LIMPOPO COAL COMPANY  MAPUNGUBWE

The document details a multi-pronged legal effort by environmental and civil society NGOs to stop the Vele colliery in Limpopo, South Africa. The challenges focus on the legality of mining rights granted by the Department of Mineral Resources, the approval of an Environmental Management Programme (EMP), and the issuance of a water use licence. Key points of contention include the mine's proximity to Mapungubwe National Park, the illegal commencement of activities leading to a R9.24 million fine, and the alleged violation of laws prohibiting mining in private nature reserves. The case is highlighted as a significant example of collaboration between non-governmental organizations in adversarial adjudication processes.

• A coalition of environmental and civil society organizations, including the Mapungubwe Action Group (MAG), Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), and World Wide Fund for Nature (South Africa) (WWF), is challenging the Vele colliery project.
• The Vele colliery, operated by Limpopo Coal (Pty) Ltd (a subsidiary of Coal of Africa), covers approximately 8,500 hectares and is located 7km from the borders of Mapungubwe National Park in an area of high biodiversity and archaeological significance.
• The project is accused of violating the Limpopo Environmental Management Act 7 of 2003 (LEMA), which prohibits mining on private nature reserves, specifically the Skutwater and Sighetti Nature Reserves.
• Limpopo Coal engaged in illegal activities before obtaining authorization, including constructing roads and a sludge dam, resulting in a Compliance Notice from the Green Scorpions and an administrative fine of R9.24 million paid to the Department of Environmental Affairs on 11 May 2011.
• The approval process for the Environmental Management Programme (EMP) is criticized for superficial public participation, as the final version allegedly only changed the distance between the mine and Mapungubwe despite numerous public comments.
• An appeal against the water use licence (WUL) granted on 29 March 2011 is based on 17 grounds, including the failure to adequately consider the impacts of climate change, water security, and food security.
• The project is alleged to have ignored South Africa's international obligations under several multilateral environmental agreements, including the World Heritage Convention, the Ramsar Convention, and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). LIMPOPO COAL COMPANY  MAPUNGUBWE. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Limpopo-Coal-Company-Mapungubwe.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. LIMPOPO COAL COMPANY  MAPUNGUBWE. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Limpopo-Coal-Company-Mapungubwe.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=LIMPOPO COAL COMPANY  MAPUNGUBWE |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Limpopo-Coal-Company-Mapungubwe.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndlimpopo, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{LIMPOPO COAL COMPANY  MAPUNGUBWE}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Limpopo-Coal-Company-Mapungubwe.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }