- The Green Connection has asked Parliament to withdraw the SANPC Bill, warning it could lock South Africa deeper into oil and gas dependence while weakening oversight.
- The group says the Bill ignores climate change, despite South Africa’s Climate Change Act, and could leave taxpayers exposed to about R10 billion in decommissioning and rehabilitation liabilities.
- It also argues that future oil and gas revenues should go to the National Revenue Fund or a ring fenced just transition fund, rather than directly to the new company.
The Green Connection has submitted comments to Parliament calling for the South African National Petroleum Company Bill to be withdrawn, saying the proposal would concentrate broad oil and gas powers in one state owned entity and heighten environmental and financial risks.
The eco justice organisation says the Bill would merge iGas, PetroSA and the Strategic Fuel Fund into a single company responsible for exploration, production, storage, transport and sales, including new liquefied natural gas infrastructure in South Africa and abroad.
Lisa Makaula, advocacy lead at The Green Connection, said the Bill is “climate blind” because it does not refer to climate change at all, even though the Climate Change Act took effect in March 2025 and requires government departments to align laws and policies with climate risks.
The group also warned that PetroSA’s legacy decommissioning and rehabilitation costs are estimated at around R10 billion, while only about R3 billion has reportedly been set aside, creating uncertainty over who will carry the remaining liability.
It further raised governance concerns, saying several oversight safeguards present in an earlier 2023 version of the Bill appear to have been removed, including checks on subsidiaries, foreign transactions, funding sources and senior appointments.
The Green Connection has asked Parliament to allow an oral submission at public hearings and said affected coastal communities and small scale fishers must have a stronger voice in decisions that shape South Africa’s future energy system.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
