Mantashe’s royal visit turns a deaf ear to concerns about Shell’s plans
Company’s seismic survey could lead to oil, gas exploration
Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe is meeting Eastern Cape traditional leaders who are custodians of the land along the Wild Coast in a bid to clear the way for Shell to conduct a seismic survey.
Mantashe began his consultation with the traditional leadership when he visited the king of Amaxhosa, King Ahlangene “Aaah! Vulikhaya” Sigcawu at Nqadu Great Place in Willowvale, in a meeting attended by members of the community.
He brought the king two cows and was quick to dismiss any notion that he was trying to bribe the king with this gesture.
“The cows are not a bribe. I’m not here to bribe the king, it is an old traditional practice that prominent people like myself do, you cannot just visit the royal house empty-handed,” he said.
Mantashe said his visit was part of consultations with communities because traditional leaders were the leaders of the people, adding that he would also visit about seven other kingdoms of the Eastern Cape coastal land.
Shell received strong opposition from a number of environmental activists, non-government organisations (NGO), and Wild Coast communities during its bid to conduct a seismic survey along the Wild Coast early in December last year.
The opposing parties said they were not consulted but only learned about Shell’s intentions through newspaper adverts in October last year.
Two urgent separate court interdicts were lodged with the Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda. The first interdict failed but the second application obtained an interim court order, which halted Shell’s seismic survey on December 28.
The second part of the application will be heard in Grahamstown from tomorrow.
The parties in this application include the Amadiba Crisis Committee, Sustaining the Wild Coast, and various community groups whose livelihoods depend on fishing.
Also opposed to Shell’s planned seismic survey, which could result in the extraction of oil or gas in the Eastern Cape coastal area, are individuals with a spiritual connection to the ocean.
Addressing the meeting on Thursday, Mantashe slammed the NGOS, environmental activists and the groups that opposed Shell’s seismic survey, saying there were lots of distortions in their arguments regarding what the global oil giant was actually doing in the ocean.
He said Shell’s survey would be conducted about 30km from the shore and concerns that were raised were mainly about activities that were taking place on the shoreline.
Mantashe said: “We heard in court applications that some people are claiming that we are going to disturb their ancestors.
“I grew up in the inland part, at Cala, and we interact with our ancestors through the forest and the river. I heard it here for the first time that there are people whose ancestors reside in the ocean.”
He said the Eastern Cape would remain underdeveloped and poor if people in the province allowed themselves to be dictated by foreign influences of NGOS that do not want to see development, and whose leaders did not reside on their coastline.
“We are here to consult with you as the communities so that you can make informed choices about the development of the area.
“Each and every development by its nature comes with its own contradictions, no matter what is being developed. For example, mining causes water toxication, pollutes the air and the environment. We can only solve these by being participants in the development.”
Mantashe encouraged the community to form co-ops and participate in any talks around development in their area, instead of waiting for handouts.
Meanwhile, the NGOS litigating against Shell, the Department of Minerals and Energy and Mantashe said they had not been consulted about these meetings.
Nonhle Mbuthuma, the spokesperson for Amadiba Crisis Committee, said: “The communities who are directly affected brought a court interdict last year. Why does the minister go to see traditional leaders? We demand our government not to undermine communities. They must respect them.
“When there are developments proposed, the government must consult.”
Sinegugu Zukulu of Sustaining the Wild Coast said: “In terms of customary law, you need to talk to the people. When you talk to traditional leaders, you are not consulting.”
Desiree Laverne for Greenpeace Africa said consultation with traditional leaders was the exclusion of communities.
“It seems the government likes to consult with those with full plates, not those with the empty plates,” said Laverne.
Neville van Rooy of The Green Connection agreed, saying there was a trend of refusing to engage coastal communities.
King Sigcawu welcomed Mantashe’s visit and urged NGOS to make their case with the traditional leadership.
Opposing groups say they learned of the seismic survey in newspapers
Shell’s survey will be conducted about 30km from the shore