ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED METALLURGICAL CLUSTER OF THE MUSINA-MAKHADO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE (LEDET ref: 12/1/9/2-V79; NEAS ref: LIM/EIA/0000793/2019)

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental and community organisations, has requested the urgent intervention of the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) regarding the environmental authorisation of the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) project. The CER argues that the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) is not the lawful competent authority due to a conflict of interest and that the project's scale and transboundary implications require national-level oversight under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).

• The CER asserts that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) should be the competent authority for the MMSEZ project under section 24C(2) of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). This is based on the project's nature as an "industrial mega hub in Limpopo" consisting of a coal-fired power station and roughly 14 heavy metal industries, and the fact that it is funded and led by provincial entities including LEDET, LEDA, and MMSEZ SOC Ltd.
• The project is claimed to have significant transboundary and international implications, including the likely requirement of water from Zimbabwe and potential impacts on international heritage and conservation sites, such as RAMSAR and UNESCO sites.
• The MMSEZ's own climate change impact assessment indicates that the project will result in long-term, irreversible negative climate impacts and will consume a significant portion of South Africa's national carbon budget, thereby affecting the country's international climate obligations.
• The CER alleges a conflict of interest and procedural irregularities regarding LEDET's role as the competent authority. They note that approximately 18 of 21 expert reports in the EIA process indicated negative impacts, and they cite irregularities such as armed security guards preventing community access during public consultations and the continuation of the EIA process after it legally expired on 19 May 2021.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2022). ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED METALLURGICAL CLUSTER OF THE MUSINA-MAKHADO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE (LEDET ref: 12/1/9/2-V79; NEAS ref: LIM/EIA/0000793/2019). https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CER-letter-to-DFFE-re-MMSEZ-Appeal-20.04.2022.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED METALLURGICAL CLUSTER OF THE MUSINA-MAKHADO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE (LEDET ref: 12/1/9/2-V79; NEAS ref: LIM/EIA/0000793/2019). 2022. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CER-letter-to-DFFE-re-MMSEZ-Appeal-20.04.2022.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED METALLURGICAL CLUSTER OF THE MUSINA-MAKHADO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE (LEDET ref: 12/1/9/2-V79; NEAS ref: LIM/EIA/0000793/2019) |date=20 April 2022 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CER-letter-to-DFFE-re-MMSEZ-Appeal-20.04.2022.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2022environmental, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED METALLURGICAL CLUSTER OF THE MUSINA-MAKHADO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE (LEDET ref: 12/1/9/2-V79; NEAS ref: LIM/EIA/0000793/2019)}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/CER-letter-to-DFFE-re-MMSEZ-Appeal-20.04.2022.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }