On Tuesday this week anti-fracking alliance Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG) and Afriforum released a joint statement intimating that the Batho Batho trust, an African National Congress investment company has interests in Shell SA. The statement demanded that the Minister of Mineral Resources, Ngoako Ramathlodi, “will not issue any mineral prospecting or mining licence or right and petroleum exploration or production licence or right to any company in which any political party either directly or indirectly holds an interest.”

The demand is part of letter to the Minister requesting a moratorium be placed on issuing hydraulic fracturing – fracking – exploration licences, pending the outcome of two major national environmental reports.

The letter further implies that there has not been enough public participation in the legislative process and pointed to US and Canadian studies which seriously questioned the ultimate economic benefits of hydraulic fracturing.

TKAG leader Jonathan Deal  was quoted as saying, “As it stands at present, there is no impediment to the DMR in terms of issuing licences for shale gas exploration in South Africa before the country has properly considered all the issues and complied with the obligations inherent in the laws of the country and our Bill of Rights.”

He also pointed out that although shale gas exploration is done on a much smaller scale than production, it still carries with it essentially the same water environmental and health risks.