In a letter to Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe, the groups urged government to prevent companies linked to Israel from benefiting from SA’s natural resources while the country continues to pursue legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
SA BDS Coalition coordinator Roshan Dadoo said Navitas, listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, should not be granted rights to operate in SA waters. “The Navitas Petroleum Company is an Israeli company listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, so it’s clearly a complicit company,” Dadoo said.
Dadoo said SA’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ places a responsibility on government to avoid actions that could be interpreted as supporting Israeli interests. “If we are going to take seriously our own commitment that we made, then why would it make sense to enable an Israeli company to not only come here, but to exploit our natural resources?” Dadoo said.
According to Dadoo, approving Navitas’ participation could undermine SA’s international stance on Palestine and send conflicting signals about the country’s commitment to international law. “It would set a very bad example,” Dadoo said.
Dadoo argued that SA has received international recognition for taking Israel to the ICJ, but has yet to fully align trade and investment policies with that position.
Beyond geopolitical concerns, Dadoo said offshore oil exploration in the Orange Basin presents significant environmental risks.
Dadoo noted that several oil and gas exploration projects along South Africa’s coastline have faced legal challenges from environmental organisations and affected communities.
Dadoo pointed to a recent Constitutional Court ruling that halted Shell’s proposed exploration activities off the Wild Coast as an example of growing judicial recognition of community consultation requirements. “Oil exploration blocks around the West Coast and also the southern coast and east coast have been challenged numerous times by environmental justice organisations on behalf of local coastal communities,” Dadoo said.
Dadoo also cited international climate obligations, including commitments under the Paris Agreement and recent international legal developments relating to fossil fuel production.
According to Dadoo, offshore drilling could have long-term consequences for marine ecosystems, coastal communities and climate change mitigation efforts. “If you destroy the very land that people were farming and living on, then you’re also killing it for future generations,” Dadoo said.
Should government approve the project, Dadoo said the coalition would intensify public advocacy campaigns and demand a comprehensive public participation process. “We’ll certainly make it very publicly clear that SA is behaving in what can only be considered a hypocritical way in relation to its obligations,” Dadoo said.
Dadoo said any decision on the project should take into account environmental sustainability, community rights and SA’s international legal commitments.
–ChannelAfrica–
