August 14, 2025 Offshore Drilling Project Halted In Landmark High Court Victory for Coastal Communities Against Shell, TotalEnergies In a landmark victory for civil society and coastal communities, the Western Cape High Court has set aside the South African government’s decision to grant environmental authorisation for offshore drilling in Block 5/6/7, along the South-West Coast.

August 6, 2025 Shell’s Deep-Sea Gamble: Civil Society Slams Approval of Ultra-Risky Oil Drilling Project Off SA Coast Civil society organisations and coastal communities have launched a formal appeal against the government’s controversial decision to green-light Shell’s Northern Cape Ultra Deep (NCUD) oil and gas project. Led by The Green Connection and Natural Justice, and

July 15, 2025 The Green Connection Comments on Shell NCUD EIA Authorisation The Green Connection notes with deep concern and surprise the recent approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Shell’s proposed Northern Cape Ultra Deep (NCUD) oil and gas exploration project. This approval comes despite repeated objections raised by coastal communities and civil

The wait is finally over for the Wild Coast communities and civil society when, on 1 September 2022, the Makhanda High court ruled that the decision to grant the exploration right is set aside, as well as the decision to grant the renewal of this right. The decision to grant a further, second renewal, has also been set aside for Shell.

“Civil society, traditional communities and small-scale have once again been vindicated by the courts. Well done to our comrades for staying the course of this fight against Shell, to protect our oceans and the rights of those communities who will be affected.” This is the message from The Green Connection, an eco-justice organisation opposed to offshore oil and gas exploitation.

Since the announcement of Shell seismic surveys on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape last year, outraged communities and environmental organisations took the company to court following a flawed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and failed community consultations.

In the run-up to next week’s highly contentious court hearings to stop Shell’s seismic surveys and any further bids to explore the Wild Coast for offshore oil and gas, communities in the Eastern Cape are speaking out against traditional leaders who, at the end of April, following secret meetings with Minister Gwede Mantashe (in February 2022), agreed to support oil and gas developments. However, the communities, who are applicants in the case, were not consulted.

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.

The Green Connection and Natural Justice have welcomed the decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to defer a decision whether to grant leave to appeal and direct that a further leave to appeal application by Shell and the State be heard together with the merits of the appeal, in a consolidated hearing, in the ongoing legal challenge against offshore oil and gas exploration in Block 5/6/7 off South Africa’s south west coast.