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This document is a written response from Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd (the Second Respondent) to a substituted appeal submitted on 1 December 2017. The appeal, lodged by the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the Federation for a Sustainable Environment, and Mpumalanga Landbou/Agriculture, challenges the Director-General of the Department of Water and Sanitation's decision to grant a water use licence for the Yzermyn Project. Atha-Africa argues that the Appellants rely on outdated reports and a misunderstanding of the precautionary principle, asserting that the project's environmental impacts are localised, manageable through mitigation, and balanced by significant socio-economic benefits.

BirdLife South Africa submitted a formal objection on 5 April 2013 to the draft scoping report for the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine, operated by Atha Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. The organization argues that the mine's location in the Grassland Important Bird Area (IBA) and its proximity to protected environments and endangered ecosystems make the application unsustainable and legally flawed.