Members of the Eastern Cape Chamber of Business in OR Tambo District, Chamber of Business and the KSD Chamber of Business in Mthatha have confirmed that they do not support what Shell Global is planning to do on the Wild Coast in Port St Johns.
OR Tambo District secretary general, Andile Nontso, said the chambers believed that Shell’s exploration would cause harm to marine life and disturb the unspoiled precious coast of the Eastern Cape and affect tourism.
“The chamber wants to add its voice for Shell to stop this experiment. We also want to plead that the protest against this atrocity must not be directed to the Shell service stations, especially in the rural towns like Mthatha, which have been targeted,” said Nontso. He added that these service stations are franchises, operated in their area by black businessmen, who offer much-needed employment to many in their rural improvised area. According to him, these businesses support the community and lives of many.
Nontso said business people who operate them have nothing to do with the decisions made by Shell, nor could they influence Shell’s actions or benefit from them. This followed after the residents from Port St Johns protested, stating that they would not allow the owners of Shell Global to do blasting in Wild Coast.
One of the protest organisers, Nqobile Jojo, said most people in that area earn a living by selling things they are getting from the sea.
“Some of the people in this area are raising their families by this coast. When people walk the Port St Johns to Coffee Bay Hiking Trail, they buy things from the locals of this area, who are selling things along this coast,” said Jojo.
