African coastlines are the newest commodity up for grabs and those involved in the latest scramble are not unfamiliar faces. International corporations such as CGG (UK) and TotalEnergies (France) are among the fifteen other foreign companies vying for the right to seismic test and/or drill for oil and gas along the coast of South Africa. The latest area of interest is off the coast between Plettenberg Bay and Gqeberha. The proposed area for testing and drilling is perilously close to several MPAs (Marine Protected Areas), that play a vital role in the surrounding ecosystems, and if damaged the effect on the marine life would be distressing. The effects extend beyond the threat to the environment but threaten communities, especially those that rely on fishing and tourism for their income.
Offshore exploration (photo: Green connection)
On the face of things, it may not seem insidious in the way that the 1885 ‘Scramble for Africa’ was, but that is just how neocolonialism operates. Neocolonialism is the newest version of colonialism; it is not obvious, rather it hides behind economic propositions, where only a select few benefit, and that benefit is usually to the detriment of the citizens. Kwame Nkrumah described neocolonialism as the final stage of imperialism. Hiding behind the South African energy crisis, the drilling for gas as an additional source of energy seems like a positive. That is not entirely the case, the South African energy infrastructure is not suitably equipped for the shift to gas-driven energy, which begs the question, “Where is the gas going then?”.
Neocolonialism explained (Photo: Youth Voices).
Additionally, gas is still a fossil fuel, it is not renewable, and with the current international push for sustainable, and green sources of energy, the Global North coming to the Global South for the exact opposite is cause for skepticism. This is also happening in the wake of the COP28 conference, where the Global South seemed to be leading the call for the fight against climate change.
Aside from obvious environmental concerns are the more socially orientated concerns. The corporations involved are importing their skilled labour, rather than taking the initiative to train an ever-growing unemployed graduate population. There is roughly a 60.7% unemployment rate among South Africans between the ages of 15-24 and an overall unemployment rate of 31.9%, yet the jobs made available by these corporations for South Africans are minimal. Neocolonialism relies on dependency and oppression; it makes a state easier to manipulate. Training the unemployed graduate population in South Africa would diminish dependency and oppression and is therefore undesirable and more importantly unprofitable for these corporations.
Two questions were posed to Michael Marchant, Head of Investigations, from Open Secrets ZA, who just released an expose investigating the “energy profiteers” in South Africa, the first was, “There is a huge push toward sustainability and green energy, so why then are foreign multinationals trying to take fossil fuels from developing nations, at great risk to the biomes they are interfering with (MPAs specifically)?”
“The great push from large corporations and some governments to pursue new fossil fuel projects, even in the face of the catastrophic consequences, is because of how profitable it can be. Large-scale fossil fuel projects offer significant opportunities for corruption and short-term profit taking while the environmental, human, and economic costs will be borne by the public.”- Michael Marchant.
Secondly, was the neocolonial aspect, “These drilling programmes are deceptive, the companies claim there will be great social and economic benefits but as seen in the past that is not the case, there is no upliftment of communities, but rather more imperial influence entering Africa, Africa is once again being broken up and sold, how can we stop this when our governments are complicit with it?”
“One of the most significant ways that the real costs of these activities are hidden is through false claims of commercial confidentiality that state entities and large companies use to keep their contracts and deals secret. Enforcing the public’s constitutional rights to proper consultation and information empowers the public to challenge unjust activities and deals that seek to benefit a few at the expense of whole communities.” – Michael Marchant.
The work and responsibility are once again placed on the Global South, and not on the governments, but on the people. The people are the ones who have to oppose and appeal, the onus is on the people to protect themselves and their livelihoods. The people of the Global South are the ones who will deal with any environmental fallouts and are the ones who are currently dealing with the social and economic fallout. Communities suffer and cultural heritages are damaged and, in some cases, even lost. The echoes of a past that were thought to be a time long left to history are seemingly coming back.
Article by Megan Mannion
