have for my kids is a local school. When will my recognition as a small-scale fisher come to full fruition? You continue with these development things without consulting us.
“You talk of the Karpower ship (but there has been) no consultation. Ibubhesi gas field? Again, no consultation. When will you come to the fishers and consult with us?”
Local community activist Desmond D’Sa of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance said: “Mantashe’s push for the oil and gas corporations to destroy our oceans and marine stocks must be condemned by all ocean and fish loving South Africans.”
Mantashe has repeatedly stressed that exploitation of oil and gas resources could provide much-needed employment opportunities.
The Independent on Saturday