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Offsetting the Costs of SA’s Strategic Defence Package
This research paper examines the industrial participation (IP) mechanisms used to offset the costs of South Africa's Strategic Defence Package (SDP), focusing on the Defence Industrial Participation (DIP) and National Industrial Participation Programme (NIPP).
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Document type: Research paper
Emergency measures: Early releases to alleviate prison overcrowding
This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the crisis of prison overcrowding in South Africa, detailing the budgetary strain on the Department of Correctional Services and the implementation of emergency early release measures for unsentenced prisoners to alleviate capacity pressures.
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Document type: Briefing
SOUTH AFRICA: CRIME IN TRANSITION
This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the rise of crime in South Africa during its transition to democracy. It argues that while the transition period saw a spike in criminality, the roots of the problem lie in the apartheid system. The author analyzes the failures of the centralized criminal justice system, the growth of private security and vigilantism, and the government's National Crime Prevention Strategy, concluding that the state's inability to ensure personal safety threatens the consolidation of the new democracy.
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Document type: Research paper
NOISE CONTROL REGULATIONS IN TERMS OF SECTION 25 OF THE ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION ACT, 1989 (ACT NO. 73 OF 1989)
The Noise Control Regulations, issued under Section 25 of the Environment Conservation Act, 1989, establish a legal framework for managing noise pollution in South Africa. The regulations define 'disturbing noise' and 'noise nuisance,' grant local authorities broad enforcement powers, and set specific decibel limits for vehicles and buildings in 'controlled areas.' They also prohibit certain noise-generating activities in residential areas during specific times and outline penalties for non-compliance.
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Document type: Report
CONSERVATION OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES ACT 43 OF 1983
The Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983 (and its associated regulations) provides a legal framework for the protection of agricultural resources in South Africa. It establishes mandatory control measures to prevent soil erosion, waterlogging, and salination, regulates the use of veld and the management of veld fires, and creates a classification system for combating weeds and invader plants. The document also outlines the administrative functions of conservation committees and the technical specifications for soil conservation beacons.
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Document type: Guide
120824-derelict-and-ownerless-mines-fc83b8d63591aa41.pdf
This document is a written reply from the Minister of Mineral Resources to a question from the National Assembly regarding the rehabilitation of abandoned mining sites.
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Document type: Briefing
KMBT_C554e-20151214224449
This document is a draft reply from the South African Department of Water and Sanitation to a National Assembly question (No. 4253) regarding the number and qualifications of 'Blue Scorpions' (Environmental Management Inspectors) within its Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement unit.
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Document type: Briefing
5-f4c76b48d4628256.pdf
This report identifies and maps National Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) across South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland, defining them as areas that supply a disproportionate amount of mean annual runoff relative to their land area. The document evaluates the ecological condition, protection levels, and threats to these areas—including land cover modification and mining—while also providing an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine in Mpumalanga.
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Document type: Report
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-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
Mining and your Community: Know your Environmental Rights
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.
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Document type: Guide
ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT AT MINES: THE DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY’S PERFORMANCE DURING THE FINANCIAL YEARS 2017 TO 31 MARCH 2019
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.
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Document type: Report
MANUAL ISSUED IN TERMS OF SECTION 14 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000 (ACT NO 2 OF 2000)
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).
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Document type: Guide
doc-1.1-g-brd-ses-eskom-env-perf-comp-and-risks-29-may-17-69117be3be1f45a5.pdf
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.
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Document type: Briefing
MANUAL ISSUED IN TERMS OF SECTION 14 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000 (ACT NO 2 OF 2000)
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).
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Document type: Guide
joint-cer-lac-submissions-on-nemlab_18-july-2012-7c50b551ffe4190f.pdf
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.
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Document type: Statement
Life After Coal Toolkit: Integrated Resource Plan 2023
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.
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Document type: Guide
lethabo-annual-emissions-report-2015-2016-7191bc72ed834270.pdf
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).
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Document type: Report
National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2007-8
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.
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Document type: Report
pml10-24b9366a6adea683.pdf
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.
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Document type: Statement