--- title: Communities To Gather at TotalEnergies AGM to Demand Corporate Accountability & End to Fossil Fuel Profiteering date: 2026-05-26T07:29:01Z modified: 2026-05-26T07:29:01Z permalink: "https://350.org/press-release/communities-to-gather-at-totalenergies-agm-to-demand-corporate-accountability-end-to-fossil-fuel-profiteering/" type: press-release status: publish excerpt: "" wpid: 175530244 author: tumi --- **For Immediate Release Tuesday 26 May, 2026 South Africa, Johannesburg–On Friday, 29 May, communities, activists, unions, and climate justice organisations will gather outside TotalEnergies’ head office in Johannesburg for the “Kick Polluters Out Community Assembly & Political School.” The assembly will highlight how fossil fuel companies continue to profit while ordinary people face rising electricity costs and a deepening cost-of-living crisis. Organisers are calling for public money currently supporting fossil fuels through subsidies, tax breaks, and other incentives to be instead redirected toward publicly owned renewable energy and an expanded 350kWh Free Basic Electricity grant to help alleviate the burden of rising electricity costs on vulnerable households. The assembly forms part of the global “_Kick Polluters Out_” Week of Action taking place from 23–30 May, with coordinated actions being hosted across Africa and around the world ahead of major fossil fuel company Annual General Meetings (AGMs), including those of TotalEnergies and Glencore. The mobilisations highlight growing opposition to companies like TotalEnergies, whose fossil fuel projects have been linked to environmental destruction, displacement and socio-economic instability across the continent. From resistance to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Uganda and Tanzania, to struggles against extractive industries in Mozambique, the Niger Delta, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, communities across Africa are uniting to demand justice, corporate accountability and an energy system that prioritises people’s access to clean, affordable energy over corporate profit. In South Africa, the Johannesburg assembly is being organised by 350.org, Abahlali baseMjondolo Freedom Park, Tembisa Community Forum, Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), Bekkersdal Mining Forum, Khutsong Artisanal & Small Scale Cooperative, Women Revolutionary Council, Abanqobi, In-Touch Youth Development and Community Justice, United Front, Tosunga Baninga Evaton, and the Movement for Debt and Reparations. The assembly takes place as South Africa’s deepening cost-of-living crisis pushes millions of people further into poverty. [Since 2007, electricity tariffs have increased by more than 1,172%](https://poweroptimal.com/2026-update-eskom-tariff-increases-vs-inflation-since-1988-with-projections-to-2028/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), leaving many households struggling to afford electricity alongside food, transport, and other basic needs. As inequality worsens, more and more households are becoming dependent on the Free Basic Electricity grant to survive. However, organisers argue that the current 50kWh allocation is nowhere near enough for families to cover basic daily needs. such as cooking, refrigeration, studying, and heating water, throughout the month. They say access to adequate electricity is not only a basic necessity, but also a matter of dignity and quality of life for struggling communities. One of the key demands of the community assembly is for the Free Basic Electricity grant to be increased to 350kWh and supplied through publicly owned renewable energy systems. > **Ferron Pedro, Senior Campaigner at 350.org**, says: “The issue of rising electricity costs is deeply tied to the influence of fossil fuel companies. This is the predictable result of treating energy as a commodity for profit rather than a basic right. This assembly is not only about resisting fossil fuel expansion, but also about challenging an energy system that continues to benefit corporations while failing ordinary people.” **Key demands of the assembly include:** - Stop fossil fuel expansion and projects like EACOP and Mozambique LNG - Expand Free Basic Electricity to 350kWh through public renewable energy - End fossil fuel subsidies and redirect public money toward clean, affordable energy - Ensure affordable electricity and energy dignity for all The assembly will include political education sessions, community testimonies, cultural performances, and discussions linking the rising cost of living, energy poverty, and the expansion of fossil fuels. **Details:** **Date:** Friday, 29 May 2026 **Meeting point:** Outside TotalEnergies Head Office: Total House, 3 Biermann Avenue, Rosebank, Gauteng, 2196 Media are invited to attend and interview organisers, community members, and activists. **ENDS\*\*\*** --- **For media enquiries, contact: Boitumelo Masipa** Digital & Communications Specialist [350.org](http://350africa.org) +27 81 452 9096