S. African Court to Decide on Legal Challenge Against TotalEnergies

(MENAFN) A South African court is preparing to decide on a legal challenge to French energy company TotalEnergies’ plan for deep-water oil and gas exploration. Activists contend that the approval process for the project was illegal and poses significant environmental hazards.

The case was initiated by Aukotowa Fisheries Primary Co-operative Limited, The Green Connection, and Natural Justice, who aim to overturn the environmental clearance for ultra-deep-water drilling in the Deep Western Orange Basin, located roughly 200 km off South Africa’s west coast. The legal action targets the Director-General of the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, as well as TotalEnergies EP South Africa (TEEPSA).

The plaintiffs argue that “there are predictable, long-term ecological impacts that go along with petroleum projects.” Their challenge focuses on claims that the environmental approval process was fundamentally flawed, unreasonable, and incompatible with the Constitution, the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), and South Africa’s commitments on climate and energy.

The lawsuit also highlights the effects of drilling on local fishing communities, asserting that corporate interests have been placed above the rights and livelihoods of coastal residents. The applicants are requesting the court to review and nullify both the Director-General’s environmental authorization and the Minister’s rejection of their appeals.

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