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The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) issued this formal response on 16 August 2018 to a memorandum of grievances from The Voice Community Representative Council regarding legal challenges against a proposed coal mine by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. CER clarifies its role as a non-profit law clinic representing eight civil society organisations, denies representing local farmers or specific agencies, and outlines the environmental and socio-economic risks associated with the proposed mine in a protected area.

This document is a formal response from a land development applicant, submitted by Peter Dacomb of The Practice Group, to the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality. The response addresses various objections and letters of support regarding an application to change the land use of Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT from agricultural to mining and related purposes under the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, 2013 (SPLUMA) and the 2016 Municipal By-law.

This document contains the applicants' heads of argument in a legal application to review and set aside decisions made by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and the Minister of Mineral Resources to grant Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd permission to conduct commercial coal mining in the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE) in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

This document is a formal objection submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of a coalition of eight civil society and community non-profit organisations. The objection opposes an application by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd to change the land use of Portion 1 of the Farm Yzermyn 96 in Mpumalanga from agricultural to mining purposes to facilitate the construction of the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine.

This document is a formal objection submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of a coalition of eight civil society and community non-profit organisations. The objection opposes an application by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd to change the land use of Portion 1 of the Farm Yzermyn 96 in Mpumalanga from agricultural to mining purposes to facilitate the construction of the Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine. The objectors argue that the project would cause irreparable harm to a strategic water source area, threaten biodiversity in the Mabola Protected Environment, and negatively impact vulnerable local communities, while failing to comply with municipal spatial development frameworks and national interest requirements under the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental and community organizations, submitted a formal objection to a rezoning application for Portion 1 of the farm Yzermyn 96 HT. The CER argues that the public notice for the rezoning was legally deficient and that the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality failed to provide access to the application documents, hindering the clients' ability to submit detailed objections.

This expert panel report, compiled by Emross Consulting Pty. Ltd. for the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), evaluates the legality and environmental implications of mining within protected environments in Mpumalanga Province, focusing specifically on the proposed Yzermyn coal mine in the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE). The report concludes that the MPE's proclamation was well-founded due to its high biodiversity and hydrological value, and recommends against allowing mining in the area.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) wrote to Minister Susan Shabangu on 13 March 2013 seeking urgent clarification on the legal status of the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site. Despite previous statements by the Minister that mining in the area was prohibited, the CER notes the absence of a formal declaration in the Government Gazette and the acceptance of a mining right application by Duiker Mining (Pty) Ltd for the proposed Harwar Colliery.

This report provides the motivation for declaring the Mabola Protected Environment in southern Mpumalanga, South Africa, under the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act. The proposed area consists of 22 properties totaling 8,772 hectares, identified for their high biodiversity value, including endangered ecosystems and critical water catchments. The document outlines the ecological significance of the site, the legal framework for its declaration, and the results of consultations with landowners and local government.

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights reviews the Integrated Water Use License Application (IWULA) and the resulting Integrated Water Use License (IWUL) for the proposed Yzermyn Underground Coal Mine. It identifies significant gaps in specialist studies regarding groundwater, hydrology, and wetlands, arguing that the IWUL was issued without sufficient information to mitigate environmental impacts. The document also includes a Socio-economic Impact Assessment and a Social and Labour Plan (SLP) detailing employment targets, skills development, and community impacts.

This document is a Social and Labour Plan (SLP) and associated supporting affidavits for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine, operated by Atha-Africa Ventures. It details the company's commitments to human resource development, gender equity, local socio-economic investment, and closure planning within the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa.

This document consists of a series of legal statements, permissions, and correspondence regarding the Yzermyn underground coal mine project in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It includes a formal permission from the Ministers of Environmental Affairs and Mineral Resources for Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd to mine within the Mabola Protected Environment, a land use approval from the Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality, and a detailed statement of grounds for appeal filed by a coalition of environmental organisations. The appeal argues that the project is 'fatally flawed' due to its potential for irreversible damage to critical biodiversity, wetlands, and water resources, and claims that the socio-economic benefits to local communities were overestimated.

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.

This document consists of two primary components: an Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and a Spatial Development Framework (SDF) for the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality (PKISLM). The EMF establishes seven Environmental Management Zones (EMZs) to guide sustainable development by identifying preferred and undesirable land uses based on environmental sensitivities. The SDF provides broad spatial policy guidelines to manage regional growth, balancing economic development—particularly in agriculture, trade, and community services—with the conservation of critical grasslands and wetlands.

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).

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.

This responding statement, submitted by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of eight appellants, challenges the Department of Mineral Resources' (DMR) approval of the Environmental Management Programme (EMPR) for Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd's proposed Yzermyn mine. The appellants argue that the approved EMPR authorizes an environmentally destructive discard dump, ignores extensive government conservation policies for the area, and contains woefully inadequate financial provisions for rehabilitation.

The document contains the applicants' heads of argument in a legal matter before the High Court of South Africa, Mpumalanga Division. A coalition of seven non-profit organisations seeks the review and setting aside of a decision by the MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs to exclude four properties from the Mabola Protected Environment to facilitate the construction of an underground coal mine by Uthaka Energy (Pty) Ltd.

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.

This document is a replying submission by Atha-Africa, submitted on 12 April 2019, responding to an administrative appeal against the approval of the Environmental Management Programme (EMP) for the Yzermyn Project. The submission disputes the findings of a September 2013 NSS Report and a subsequent 'Brownlie Review,' arguing that updated specialist studies by Delta-H and Scientific Aquatic Services demonstrate that the project's environmental impacts—specifically regarding wetlands, groundwater, and biodiversity—are localized and can be effectively mitigated.