Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, says the seismic exploration of gas and oil along the Eastern Cape Wild Coast would present business and job opportunities for local residents.
A court interdict that communities along this stretch of coast had obtained put a temporary halt to the seismic exploration.
Mantashe says the main efforts should be directed to developing the province. He was addressing traditional leaders at Nqadu Great Place in Willowvale.
“The most important thing is development in the Eastern Cape that is the primary consideration because it is the poorest province, it has a lot of potential, it will take the initiative of people to turn the potential to real outcome and output, that is the importance of this. Seismic exploration is about testing if there are any deposits. If there are we would love to get the exploration going ahead and exploit them.”
The video below is a report on Mantashe’s meeting with the traditional leaders:
Mantashe laments anti-Shell protests, citing potential economic development
In December last year, Mantashe said Eastern Cape residents were quick to protest when there’s a potential economic development, hence, the province is not developing.
Mantashe was delivering the eulogy at the funeral of the ANC Chairperson and Mayor in the Sarah Baartman District, Mzimkhulu Scara Njadayi at Bathurst outside Port Alfred.
Njadayi died during a council meeting. Mantashe who was speaking as Chairperson of the ANC said Njadayi had a vision of developing Sarah Baartman economically when he was elected as mayor.
Mantashe was involved in a legal battle with environmental and human rights groups over the exploration of oil and gas off the Wild Coast.
High court dismisses application to halt Shell’s seismic survey:
The groups wanted to halt Shell from conducting a seismic survey on the province’s Wild Coast. Mantashe says 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.”
