In a pivotal development in the fight for environmental justice, Shell and the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources have applied for leave to appeal the recent judgment of Judge Mangcu-Lockwood of the Western Cape High Court, which found the environmental authorisation for offshore oil and gas exploration in Block 5/6/7, to be unlawful. The case was initially filed by The Green Connection and Natural Justice, in a bid to defend the rights of coastal communities to sustain their ocean-dependent livelihoods, protect their food security and shield them from the deepening impacts of climate change.
Following an online hearing on 16 October 2025, Strategic Lead at The Green Connection, Liz McDaid says, “This appeal attempt is disappointing but not surprising. It is clear that the oil and gas giants, together with government, are determined to push ahead despite the court’s recognition of serious environmental and procedural shortcomings. We will continue to stand firm for the rights of coastal communities and the protection of our oceans because the High Court’s ruling correctly highlighted serious procedural and environmental flaws in the approval process for Block 5/6/7.”
The Green Connection’s Community Outreach Coordinator, Neville van Rooy adds, “For the people living along our coasts, this could be a serious development because thousands of coastal families who depend on small-scale fishing for their livelihoods may face immediate and long-term harm if the project proceeds. Any offshore drilling accident, including a “well blowout”, could devastate marine life and fisheries along South Africa’s west coast, with oil potentially drifting into Namibian waters via the Benguela Current. These are just some of the reasons why we keep raising our voices, loudly and clearly to ensure that these risks are not brushed aside.”
The Green Connection says that this case may be part of a broader pattern in which fossil fuel companies and government authorities appear to repeatedly sidestep environmental safeguards, making court rulings, such as this one, a crucial defence for both people and the planet.
“Beyond the potential local impacts, we cannot ignore that production from this block could directly increase greenhouse gas emissions, possibly accelerating climate change. Climate change impacts could have a ripple effect on small-scale fisheries and the overall wellbeing of coastal communities,” adds van Rooy.
The Green Connection and Natural Justice now await judgment on whether the appeal can proceed, and if so, whether it will be heard by a Full Bench of the Western Cape High Court or the Supreme Court of Appeal.
BENDING OVER BACKWARDS, DMRE GIVES KARPOWERSHIPS ANOTHER BREAK
30 September 2021 was supposed to be the commercial close – a date set by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) – for bidders in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMI4P).
TOSACO EIA MET WITH PUSHBACK FROM CIVIL SOCIETY, TO PROTECT THE OCEAN AND SMALL-SCALE FISHER LIVELIHOODS
This week, The Green Connection submitted its comments critiquing several aspects of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, particularly the lack of procedural fairness, as well as the conclusions reached – notwithstanding information gaps and scientific uncertainty – that should form part Tosaco Energy’s request to undertake various activities in Block 1, off the West Coast.
RECENTLY GRADUATED GREEN CONNECTORS, EQUIPPED FOR THE POLLS AND READY TO WEIGH-IN ON COP26
Following their recent graduation from The Green Connection’s Legacy Champions Programme, these newly empowered Green Connectors say they feel equipped with the necessary advocacy skills to make positive changes in their communities, starting with their vote in the local elections (1 November) and weighing in on the discussions around COP26 (which starts on 31 October) – as part of their efforts to oppose oil and gas developments in the country and offshore.
GREEN CONNECTION’S ‘FUNERAL FOR THE CLIMATE’ (AFRICAN ENERGY WEEK) AND COMMENT ON YESTERDAY’S BUDGET SPEECH
This week (10 November 2021), we joined other environmental defenders in Cape Town to peacefully demonstrate outside the African Energy Week #AEW2021 conference venue demanding an end to fossil fuels and the immediate pivot toward the just transition to a renewable energy future.
CLOSE TO 200 PEOPLE RISE AT CRACK OF DAWN TO PROTEST THE ARRIVAL OF SHELL’S SEISMIC MONSTER, AMAZON WARRIOR
On Sunday morning, (21 November 2021), before the crack of dawn, nearly 200 concerned environmental defenders took to the Waterfront to get a glimpse of Shell’s seismic testing vessel, Amazon Warrior, as it made its way into Cape Town harbour. The vessel travelled down the West coast of Africa, on its way to the Wild Coast, to conduct seismic surveys for an estimated five (5) months.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS DOUBLE-UP ON EFFORTS TO OPPOSE UPCOMING AND FURTHER SEISMIC TESTING IN SOUTH AFRICA’S OCEANS
As the groundswell of opposition against Shell’s upcoming 3D seismic survey off the Transkei builds, the Green Connection – an ecojustice NGO that supports small-scale fishers in advocating for their livelihoods – reacted with astonishment to a press statement issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) on 9 December 2021.