Press release - September 20, 2018
Johannesburg, South Africa, 20 September 2018 -- In response to Energy Minister Jeff Radebe's recent call for all impediments to shale gas exploration to be removed as part of government’s response to exceptionally high fuel prices, Greenpeace Africa’s Political Advisor Happy Khambule has said:
“Greenpeace Africa is strongly opposed to any moves to fast-track or invest in fracking in South Africa. Fracking uses massive amounts of water, but could also poison our scarce water resources in areas such as the dry Karoo, contaminating them for generations to come. We must not try to solve the problem of high fuel prices by creating another through short-term thinking. This year’s water crisis has clearly shown that we simply cannot survive without water, and must put water at the centre of decision making in order to work together to defend water in South Africa.
Rather than wasting time and money, the government must recognise that liquid fuel prices are inherently volatile and we should be moving away from fossil fuel dependency rather than trying to fix something that is broken beyond repair. Greenpeace calls on Minister Jeff Radebe to urgently reverse his position on fracking and acknowledge the impacts that fracking could have on our constitutional right to a healthy environment”.
Media contact:
; Greenpeace Africa's Communications Specialist; 060 604 6690