TotalEnergies Faces Legal Challenge in S. Africa

(MENAFN) A South African court will soon hear a case challenging French energy company TotalEnergies’ plans for deep-water oil and gas drilling in the Deep Western Orange Basin, around 200 km off the country’s west coast. Environmental and community groups—including Aukotowa Fisheries Primary Co-operative, The Green Connection, and Natural Justice—argue that the approval process was unlawful, environmentally dangerous, and ignored the rights of local coastal communities.

The plaintiffs contend that the drilling could cause long-term ecological damage and that the government prioritized corporate interests over public and environmental rights. They are seeking a court order to overturn both the environmental approval granted by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s rejection of their appeals.

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