South Africa to get fracking

The State President, Mr Jacob Zuma, gave his state of the nation address (SONA) this evening. In the next few days there will be many responses but for now let us mention that the state seems hellbent on fracking in the Western and Eastern Cape.

We have blogged on fracking (hydraulic fracturing) before. See this December 2013 post.

Now, despite being hugely unpopular, the e-toll system was implemented in the business hub of South Africa (Johannesburg and Pretoria) late last year. Government gave the middle finger to business, NGOs, religious groups, consumers, the press, taxpayers, its own labour alliance partner COSATU, most people who drive cars, most people who don't drive cars ...

Perhaps it knows what it's doing? The point is that the state seems impervious to public opinion. If it could implement the e-tolls despite this being massively controversial and unpopular, the odds are that we'll be fracking sometime soon.

Fracking will be a "game changer" alright - let's hope for all the right reasons.


Read a related story from the Northern Hemisphere (France 24) this week.

Shale gas is one of the sources of energy on which you will find notes in the Energy chapter of The Agri Handbook. Solar and other renewable energy sources are looked at in a dedicated Renewable energy chapter.