Just as the Amazon Warrior vessel was booted from SA’s coastline when a Makhanda court blocked the planned seismic survey of the Wild Coast on behalf of Shell, another planned survey approaches, this time of the West Coast and coming from an Australian company.
Petroleum Agency SA (PASA) awarded Australian geoscience data supplier Searcher Seismic a reconnaissance permit in May last year. The planned seismic survey will surely also face backlash from local activists and will no doubt be challenged in court.
Minister for mineral resources and energy, Gwede Mantashe accused those who were opposed to the Shell seismic survey of “apartheid and colonialism of a special kind”. Mantashe came under fire from local activists for his support of the seismic survey and when the interim interdict was granted by Makhanda high court judge Gerald Bloem on December 28, he said Mantashe had “nailed his colours to Shell’s mast”.
Well, that statement has quite literally taken a far more realistic turn (for subscribers) than anyone could have anticipated, writes Rob Rose.
As Rose reports, it seems a R15 million donation that the ANC received in December from the Batho Batho Trust, which helped the party keep its lights on and pay salaries, has a connection to Shell.
“…the Batho Batho Trust is the 46% shareholder of the Thebe Investment Corp, which owns 28% of Shell’s downstream business in SA. So, when Shell does well, so does the trust. And, it seems, so does the ANC,” writes Rose.
Shell is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which means it is subject to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The act states that “the offer, promise or provision of anything of value to a foreign official, either directly or indirectly, for the purpose of influencing that official so as to obtain or retain business or other advantage” would be an offence.
It is not clear at this stage whether that would be the case and Shell South Africa head Hloniphizwe Mtolo says that what Thebe does with its money is the investment group’s own prerogative and has nothing to do with the business interests of Shell.
But whatever the fallout or reaction to this new bit of information is, it has certainly placed Shell and Mantashe in a compromising situation that they will be hard-pressed to find a way out.
Here’s a roundup of interesting opinions, analyses, and editorials:
‘Don’t Look Up’ but do look out, here comes Shell – Mail & Guardian
CHRIS ROPER: Lindiwe Sisulu and the party of plunder – Financial Mail (for subscribers)
GIULIETTA TALEVI: How a pianist trumped the JSE’s pros – Financial Mail (for subscribers)
EDITORIAL: SA’s task is to avert ‘prolonged economic stagnation’ – Business Day
Mass democratic politics for a sustainable society – New Frame
Pieter du Toit | Parliament inferno: Where’s the outrage and the urgency? Where’s the president? – News24 (for subscribers)
Why the forecasts for emerging market economies may be too rosy – Daily Maverick
Ratcheting up the EWC risk yet again – Daily Friend
Image: Shell Marchios Service Station Facebook
