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6-9bf69c53679fa3d1.pdf
This report presents the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality (PKISLM) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Developed by SRK Consulting and BKS, the document provides a spatial and descriptive analysis of the region's environmental attributes—including biodiversity, water resources, and geology—to guide sustainable land-use planning and decision-making. It integrates legal frameworks, stakeholder recommendations, and socio-economic data to establish environmental management zones that balance development with the conservation of critical ecosystems, particularly the grassland biome and various wetland systems.
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Document type: Report
8-0e1aeb0cd51fd598.pdf
The document contains a strategic plan for expanding protected areas in Mpumalanga province from 2009 to 2028, alongside legal correspondence and objections regarding a proposed coal mine by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd on Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT. The strategy prioritizes the Grassland Biome for conservation, while the legal disputes center on the environmental risks to the Mabola Protected Environment and the alleged failure of the mining application to follow the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA).
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Document type: Report
9-049d4dd440ba8aa7.pdf
The document consists of a series of legal and administrative records regarding a land-use change application for Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The application, submitted by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd, sought to rezone the land from agricultural to 'special' use to allow for mining and related activities. The process involved multiple objections from environmental organizations and landowners, a dismissal by a local planning tribunal based on a lack of locus standi, a subsequent appeal, and a final approval by the Gert Sibande District Municipal Planning Tribunal on 29 April 2019.
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Document type: Report
RESPONDING STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY ATHA AFRICA VENTURES (PTY) LTD. (THE APPLICANT / RESPONDENT) IN THE MATTER OF AN APPEAL SUBMITTED BY EARTHLIFE AFRICA JOHANNESBURG FIRST APPELLANT BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA SECOND APPELLANT MINING AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE NETWORK OF SOUTH AFRICA THIRD APPELLANT ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRUST FOURTH APPELLANT FEDERATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT FIFTH APPELLANT GROUNDWORK SIXTH SIXTH APPELLANT ASSOCIATION FOR WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT SEVENTH APPELLANT BENCH MARKS FOUNDATION EIGHTH APPELLANT
This document is a responding statement submitted by Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. (AAV) to the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs. It responds to an appeal filed by eight environmental and social organizations against the granting of an Environmental Authorization for the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine (YUCM) in the Magisterial District of Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga Province.
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Document type: Statement
acwas-objections-to-the-pael-appeal-10-may-2019-257971b9aa91cba0.pdf
This document is a written response from the Third Respondent, ACWA Power Station Khanyisa Thermal Power Station (RF) (Pty) Ltd, to an appeal filed by GroundWork. The appeal challenged the decision by the Nkangala District Municipality (NDM) to transfer a provisional atmospheric emissions licence (PAEL) from Anglo Operations (Pty) Ltd to ACWA for the Khanyisa Project, a coal-fired power station near eMalahleni.
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Document type: Report
ANKER COAL – STEENKOOLSPRUIT (STATE v VENTER & OTHERS)
The case of State v Venter & Others marks the first time criminal provisions of NEMA, NWA, and MPRDA were used against a mining company in South Africa. The prosecution alleges that Anker Coal and Mineral Holdings (Pty) Ltd conducted illegal drilling on the farm Steenkoolspruit in Mpumalanga between 2009 and 2010, causing environmental damage to wetlands and the Usutu River. Additionally, the company and its director face fraud charges for misrepresentations made in an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) regarding water proximity and landowner consultation.
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Document type: Case study
annexure-6-nersa-khanyisa-covering-letter-and-objection-62e14486936e5cd7.pdf
The GroundWork Trust submitted a formal objection to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) regarding an electricity generation permit application by ACWA Power Khanyisa Thermal Power Station (RF) (Pty) Limited. GroundWork argues that the proposed coal-fired power plant is unnecessary, economically unviable, and would cause severe environmental and public health damage in an area already suffering from critical air pollution.
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Document type: Statement
annexure-7-19127bdadb17e0da.pdf
The Department of Water Affairs (DWA) expresses strong opposition to the proposed Yzermyn Underground coal mine in the Mpumalanga Region, citing critical risks to wetlands, water quality, and protected environments. The DWA identifies the project's location within a National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Area as a "fatal flaw" and notes that the mine could cause significant groundwater contamination and the drying up of wetlands.
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Document type: Briefing
annexure-9-4aea90f86e7d7da0.pdf
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) submitted a formal objection to the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine project by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd, arguing that the project is illegal and environmentally devastating due to its location within protected biodiversity areas.
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Document type: Statement
annexure-a-26333ba73b763b35.pdf
A formal request sent on 29 November 2016 by the Life After Coal Campaign and other environmental organisations to the South African Minister of Energy, seeking an extension for public comment on the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update and demanding the release of critical supporting documents.
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Document type: Statement
annexure-a-daad896e9aecda78.pdf
The Legal Resources Centre (LRC), representing a coalition of civil society, labour, and community organisations, submitted a series of formal requests to the South African Parliament and Presidency between March 2014 and February 2015. The LRC challenged the constitutionality of the Mining and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill (MPRDAB) and the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill, arguing that the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and provincial legislatures failed to facilitate reasonable public participation. The documents detail specific concerns regarding the removal of community participation rights in mining, the discretionary nature of water use licenses, and the influence of industry lobbying over legislative changes.
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Document type: Statement
annexure-b-1-ae05ca5f3c13a16f.pdf
A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to the South African Minister of Health, requesting the Department of Health's participation in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Multi-Stakeholder Reference Group meetings to address the severe health impacts of air pollution.
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Document type: Statement
annexure-d-ror-d47cdf091deca383.pdf
This Record of Recommendation (RoR), dated 25 January 2017, provides the assessment by the South African Department of Water and Sanitation regarding an Integrated Water Use Licence Application (IWULA) for a 600 MW coal-fired power plant proposed by KiPower (Pty) Ltd near Delmas, Mpumalanga.
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Document type: Report
annexure-g-63f32611fe3da5fb.pdf
This document is a legal affidavit submitted by Catherine Horsfield of the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) on behalf of eight petitioning parties seeking intervener status in an appeal regarding a land-use change application in Mpumalanga.
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Document type: Statement
annexure-ra7-part-1-of-2-695326620eb9351d.pdf
The 'Mining and Biodiversity Guideline: Mainstreaming biodiversity into the mining sector' (2013) is a practical manual designed to help the South African mining industry, regulators, and practitioners integrate biodiversity considerations into the entire mining life cycle, from reconnaissance to closure. It aims to balance economic growth from mineral wealth with the conservation of South Africa's megadiverse ecosystems by providing a risk-based approach to land-use planning and impact management.
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Document type: Guide
annexure-ww1-a0adf528d3d0551f.pdf
This document consists of a series of letters and annexures sent between April and August 2020 by the South African Water Caucus (SAWC), represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, to various South African government officials. The correspondence urgently requests the provision of water tanks, reliable water supply, and sanitation packs for numerous communities across South Africa that lack basic water access, highlighting the increased health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Document type: Statement
annexures-p-1-d76ca185c8808798.pdf
This document consists of a collection of annexures related to environmental authorizations and water use licenses for the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine, operated by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd in South Africa. It includes correspondence regarding environmental impact assessments and a detailed Water Use License (WUL) specifying permitted water activities, monitoring requirements, and environmental constraints.
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Document type: Report
SKM_75820080511500
This document is a decision by the Water Tribunal regarding an appeal by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, and Mpumalanga Landbou/Agriculture against a Water Use License (WUL) granted to Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the Yzermyn underground coal mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The appeal focuses on the potential environmental impacts of the mine, specifically the dewatering of mine shafts, the risk of contaminated water decanting post-closure, and the mine's location within a Strategic Water Source Area (SWSA).
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Document type: Report
APPELLANTS’ ANSWERING STATEMENT IN TERMS OF REGULATION 63(2)(b) OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS, 2010
This answering statement, submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of several appellants, challenges an environmental authorisation granted to Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the proposed Yzermyn coal mine. The appellants argue that the project has significant implications for international environmental commitments, suffers from material gaps in specialist information—particularly regarding acid mine drainage and subsidence—and was determined by an incorrect competent authority.
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Document type: Statement
appeal-decision-19e4b3e7fa30c8b2.pdf
This document is a decision by the MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs of Mpumalanga Province to dismiss an appeal brought by the Centre for Environmental Rights. The appeal challenged the environmental authorisation granted to Atha-Africa Ventured for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine, located on Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT within the Pixley Ka Seme Local Municipality.
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Document type: Statement