AfriForum wants to tackle a mining application near Kruger National Park, in Mpumalanga.
According to AfriForum, the proposal fails the prerequisites for environmental impact assessments (EIA).
Manzolwandle Investments, a mining firm situated in Emalahleni, announced the initial proposal in 2018, but the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) rejected the plan in 2020.
However, Tenbosch Mining has also applied to open a coal mine.
“The application should be withdrawn in its entirety and the Department of Mineral Resources should not consider any further applications for mining rights outside the existing mining region in Mpumalanga,” said AfriForum.
The organisation’s head of environmental affairs, Lambert de Klerk said he views the 2024 EIA as an example of regulatory negligence and that accepting a coal mining project on the doorstep of the Kruger National Park would have far-reaching consequences for this ecosystem.
“Yet this EIA overlooks simple yet critical facts in this regard. The study cites incorrect legislation; contains lightweight desktop research; falls short of specialist studies; and does not comply with the prescribed protocols of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
“In addition, the study clearly shows that the compilers did not approach the study objectively and seem to regard private interests as more important than the long-term sustainability of the environment,” De Klerk said.
He further stated that Tenbosch Mining’s EIA undermines environmental management, public confidence, public engagement, and methods outlined under relevant legislation. and that if permitted to proceed, it will create a terrible precedent, undermining all attempts to conserve our national natural heritage and environmentally fragile places.
IOL