Karoo fears of fracking go-ahead

HUNDREDS of landowners in the Karoo will soon find out if Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe approves shale gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking) by three companies.

Shell Exploration South Africa has applied for three exploration rights while Bundu Exploration Oil and Gas, the South African subsidiary of Australian company Challenger Energy, and Ireland-based Falcon Gas and Oil have applied for one each.

The area covers the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape and Mantashe has promised all comments will be taken into consideration.

Land in towns such as Victoria West, Richmond, Murraysburg, Noupoort, Colesberg, Aberdeen, Middelburg, Graaff-Reinet, Cradock, Hofmeyr, Tarkastad, Steynsburg, Sterkstroom, Somerset East, Pearston, Jansenville, Bedford, Adelaide, Fort Beaufort, Molteno, Whittlesea, Queenstown, Cacadu, Beaufort West, Ceres, Laingsburg, Prince Albert, Sutherland, Fraserburg and Willowmore will be affected.

But lobby group Treasure Karoo Action Group dismissed Mantashe’s move.

It said he would not heed their concerns and change his mind but would approve the fracking applications.

The group’s deputy chairperson Chief Daantjie Japhta told Independent Media that fracking will not be beneficial to the country, but they will make submissions even if they know they will not be heeded.

“For that thing (fracking) you need a lot of water. In the Karoo there is no water,” Japhta warned.

Mantashe this week invited parties and individuals who will be materially and adversely affected by his decision to make representations before August 10, according to a notice in the Eastern Cape provincial gazette.

”They do not care about the harm that is going to be done to our environment and people,” said Japhta, who is also the Eastern Cape leader of the Khoi Cultural Heritage Council of SA.

The former mayor of the Camdeboo Local Municipality (now the Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality) in Graaff- Reinet accused the government of not caring about people and the chemicals used in fracking will contam- inate underground water.

“Fracking will be detrimental to the country and its people,” he added. Japhta said the Khoi were also opposed to fracking.

Delivering his maiden budget speech in May, Mantashe promised to invite comments from persons who may be materially and adversely affected by the decision on the three shale gas exploration applications.

“We intend to move with speed to fast-track the finalisation of exploration rights applications so that South Africa can maximise its chances of reaping the benefits from shale gas exploration and exploitation,” he said at the time, adding that the resource’s successful development has the potential to transform the national energy economy.

According to Mantashe, the southern Main Karoo Basin is considered the most prospective area for shale gas, with a possible estimation of 205 trillion cubic feet of gas technically recoverable.

In May, minority rights group AfriForum and Treasure Karoo Action Group lost their North Gauteng High Court bid to have the government’s fracking regulations declared unlawful.