Basic Assessment Reports for the proposed prospecting projects WC30/5/1/1/2/1053PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10345PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10346PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10352PR

Natural Justice submitted a statement critiquing the Basic Assessment Reports (BARs) for four proposed prospecting projects in the West Coast region of South Africa. The organization argues that the reports are vague, fail to provide site-specific impact assessments, and ignore critical environmental, social, and cultural factors, including climate change commitments and the rights of indigenous Guriqua communities.

• The Basic Assessment Reports (BARs) are criticized for being too general and lacking the site-specific detail necessary for informed decision-making. Specifically, they fail to assess the 'no-go' alternative, quantify water requirements in an arid environment, identify the proximity of licensed hazardous waste disposal sites, or provide site-specific biodiversity impacts.
• The reports fail to address climate change from a need and desirability perspective. Natural Justice notes a lack of consideration for greenhouse gas contributions from future mining and a failure to align with South Africa's international climate commitments, despite the West Coast District Municipality recognizing climate change as a threat to its residents and environment.
• The public participation process is described as 'fatally flawed' due to the failure to notify and engage with occupiers of the land (such as farm workers and community farmers) and the exclusion of vulnerable groups, specifically the Guriqua communities.
• The consultation process failed to account for diverse social contexts, including language barriers and limited access to technology. Natural Justice asserts that notifications were primarily in English and that the EAP did not utilize local radio stations in English and Afrikaans to reach rural or disadvantaged populations.
• The Heritage Impact Assessment is deemed inadequate for failing to consider the 'living heritage' and indigenous knowledge systems of the Guriqua people. The document highlights that the project may impact sacred sites, ancestral graves, and cultural landscapes in the Lamberts Bay, Matzikama, and Cederberg areas.
• The proposed prospecting projects are viewed as a threat to the region's primary economic sectors of agriculture and fishing. Natural Justice argues that these sectors are sensitive to climate change and rely heavily on water, which is already scarce in the West Coast District.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). Basic Assessment Reports for the proposed prospecting projects WC30/5/1/1/2/1053PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10345PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10346PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10352PR. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cape-Zircon-and-Buchuberg-Comments_West-Coast-Mining.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Basic Assessment Reports for the proposed prospecting projects WC30/5/1/1/2/1053PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10345PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10346PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10352PR. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cape-Zircon-and-Buchuberg-Comments_West-Coast-Mining.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Natural Justice |title=Basic Assessment Reports for the proposed prospecting projects WC30/5/1/1/2/1053PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10345PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10346PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10352PR |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cape-Zircon-and-Buchuberg-Comments_West-Coast-Mining.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{naturaljusticendbasic, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Basic Assessment Reports for the proposed prospecting projects WC30/5/1/1/2/1053PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10345PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10346PR; WC30/5/1/1/2/10352PR}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cape-Zircon-and-Buchuberg-Comments_West-Coast-Mining.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }