CLARITY ON THE SCOPE AND EXTENT OF MINISTER’S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTION OF CHRISSIESMEER BIODIVERSITY SITE

The Centre for Environmental Rights is seeking clarification from Minister Susan Shabangu on why a mining right application from Duiker Mining (Pty) Ltd was accepted for the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site, despite previous ministerial assurances that mining in this ecologically sensitive area was prohibited. The Centre notes that while the Minister claimed the process was complete, no formal declaration under section 49(1) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) has been published in the Government Gazette. They urge the Minister to formally prohibit prospecting and mining in the site for at least 20 years to ensure ecological sustainability and provide certainty to stakeholders.

• The Minister of Mineral Resources previously indicated that the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site was protected, stating in a November 2012 response to Parliament that "any activities that relate to mining or prospecting have been prohibited or restricted in the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site" and that "the process is complete".
• Despite ministerial claims, the Centre for Environmental Rights found no formal declaration in the Government Gazette prohibiting prospecting or mining in the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site under s.49(1) of the MPRDA, suggesting there is "no legal protection in place".
• The Department of Mineral Resources' Mpumalanga Regional Office appears to have accepted a mining right application from Duiker Mining (Pty) Ltd (a subsidiary of Xstrata Coal South Africa) for the proposed Harwar Colliery on five properties within the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2013). CLARITY ON THE SCOPE AND EXTENT OF MINISTER’S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTION OF CHRISSIESMEER BIODIVERSITY SITE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CER-Letter-to-Minister-Shabangu-re-Chrissiesmeer-13-March-2013.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. CLARITY ON THE SCOPE AND EXTENT OF MINISTER’S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTION OF CHRISSIESMEER BIODIVERSITY SITE. 2013. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CER-Letter-to-Minister-Shabangu-re-Chrissiesmeer-13-March-2013.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=CLARITY ON THE SCOPE AND EXTENT OF MINISTER’S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTION OF CHRISSIESMEER BIODIVERSITY SITE |date=13 March 2013 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CER-Letter-to-Minister-Shabangu-re-Chrissiesmeer-13-March-2013.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2013clarity, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{CLARITY ON THE SCOPE AND EXTENT OF MINISTER’S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTION OF CHRISSIESMEER BIODIVERSITY SITE}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2013}, month = mar, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CER-Letter-to-Minister-Shabangu-re-Chrissiesmeer-13-March-2013.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }