GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and a coalition of eight civil society organisations defend their legal opposition to a proposed coal mine by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. CER argues that the mine would threaten a Strategic Water Source Area and a protected environment, while asserting that coal mining in Mpumalanga has historically failed to alleviate poverty or provide sustainable local employment. The document clarifies that CER does not represent local farmers or WWF-SA and disputes claims that its actions are 'anti-development', citing the constitutional right to a healthy environment.

• The CER and its coalition oppose the proposed mine because it is located within a declared protected area and a Strategic Water Source Area, which they argue would threaten regional water security.
• CER argues that coal mining in Mpumalanga has not delivered promised economic development, noting that unemployment remains high and access to basic services like piped water and electricity is limited despite 150 years of mining.
• The document disputes the job creation claims of Atha-Africa Ventures, noting that the company's own report suggests the majority of labour would come from outside the Area of Direct Influence due to a lack of local skills.
• CER claims that Atha-Africa Ventures has significantly underfunded water treatment for the mine's closure, providing a guarantee of R5.758 million when estimated costs for treating polluted water are around R200 million.
• The CER clarifies its legal representation, stating it represents eight non-profit organisations but does not represent local communities in the Volksrust area, local farmers, landowners, WWF-SA, or the Mpumalanga Tourism & Parks Agency.
• The document identifies Atha-Africa Ventures as a subsidiary of the India-registered Atha Group, suggesting that profits from the mine would likely be extracted from South Africa.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2018). GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Reply-to-The-Voice-Memorandum-of-Grievances-16.8.2018.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS. 2018. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Reply-to-The-Voice-Memorandum-of-Grievances-16.8.2018.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS |date=16 August 2018 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Reply-to-The-Voice-Memorandum-of-Grievances-16.8.2018.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2018grievances, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF THE CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Reply-to-The-Voice-Memorandum-of-Grievances-16.8.2018.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }