A report by the Centre for Environmental Rights in collaboration with groundWork and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network

The report concludes that the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) has failed to improve air quality over a decade, with ambient air remaining in widespread non-compliance with health-based national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). This failure is attributed to inadequate government capacity, a lack of financial and human resources at the municipal level, and the failure of major industrial emitters, specifically Eskom and Sasol, to reduce emissions. The report highlights a deteriorating monitoring network, ineffective dust control regulations, and a lack of progress in addressing indoor air pollution in low-income settlements. It argues that the granting of postponements from minimum emission standards (MES) to major polluters has further hindered progress, violating the constitutional rights of residents to an environment not harmful to their health.

• Air quality in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) has not improved in the ten years since its declaration, with continued non-compliance with national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) largely due to major industrial facilities failing to reduce emissions.
• The HPA ambient air quality monitoring network has deteriorated significantly; the number of monitoring sites with available data dropped from 23 in the 2012 AQMP to only nine in the 2017 draft review, with only five providing timely monthly reports via SAAQIS.
• Local government authorities, specifically the Nkangala District Municipality (NDM) and eMalahleni Local Municipality (ELM), lack the financial and human resources necessary to enforce the Air Quality Act and implement the AQMP.
• Dust emissions, particularly from mining activities, remain a major contributor to poor air quality, and the National Dust Control Regulations of 2013 are considered inadequate for addressing these health impacts.
• Efforts to reduce air pollution in dense, low-income settlements are insufficient, as the draft Strategy to address Air Pollution in Dense Low-income Settlements lacks measurable plans and community participation.
• The National Air Quality Officer's 2015 decision to grant postponements from minimum emission standards (MES) to Eskom and Sasol has significantly hindered the reduction of air pollution in the HPA.
• Eskom's emissions intensity has deteriorated over a decade; for example, particulate matter (PM) emissions intensity increased from 0.23 kg/MWh in 2007/8 to 0.32 kg/MWh in 2016/17.
• The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Department of Health (DOH) have failed to participate in the HPA process, despite their roles in regulating mining impacts and managing health outcomes.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). A report by the Centre for Environmental Rights in collaboration with groundWork and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Broken-Promises-full-report_final.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. A report by the Centre for Environmental Rights in collaboration with groundWork and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network. 2017. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Broken-Promises-full-report_final.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=A report by the Centre for Environmental Rights in collaboration with groundWork and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network |date=October 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Broken-Promises-full-report_final.pdf?x21779 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2017report, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{A report by the Centre for Environmental Rights in collaboration with groundWork and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Broken-Promises-full-report_final.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }