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AfriForum is shocked by Cabinet’s decision to lift the moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, to explore the Karoo for shale gas.

According to Julius Kleynhans, AfriForum’s head of environmental affairs, this decision may have catastrophic results in the future. ‘South Africa is a water scarce country. It is clear from across the world that fracking destroys ecosystems and especially pollutes water,’ Kleynhans said.

Mineral and Resources Minister, Susan Shabangu, imposed a moratorium on fracking in the ecologically sensitive Karoo region last year, and this moratorium has now been lifted. ‘This area is a very sensitive, semi-desert environment which will not return to its natural state after such an impact. No matter what precautions are taken, one slip up or shortcut, and the environment will be contaminated beyond repair,’ Kleynhans mentioned.

‘It is for this reason that AfriForum opposed the proposed amendments to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) in Parliament. The amendments make provision for splitting the environmental management responsibility between the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), thus allowing the DMR to make decisions regarding environmental management in the mining sector,’’ Kleynhans said.

International oil company Shell SA, Bundu Gas & Oil and Falcon Gas & Oil have requested exploration licenses to search for shale gas in more than 250,000km² of the Karoo.

AfriForum will take action against the decision through an anti-fracking campaign.