The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has reserved judgment on the nearly three-year battle between Wild Coast communities and respondents Shell and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.
The coastal communities and supporting organisations such as non-profit Sustaining the Wild Coast and All Rise Attorneys for Climate and Environment, in late 2021 filed an application challenging Shell's environmental authorisation to conduct exploration - by means of seismic survey - off the Wild Coast. They were represented by the Legal Resources Centre and Richard Spoor Incorporated.
The applicants, which later included the organisations Natural Justice and Greenpeace Africa - represented by Cullinan and Associates, successfully managed to block the seismic survey, pending the legal review of Shell's exploration right.