The Western Cape High Court has overturned the approval of TotalEnergies’ latest offshore drilling plans in the country.
Environmental activist groups approached the court after the government approved drilling on the country’s south west coast.
The court found that the environmental impact assessment was flawed and failed to address key risks, public participation and legal requirements.
The Green Connection’s, Shahil Singh has welcomed the ruling.
The minister must now restart the process, publish the spill plans for public input, Â assess coastal and cross-border risks properly and ensure response capacity is in place before any decision is made. This is a big win for transparency, Â precaution and the rights of coastal communities as well as small-scale fishers.
