8-0e1aeb0cd51fd598.pdf

The document contains a strategic plan for expanding protected areas in Mpumalanga province from 2009 to 2028, alongside legal correspondence and objections regarding a proposed coal mine by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd on Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT. The strategy prioritizes the Grassland Biome for conservation, while the legal disputes center on the environmental risks to the Mabola Protected Environment and the alleged failure of the mining application to follow the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA).

• Mpumalanga's contribution to the 20-year National Protected Area (PA) Expansion Targets by 2028 is 6,320km² (632,000ha), with a 5-year target by the 2012/13 financial year of 1,520km² (152,000ha).
• The Grassland Biome is identified as the most critical area for formal protection in Mpumalanga, requiring over 91% of the province's PA expansion efforts. Specifically, 5,775km² of the 20-year target and 1,443.78km² of the 5-year target should be secured in this biome.
• Priority Level 1 areas for PA expansion in Mpumalanga represent 3.6% of the province and are the primary focus for the first five to ten years. These areas include regions such as Middelburg to Loskop Dam, Vaalhoek, Dullstroom to Waterval River, Schoemanskloof, Slaaihoek to Badplaas, Luneburg, and Wakkerstroom to Sheepmoor.
• A coalition of eight civil society organizations objects to the land-use change application for Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT, arguing that the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine would cause irreparable harm to the Mabola Protected Environment and strategic water source areas.
• Scientific reviews of the Yzermyn mine project indicate severe risks, including the dewatering of aquifers and the decant of contaminated groundwater and acid mine drainage, which could impact the Assegaai River and downstream users.
• The proposed Yzermyn mine is situated in a 'protected area buffer zone' and is adjacent to the Mabola Protected Environment, which is a high-yielding water catchment area critical for national water security.
• The objectors claim the land-use application for the Yzermyn mine is fundamentally flawed because it seeks to amend a town-planning scheme that does not exist for the area outside Volksrust, and it failed to provide a proper 30-day public inspection period.
• The Department of Mineral Resources previously extended a moratorium on new prospecting applications in Mpumalanga due to 'issues of ecology' and the granting of rights in sensitive areas.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). 8-0e1aeb0cd51fd598.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/8.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. 8-0e1aeb0cd51fd598.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/8.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=8-0e1aeb0cd51fd598.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/8.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsnd80e1aeb0cd51fd598pdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{8-0e1aeb0cd51fd598.pdf}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/8.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }