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

The document motivates the declaration of the Mabola Protected Environment, a 8,772-hectare area in southern Mpumalanga, South Africa. It highlights the area's critical biodiversity, including endangered ecosystems and threatened species, and its role as a high-yielding water catchment. The proposal aims to integrate biodiversity conservation with sustainable agriculture and eco-tourism, while mitigating threats from mining activities.

• The proposed Mabola Protected Environment consists of 22 properties totaling 8,772 hectares, located primarily within the Pixley ka Seme local municipality in southern Mpumalanga.
• The area is of high terrestrial biodiversity significance, 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 region is critical for the conservation of poorly represented vegetation types, specifically the Paulpietersburg moist grassland and Wakkerstroom montane grasslands, and is listed as an endangered ecosystem (The Wakkerstroom/Luneburg Grasslands Threatened Ecosystem) under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act.
• The area supports several species of conservation concern, including the endangered Wattled Crane, the endemic Blue Crane, the Grey Crowned Crane, and a viable population of Oribi.
• The site is identified as a freshwater ecosystem priority area and a critically important, high-yielding water catchment, with some aquatic biodiversity areas rated as 84% irreplaceable.
• Mining and prospecting activities for torbanite on properties such as Kromhoek, Goedgevonden, and Loskop are identified as serious threats to water resources, sensitive wetlands, livestock farming, and eco-tourism.

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} }