As communities in South Africa and around the world face increasingly severe weather events, and local households grapple with unaffordable electricity prices, following another major tariff increase, The Green Connection is urging Parliament to withdraw the proposed Gas Bill. The eco-justice organisation warns that the Bill could lock South Africa into long-term fossil-fuel infrastructure, expose electricity consumers to volatile international gas prices, weaken protections for affected communities and landowners, and give the Minister sweeping new powers.

As winter grips South Africa, millions of households are facing an impossible choice between keeping the lights on, putting food on the table, and paying essential expenses such as school fees and transport costs. The Green Connection believes that the country’s current tariff structure may be deepening poverty and inequality while forcing ordinary citizens to shoulder the cost of institutional failures over which they have no control.

The Green Connection recently submitted written comments to Parliament calling for the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) Bill to be withdrawn. The eco-justice organisation warns that the proposed legislation could deepen South Africa’s dependence on oil and gas, while simultaneously weakening public oversight and exposing taxpayers to major environmental clean-up costs.

Environmental justice organisation The Green Connection has written an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa about reports that Israeli-owned Navitas Petroleum LP is set to become operator of offshore oil and gas exploration Block 1 CBK in the Orange Basin off South Africa’s West Coast.