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This guide, produced by the Centre for Environmental Rights and Lawyers for Human Rights, provides information for communities and individuals in South Africa on their environmental and legal rights when facing proposed mining activities. It details the mandatory government permissions, consultation processes, and legal avenues available to affected parties to protect their land, water, and health.

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) evaluates the environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement (CME) performance of the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) between the 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years. Based on information obtained via the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), the CER concludes that the DMRE's capacity to monitor and enforce environmental laws at mines remains "woefully inadequate," citing a severe shortage of qualified inspectors and a general decline in inspection activity across most provinces.

This document is a PAIA Manual issued by the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). It provides a comprehensive guide for the public on how to exercise their constitutional right of access to information held by the Department, in accordance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

This briefing document, submitted to Eskom's Board Social, Ethics and Sustainability Committee on 29 May 2017, provides an update on the organization's environmental performance, compliance status, and risk management for the 2016/17 financial year. It details emissions and water usage metrics, legal contraventions, the progress of air quality improvement and offset projects, and the implementation of biodiversity and bird mitigation strategies.

This document is a PAIA Manual issued by the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). It serves as a guide for the public to exercise their constitutional right of access to information held by the Department, detailing the types of records available, the process for requesting them, and the protections afforded to personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

This April 2014 report is a draft motivation by Sasol Infrachem for exemption from the default application of certain Minimum Emissions Standards (MES) published in Government Notice No. 893 (GN 893) under the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (NEMAQA). Sasol Infrachem argues that strict compliance with certain existing and new plant standards is technically or financially unachievable for specific point sources at its Sasolburg complex. The document proposes alternative emissions limits as license conditions and provides an Atmospheric Impact Report (AIR) to demonstrate that these alternatives maintain ambient air quality within National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) provided joint submissions on 18 July 2012 regarding the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill, 2012. The document offers a detailed critique of proposed amendments to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the Biodiversity Act, and the Air Quality Act, focusing on environmental governance, criminal liability, and the rights of traditional communities.

This case study examines the Supreme Court of Appeal's decision in KEBBLE v MINISTER OF WATER AFFAIRS (2007), where the court overturned a contempt of court order against the former directors of Stilfontein Gold Mining Company (SGM). The court ruled that the directives issued by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry regarding the pumping and treatment of underground water in the KOSH basin were too vague and unenforceable to justify criminal sanctions for contempt.

This toolkit, produced by the Centre for Environmental Rights as part of the Life After Coal campaign, provides guidance for the public to engage with and submit comments on South Africa's draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023. The document critiques the draft IRP for favoring fossil fuels (coal and gas) over a least-cost renewable energy pathway, failing to adequately address air quality and health impacts, and utilizing outdated data regarding grid capacity and plant decommissioning.

This document is a formal letter and annual emission report from Eskom's Lethabo Power Station to the Fezile Dabi District Municipality, detailing verified emissions for the 2015/2016 financial year (April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016).

This report reviews risk factors to quantify the potential health impacts of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from various Eskom operations. It synthesizes global epidemiological data from organizations like the WHO and USEPA to establish risk estimates for mortality and morbidity, while incorporating South African provincial population and health data to support a health risk assessment.

This fact sheet summarizes the case of Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry v Stilfontein Gold Mining Company Limited & Others, where the court initially held a mining company and its directors in contempt for failing to comply with water pumping directives. The court rejected defenses based on financial hardship and the mass resignation of directors, asserting that environmental obligations cannot be avoided through corporate restructuring or resignation. However, the contempt order was later overturned on appeal.

The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2007-8 details the activities of Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs) in South Africa from 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. It reports a significant increase in arrests and convictions compared to the previous year, though it notes that these figures are partly due to previous underreporting. The report covers national and provincial statistics, specific industrial non-compliance findings in the steel and refinery sectors, wildlife crime enforcement, and judicial training initiatives.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) requesting urgent information regarding a mining right granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine within the Mabola Protected Environment.

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) identifies systemic failures in South Africa's water governance and provides a strategic framework for civil society to intervene. It highlights critical gaps in the implementation of the National Water Act (NWA), the failure to roll out catchment management institutions, and severe capacity constraints within the Department of Water Affairs (DWA). The document recommends a combination of legal advocacy, institutional reform, and the introduction of administrative penalties to improve compliance and ensure the progressive realisation of constitutional rights to water.

This document is an appeal decision by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa regarding an Integrated Environmental Authorisation (IEA) granted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to Tetra 4 (Pty) Ltd. The IEA concerned the Tetra 4 Cluster 2 Virginia Gas Production Project in the Free State Province. Following appeals by Natural Justice and the Centre for Environmental Rights (on behalf of MEJCON-SA and MACUA), the Minister dismissed several grounds of appeal but remitted the application back to the DMRE for reconsideration due to deficiencies in the climate change and geohydrology assessments.

This guide outlines the criteria and risk assessments for mining activities within high-importance biodiversity priority areas. It establishes a rigorous set of filters and a risk-averse approach to determine if mining is an optimal land use compared to the preservation of critical ecosystems and water resources.

This industry brief by GreenCape examines the service delivery crisis in South Africa's low-income communities and proposes Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) as a sustainable, community-led paradigm shift to bridge gaps in water, sanitation, energy, and waste management.

This 2025 Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape analyzes investment opportunities in South Africa's large-scale renewable energy sector, focusing on private off-taker development and local component manufacturing. It details the shift from public procurement to private power purchase agreements (PPAs), the impact of electricity market liberalisation, and the systemic barriers posed by grid capacity constraints and policy uncertainty.

This joint submission by the Center for Economic and Social Rights, the Institute for Economic Justice, and SECTION27 argues that South Africa is implementing retrogressive austerity measures that threaten economic, social, and cultural rights. The authors contend that the government's focus on debt reduction is based on exaggerated concerns and that resources could be maximized through progressive tax reform and the eradication of corruption and 'state capture'. The document details how budget cuts and inefficient resourcing are severely undermining the public health and basic education systems, leading to critical staff shortages, infrastructure backlogs, and poor learner outcomes.