The Makhanda High Court in the Western Cape Province of South Africa ruled this 1is September that the exploration rights granted by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Affairs to Shell were illegal. This court decision also puts an end to “to any seismic survey in the ocean off the Savage Coast”, says the South African business media Business Tech.
Specifically, the judgment nullified the exploration right granted to Impact Africa in 2014, which was later transferred to Shell. It also canceled subsequent renewals of the exploration right, “for these had been granted unlawfully”, says the South African weekly Mail and Guardian.
The oil giant’s request was initially approved and supported by the South African government. She is now suspended. According to the reasons for judgment, as reported by Bloomberg, “decisions to grant Shell oil and gas exploration rights have not gone through due process”.
The business media