Full Breakdown
Activists Protest African Energy Week Over New Fossil Fuel Exploration
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Demonstrations at African Energy Week
Climate activists from Greenpeace Africa and Extinction Rebellion staged a picket outside the African Energy Week conference in Cape Town, South Africa. The protesters wore T-shirts reading “Make polluters pay” and accused energy companies of prioritising profit over people and ecosystems. Police removed the demonstrators after the picket.
Background & Context: South Africa’s Push for New Oil and Gas Projects
South African officials are promoting expanded oil and gas development to attract investment and bolster energy security. The government frames natural gas as a backup for renewable sources, arguing that gas-fired plants can supply electricity when wind and solar output falls. Despite legal challenges, British energy giant Shell has received environmental approval to drill up to five deep-water wells in the Northern Cape Ultra Deep block off the country’s west coast. The project has already prompted appeals from environmental groups.
Official Statements & Responses
Government representatives describe natural gas as a “complement to renewable energy” that can help maintain reliable power supply. Shell’s plan to drill five wells is presented as an effort to assess offshore oil and gas deposits for future development. Extinction Rebellion’s Cape Town representative acknowledged that renewable energy would be featured at the conference but argued that promoting new oil and gas exploration contradicts South Africa’s commitments under the Paris climate agreement to cut emissions.
Verbatim Quote
“Oil companies from overseas have made billions in profits this year alone at the expense of people’s lives, at the expense of ecosystems, at the expense of African lives,” — Siya Myeza
Why It Matters
Activists warn that continued fossil-fuel expansion could exacerbate climate-related hazards such as fires, floods, and rising food prices, which they say may trigger migration and social unrest across the continent. The protest highlights a broader tension between South Africa’s energy-security goals and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in line with international climate commitments.
