CLIMATE activists' groups and affected communities will march against TotalEnergies on 20 November in Joburg.
This, as world leaders gather in the city for the G20 Leaders' Summit.
The march is organised to condemn TotalEnergies' "century of abuse" before the G20 gathering.
Led by Fossi Ad Ban (FAB), StopEACOP, Green Connection, Earthlife Africa and Power Shift Africa, protesters will deliver a letter to the company's Rosebank headquarters signed by 29 organisations across Africa and the world.
FAB campaign co-ordinator Lazola Kati told Daily Sun the protesters' central message will be that for more than a century, TotalEnergies' oil and gas expansion has caused "environmental destruction, land dispossession and human rights violations, under the false promises" of development and progress.
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"This must end now! We are marching shortly before the G20 Summit to draw world leaders' attention to our calls," she said.
Patrick Edema, the Ugandan representative of StopEACOP, a coalition of local communities and activists in Uganda and Tanzania, said the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) will pass through 178 villages in Uganda and 231 in Tanzania, leading to massive physical and economic displacement.
He said an estimated 100 000 people across Uganda and Tanzania have lost or will lose farming land or raising animals as a result of the pipeline, hundreds of families will need to be resettled, and thousands more will be affected by the associated oil development projects.
He stated: "Our message is clear, 'TotalEnergies' century of harm ends now'. We will not allow you to mortgage our future for your fossil fuel profits, We will #StopEACOP."
Lisa Makaula, advocacy officer at The Green Connection, said it remains important for the communities affected by oil and gas development to raise their voices against injustice.
"The world is at a tipping point and, as developing nations, we can't afford to invest in fossil fuel projects, which will continue to exacerbate the impacts of climate change," she said.
She raised that fisher livelihoods are being destroyed in West Africa due to oil and gas exploration.
"We need committed leaders who will ensure that oceans are protected and that communities are not left behind as we transition to a low-carbon economy, while putting equity and fairness at the forefront," she said.
The coalition of activists pointed out that TotalEnergies' "natural" (i.e. fossil) the gas project in Mozambique has caused significant displacement in the Cabo Delgado province.
The company and its partners are constructing a gas processing plant on a 7 000ha site granted by the Mozambican government, which required relocating 557 households under a plan promising new land and compensation which, for many, failed to materialise.
The coalition organising the march demands in its letter that TotalEnergies:
# End all new oil and gas exploration and development in Africa, including the EACOP, the Mozambique fossil project, and offshore drilling in South Africa.
# Acknowledge and compensate affected communities for the loss of land, livelihoods, and ecosystems destroyed by its operations.
# Stop all misleading advertising and greenwashing campaigns that falsely portray TotalEnergies as a climate-friendly company.
# Commit to a just and equitable transition that prioritises renewable energy, distributive justice, and African ownership of the energy transition.
Recently, the Western Cape High Court overturned a government decision to grant offshore drilling rights to TotalEnergies EP South Africa after it found that the company's environmental impact report was deeply flawed.
"This march will amplify the voices of frontline communities, women and young people who have been silenced or ignored," added Kati.
