UMCEBO - KLIPPAN

This case study examines the regulatory and legal challenges surrounding the Klippan Colliery, operated by Umcebo Mining (Pty) Ltd. Despite an initial victory for civil society when the Minister of Mineral Resources upheld an appeal against the mining right in 2008, the document details ongoing concerns regarding unauthorized mining operations, failures in environmental impact assessments, and the lack of necessary water use licenses.

• Civil society achieved an early victory when the Minister of Mineral Resources upheld an appeal on 8 August 2008 against the mining right granted to Umcebo Mining (Pty) Ltd. This resulted in the Minister withdrawing the delegation to the Regional Manager and the authorization for the Environmental Management Programme Report (EMPR), referring the matter to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF).
• The Klippan Colliery is alleged to have commenced and continued operations without required authorizations. Specifically, operations started in late 2006 without Water Use Licences (WULs) or NEMA/EIA authorizations. Furthermore, it is alleged that an amendment to the EMPR—which increased projected coal production by nearly 3.5 times by switching from underground to opencast operations—was not approved before the new operations began.
• The Escarpment Environment Protection Group (EEPOG) raised several issues regarding the integrity of the administrative decisions to grant mining rights. These include a lack of consultation in the scoping process, failure to assess site alternatives or the 'no-go' option, and ignoring the 'irreplaceable' status of the pan below the mine as indexed in the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Board's C-plan.
• Environmental concerns center on the impact of the Klippan Colliery and adjacent mines (Grootpan and Steelecoal) on groundwater and biodiversity. The area contains sensitive pans, specifically Blinkpan and Grootpan, which are described as critical nodes for biodiversity and of irreplaceable value.
• The document notes a failure in the water licensing process, where EEPOG's requests to be involved in public participation for the granting of licenses were ignored. Additionally, it is noted that mining was allowed to commence in a catchment that is already 29% oversubscribed.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). UMCEBO - KLIPPAN. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Umcebo-klippan.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. UMCEBO - KLIPPAN. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Umcebo-klippan.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=UMCEBO - KLIPPAN |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Umcebo-klippan.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndumcebo, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{UMCEBO - KLIPPAN}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Umcebo-klippan.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }