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This document is an affidavit by David Carlyle Le Maitre, a principal researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), submitted to the Water Tribunal. It provides expert testimony on the identification and importance of Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) in South Africa, specifically addressing the impact of the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine on the Enkangala Drakensberg surface water SWSA.

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).