Scanned Document

This document records the administrative process of the South African Department of Mineral Resources in granting a coal mining right to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd in the Wakkerstroom area of Mpumalanga. Despite initial recommendations for refusal due to the area's status as a sensitive wetland grassland and objections from the Department of Water Affairs, WWF, and the Mpumalanga Tourism and Park Agency, the right was granted with specific conditions prohibiting mining activities in wetlands.

• The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) initially recommended the refusal of a mining right for Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd because the Environmental Management Programme (EMP) failed to meet the requirements of Section 39(3)(d) and the approval criteria of Section 39(4)(a) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA).
• The proposed mining area is located within the Wakkerstroom Wetland Grassland, a sensitive environment characterized by wetlands and grassland that includes headwaters for three of South Africa's twenty-two primary catchments: the Vaal, Tugela, and Pongola.
• The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) opposed the project, citing concerns that underground water reduction from dewatering and groundwater contamination from sulphate seepages would impact water resources and wetlands, concluding that the proposed mitigation measures were not sustainable.
• Environmental objections were raised by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Park Agency and WWF, noting that the area is a sensitive biodiversity conservation zone and part of a larger area proposed to be declared a protected environment under the National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act.
• Despite initial refusal recommendations, the mining right was granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd on 14 April 2015, with an effective date of 28 June 2016 and a duration of 15 years ending on 07 June 2030.
• The granting of the mining right was subject to strict conditions to protect the environment, including the total exclusion of wetlands from the grant and a prohibition on surface mining or infrastructure installation in wetlands or sensitive environments.
• The mining operation is planned as an underground mine targeting the Dundas and Alfred seams, with a projected annual production of 2,256,000 tonnes of coal for both local and international markets.
• The mining right requires the holder to submit an annual detailed implementation plan for the Social and Labour Plan three months before the end of the financial year, and a report on the previous year's implementation three months after the audited annual report is finalized.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). Scanned Document. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DMR-Reasons-for-Decision.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Scanned Document. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DMR-Reasons-for-Decision.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Scanned Document |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DMR-Reasons-for-Decision.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndscanned, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Scanned Document}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DMR-Reasons-for-Decision.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }