Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa

This case study by the Center for International Environmental Law examines how coal mining in South Africa's Mpumalanga province threatens access to clean water and food, disproportionately impacting women. It highlights the gap between protective legal frameworks and the reality of corporate impunity and government failure to enforce environmental laws.

• Large-scale mining in South Africa has a severe impact on water availability and quality, with at least one thousand operational mines consuming water equivalent to the needs of the country's entire population of 53 million.
• In Mpumalanga province, 60% of the land is either currently mined or under exploration, threatening subsistence farming and causing land degradation.
• The town of Carolina has lacked access to clean water since mid-January 2015 due to acid mine drainage; the Boesmanspruit Dam, the town's primary water source, recorded a pH value of 3.7, leading to skin rashes and eye irritations for residents.
• Water contamination in Witbank has resulted in the presence of heavy metals in treated water, including lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, manganese, and aluminium.
• Women in Mpumalanga suffer disproportionately from environmental degradation because of their roles as caregivers. This includes walking longer distances for water, engaging in dangerous artisanal mining in abandoned pits to find 'duff coal', and facing sexual harassment and abuse to gain access to these mines.
• Environmental pollution in Mpumalanga is linked to broader social crises, including high unemployment and alcohol abuse. In 2012, the province had the second highest HIV prevalence rate in South Africa among women aged 15–49, at 35.6%.
• Despite the 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guaranteeing rights to a clean environment (Section 24) and access to food and water (Section 27), mining companies often operate with impunity due to inadequate enforcement and a culture of secrecy between companies and regulators.
• Community-led action, supported by ActionAid South Africa, has led to the creation of networks such as Mining Affected by Communities United in Action (MACUA) and Women Affected by Mining United in Action (WAMUA), with women increasingly using the Equality Court to challenge discrimination.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2016). Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa. 2016. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa |date=December 2016 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2016coal, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Coal mining threatens people’s access to water in Mpumalanga, South Africa}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2016}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Coal-mining-threatens-peoples-access-to-water-in-Mpumalanga-South-Africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }