African Wildlife and Environment Issue 65

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

it is a done deal! Tourism is Botswana’s 2nd biggest money earner and jobs sector after diamond mining, so fracking up one of their biggest tourism assets defies logic! Our own Minister of Mineral Resources stated at the end of March that: “Based on the balance of available scientific evidence, government took a decision to proceed with the development of shale gas in the Karoo formation of South Africa”. This is in contradiction with the findings of the CSIR, Treasure Karoo Action Group (TKAG) and Afriforum that fracking was ill-advised because there is not enough water to support fracking in the Karoo, and that the ‘real’ number of jobs created has been shown elsewhere in the world to be minimal compared to the figures that applicants are enthusing. It seems that our decision-makers are quickly forgetting the impacts of the drought as the first autumn rains patter down the dust. It seems that short term monetary and temporary jobs gains are more important to our politicians that long-term wealth and permanent job creation! Some good news though was that at the end of March Earthlife Africa, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, scored an incredible precedent setting win in the North Gauteng High Court. The Court referred Earthlife’s appeal against the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station back to the Environmental Affairs Minister, on the basis that climate change impacts were not adequately considered in the decision to authorise the power plant. The Court’s upholding of the need for appropriate climate change impact consideration will have far-reaching implications for EIAs for developments that may have significant climate change impacts. And not just for coal-mining applications! How it aids or frustrates fracking and nuclear proposals remains to be seem. TKAG and Afriforum will be challenging the proposed fracking regulations in the High Court. Until that is resolved, DMR’s plan to have fracking started by the end of the year will be frustrated by civil society standing up for greater good. WESSA would like to thank its members who donated towards the Fuleni Mine opposition-all your donations were channelled through iCWA to local village activists to cover their petrol and communications costs.

Game ranger stories: FOLLOWING PREDATORS

I was woken in the middle of the night by a blood curdling scream and I sat bolt upright in bed trying to orientate myself. Again a loud scream and I stumbled out of bed, opening the back door just in time to see a large male leopard scaling a five metre high fence with a shoe in its mouth.

Words and photographs: Bryan Havemann

Morgan Griffiths WESSA Environmental Governance Programme Manager morgan.griffiths@wessa.co.za

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