OBJECTION BY COALITION OF EIGHT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AGAINST EXCLUSION OF PROPERTIES FROM THE EXISTING MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT

A formal objection submitted by a coalition of eight civil society organisations, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, against the Mpumalanga MEC's proposal to exclude specific properties from the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE) to facilitate coal mining.

• The coalition argues that the proposed exclusion of properties from the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE) is intended to facilitate the development of the Yzermyn underground coal mine by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd, noting that the properties in question are exactly those for which Atha previously sought mining permission.
• The MPE is identified as a critical area for biodiversity and water security, classified as an 'Irreplaceable' Critical Biodiversity Area in the 2006 Mpumalanga Biodiversity Conservation Plan and part of the Enkangala Drakensberg Strategic Water Source Area.
• The coalition asserts that mining and conservation cannot co-exist in the area due to anticipated 'HIGH' impacts on water resources, including the dewatering of aquifers, post-closure contaminated water decant, and groundwater contamination plumes.
• The document claims that Atha-Africa Ventures has failed to provide lawful financial provision for a post-closure water treatment plant, basing its calculations on the incorrect assumption that 'mine decant will not occur'.
• The coalition contends that the MEC's rationale for exclusion—based on a community petition—is invalid because the petition dated August 2013 opposed the original declaration of the MPE, not the current exclusion notice, and was already considered and rejected by the previous MEC.
• Local government planning supports the protection of the area; the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality's Spatial Development Framework identifies the mine area as a 'sensitive natural area', and the Environmental Management Framework classifies it as a 'Zone 1: Conservation' area where mining is an 'undesirable type of activity'.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). OBJECTION BY COALITION OF EIGHT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AGAINST EXCLUSION OF PROPERTIES FROM THE EXISTING MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Coalition-objection-to-exclusion-notice-10-12-2018.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. OBJECTION BY COALITION OF EIGHT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AGAINST EXCLUSION OF PROPERTIES FROM THE EXISTING MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Coalition-objection-to-exclusion-notice-10-12-2018.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=OBJECTION BY COALITION OF EIGHT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AGAINST EXCLUSION OF PROPERTIES FROM THE EXISTING MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT |date=11 December 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Coalition-objection-to-exclusion-notice-10-12-2018.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018objection, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{OBJECTION BY COALITION OF EIGHT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AGAINST EXCLUSION OF PROPERTIES FROM THE EXISTING MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = dec, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Coalition-objection-to-exclusion-notice-10-12-2018.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }