MOTIVATION FOR THE DECLARATION OF THE MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHERN MPUMALANGA IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT

This report provides the motivation for declaring the Mabola Protected Environment in southern Mpumalanga, South Africa, under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act. The proposed area consists of 22 properties totaling 8,772 hectares, identified for their high biodiversity value, including endangered ecosystems and critical water catchments. The document outlines the ecological significance of the site, the legal framework for its declaration, and the results of consultations with landowners and local government.

• The proposed Mabola Protected Environment comprises 22 properties totaling 8,772 hectares, located in the South-Eastern part of the Mpumalanga Province within the Pixley ka Seme Local municipality.
• The area is ecologically significant, with the Mpumalanga Biodiversity Conservation Plan categorizing 22% of the properties as 'Irreplaceable', 24% as 'Highly Significant', and approximately 40% as 'Important and Necessary'.
• The site is critical for the conservation of poorly represented vegetation types, specifically the Paulpietersburg moist grassland and Wakkerstroom montane grasslands, and supports species of conservation concern including the endangered Wattled Crane, the endemic Blue Crane, and the Grey Crowned Crane.
• The area is listed as an endangered ecosystem under Section 52 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act as 'The Wakkerstroom/Luneburg Grasslands Threatened Ecosystem', meaning it has suffered degradation of composition, function, or ecological structure due to human activity.
• The proposed area is a high-yielding and critically important water catchment, with aquatic biodiversity targets in the area being 84% irreplaceable according to the MBCP.
• Mining activities pose a threat to the region; prospecting permits for torbanite were granted on the Goedgevonden and Kromhoek properties, and a mining right was granted in 2006 for the Loskop property. The report notes that torbanite mining would seriously impact water resources, sensitive wetlands, livestock farming, and eco-tourism.
• All landowners of the properties proposed for inclusion have provided written consent for the declaration of the area as a Protected Environment.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2013). MOTIVATION FOR THE DECLARATION OF THE MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHERN MPUMALANGA IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-3.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. MOTIVATION FOR THE DECLARATION OF THE MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHERN MPUMALANGA IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT. 2013. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-3.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=MOTIVATION FOR THE DECLARATION OF THE MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHERN MPUMALANGA IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT |date=January 2013 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-3.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2013motivation, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{MOTIVATION FOR THE DECLARATION OF THE MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT IN SOUTHERN MPUMALANGA IN TERMS OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Annexure-3.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }