South African NGOs Deliver Anti-Fracking Petition to Country's Parliament

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — An alliance of South Africa's non-governmental organizations on Thursday delivered a petition to the national parliament to thoroughly monitor issues related to hydraulic fracturing in the country's natural region of Karoo, one of the alliance's members said.

Civil society groups, such as AfriForum and Treasure the Karoo Action Group, has been monitoring fracking activities in Karoo since 2011. As a result of its work, the NGOs have made significant progress in making fracking in the region more transparent and challenging the existing fracking regulations.

"AfriForum and Treasure the Karoo Action Group (TKAG) Alliance today submitted a petition to both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces in Cape Town. The petition essentially demands that Parliament fulfils its duty and mandate of oversight over the Department of Mineral Resources and the activities it carries out," AfriForum said in a statement.

It was noted in the statement that the petition raises concerns about the country's fracking regulations, lack of public hearings on the issue and insufficient government capacity to monitor the development of the situation with hydraulic fracturing in Karoo.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves injecting a mixture of toxic chemicals into the ground at high pressure. The method is heavily criticized for the associated environmental risks and its potential to trigger tremors.