XSTRATA – VERKEERDEPAN EXTENSION

This case study examines the granting of a mining right and Environmental Management Programme (EMP) to Xstrata South Africa (Pty) Ltd for land in the Carolina magisterial district of Mpumalanga Province, highlighting failures in public consultation and the disregard for environmental sensitivities.

• The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) approved a mining right and Environmental Management Programme (EMP) for Xstrata South Africa (Pty) Ltd in 2010, despite the high environmental sensitivity of the area. Specifically, wetlands cover 51% of the 1385 ha site, comprising 618ha of hillslope seepage wetlands, 55 ha of valley bottom wetlands, and 27 ha of pans.
• The approval process was marked by significant failures in consultation and transparency. The final EMP submitted to the DMR was not shared with Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs) due to MPRDA time constraints, land claimants under investigation were not consulted, and the Mpumalanga Lakes District Protection Group (MLDPG) was not notified of the RMDEC meeting where their objection was considered.
• The project faced strong opposition from state authorities and environmental groups. The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority (MTPA) issued clear objections to the mining right, which the DMR ignored. Additionally, the EMP itself acknowledged that damage to the farm's wetlands would be irreparable and failed to address pollution from final voids.
• The Mpumalanga Lakes District Protection Group (MLDPG) lodged an administrative appeal against the granting of the mining right on 10 January 2011, though they had not yet obtained a copy of the mining right at the time of the appeal.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). XSTRATA – VERKEERDEPAN EXTENSION. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Xstrata-Verkeerdepan.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. XSTRATA – VERKEERDEPAN EXTENSION. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Xstrata-Verkeerdepan.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=XSTRATA – VERKEERDEPAN EXTENSION |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Xstrata-Verkeerdepan.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndxstrata, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{XSTRATA – VERKEERDEPAN EXTENSION}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Xstrata-Verkeerdepan.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }