On 17th May 2024 the Supreme Court of Appeal heard an application by Shell to lift an interdict on its licence to conduct seismic testing for oil and gas along the Wild Coast.

Wild Coast communities, Sustaining the Wild Coast, All Rise, Natural Justice and Greenpeace Africa, also sought leave to cross-appeal against the court’s decision not to consider whether Shell and Impact Africa required an environmental authorisation before commencing the seismic surveys.

The Makhanda High Court, on 1 September, found that the process through which the decision to grant an exploration right was made, was procedurally unfair on several grounds, including failure to consider the communities’ spiritual and cultural rights, their right to food and the potential climate change implications.