GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Around 300 people attended a march held in Graaff-Reinet last week to highlight the call from the Support Centre for Land Change (SCLC) to ban fracking in the Karoo and nationally.
The supporters included local religious leaders, traditional leaders, emerging farmers, farmworkers, youth, women and residents from informal settlements. Representatives from many areas joined the Graaff-Reinet community in solidarity against the potential threat of fracking.
The purpose of the march was to deliver a memorandum to the Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality, however, this was thwarted when the mayor apparently refused to accept the petition.
The memorandum calls for the municipality to be declared a fracking-free zone, and urges the local district authorities to prioritise investment in renewable energy solutions towards a sustainable future.
"It is a matter of great concern that the mayor of a municipality crippled by the climate crisis, refused to take receipt of the memorandum," said SCLC's Graaff-Reinet programme manager, Chriszanne Janse van Vuuren.
"The same obstacle was encountered at the Global Climate Strike local event in Graaff-Reinet on 20 September.".
According to Janse van Vuuren, on both occasions the mayor was invited via email, and on both occasions he failed to either acknowledge receipt or respond to the emails.
The mayor denied this in a response to the Advertiser: "My office was not informed, nor were there any requests for receiving of petitions made to our offices.
We are a law governed country and proper lawful processes should be followed," he said.
Marchers in the anti-fracking protest make their way along Church Street.
An invitation to participate was extended to various government departments.
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries was the only department that confirmed attendance, but to the disappointment of the organisers, their representative did not show up.
"The impact of the climate crisis on the Karoo is evident and can no longer be ignored," said Janse van Vuuren, pointing out that the Karoo is experiencing the most severe drought ever recorded.
One positive outcome was that representatives of the protesters were given an opportunity to speak on the SABC Morning Live programme broadcast from the Nqweba Dam.
More information on the #BanFracking campaign calling for a national ban on fracking and a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy alternatives, is available from Janse van Vuuren on 049 892 5272 or 079 386 7470.
'We bring you the latest Graaff-Reinet, Karoo news'
