MINING WITHIN PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE

This expert panel report, compiled by Emross Consulting Pty. Ltd. for the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), evaluates the legality and environmental implications of mining within protected environments in Mpumalanga Province, focusing specifically on the proposed Yzermyn coal mine in the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE). The report concludes that the MPE's proclamation was well-founded due to its high biodiversity and hydrological value, and recommends against allowing mining in the area.

• Under Section 48(2) of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (NEMPAA), commercial mining in a protected environment is prohibited unless written permission is granted by both the Minister of Environmental Affairs and the Minister of Mineral Resources.
• The proclamation of the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE) is considered well-founded because it meets NEMPAA requirements: landowners took collective action to conserve biodiversity, the area is sensitive to development, and it possesses significant scenic and landscape value.
• The MPE is ecologically critical, containing the Wakkerstroom / Luneberg Grasslands Threatened Ecosystem and providing essential connectivity between Irreplaceable Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) to the south and other CBAs to the north.
• The MPE is hydrologically significant, straddling the Assegaai, Thaka (Buffels), and Phongola River systems. It includes the Wakkerstroom Wetland, a RAMSAR site that supports the second largest breeding group of Grey Crowned Cranes in South Africa.
• The proposed Yzermyn coal mine would have a physical footprint including 16 hectares for surface works and 29 hectares for a discard dump, with associated roads totaling approximately 13km. This would result in permanent habitat loss and disturbance to vulnerable species, including the African Grass Owl and White-bellied Korhaan.
• Mining at Yzermyn could significantly impact local hydrology, potentially affecting 33km² of land and reducing sustained low flows in three major wetland systems, which represents about 11% of the local wetland areas feeding the Heyshope dam.
• There is a high risk of long-term pollution from acid mine decant; 67% of Yzermyn coal samples are classified as potentially acid generating (PAG). The report notes that the time to fill mine voids after closure is estimated at 45 years, after which decant must be managed in perpetuity.
• Deproclaiming the MPE to allow mining would likely lead to prolonged litigation and create a negative precedent for conservation, potentially jeopardizing international funding from entities like the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
• The report argues that coal mining externalizes environmental costs, including climate change impacts and respiratory diseases. It cites a case study stating that the cost of rehabilitating approximately 6,000 abandoned mines in South Africa is estimated at 100 billion Rand.
• The panel recommends against mining in the MPE due to its sensitivity and cautions the Minister against approval. If mining were allowed, it should be subject to stringent conditions, independent peer reviews, and long-term resource economic evaluations (50+ years).

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2015). MINING WITHIN PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Annexure-L_-Mining-within-Protected-Environments-FINAL-1.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. MINING WITHIN PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE. 2015. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Annexure-L_-Mining-within-Protected-Environments-FINAL-1.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=MINING WITHIN PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE |date=March 2015 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Annexure-L_-Mining-within-Protected-Environments-FINAL-1.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2015mining, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{MINING WITHIN PROTECTED ENVIRONMENTS WITHIN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Annexure-L_-Mining-within-Protected-Environments-FINAL-1.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }