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Legal representative says Shell did not properly consult affected stakeholders

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A second application to interdict Shell’s seismic survey along the Wild Coast is being heard virtually in the Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda.

This latest application is brought by a number of coastal communities including the Amadiba Crisis Committee.

Their legal representative, Advocate Thembeka Ngcukayithobi, argued that Shell did not properly consult the affected stakeholders in the matter.

“We say with the greatest of respect the failure to consult is clear,” says Ngcukayithobi.

Ngcukayithobi says they plan to ask for the matter to be set aside.

“We will ask for the matter to be set aside. We will ask for the exploration right that was unlawfully granted to be set aside failure to adequately consult and therefore non-compliance.”

Shell’s seismic survey application in the Grahamstown High Court:

Mantashe laments anti-Shell protests

Last week, Minister of Mineral Resources  Gwede Mantashe said Eastern Cape residents are quick to protest when there’s a potential economic development, hence, the province is not developing.

Mantashe was involved in a legal battle with environmental and human rights groups over the exploration of oil and gas off the Wild Coast.

The groups wanted to halt Shell from conducting a seismic survey on the province’s Wild Coast.

Mantashe said these are the reasons investors leave the province.

“When we say Shell must explore if there’s oil, people of this province demonstrate and even want to set Shell garages alight. While they are busy fighting Shell moves to Namibia because in the Eastern Cape they don’t want the seismic survey. We want to grow the economy of the Eastern Cape. Maybe there is oil and gas we don’t know. We are exploring. But they don’t want Shell.”

Minister Mantashe strongly supports Shell’s plan to explore oil and gas in Eastern Cape:

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