South Africa | High court rebuffs bid by company to mine coal in Mpumalanga wetlands PA
he High Court in Pretoria has set aside the permission to permit Indian-owned mining company Atha-Africa Ventures to mine for coal in the protected Mabola environment outside Wakkerstroom in Mpumalanga.
Judge Norman Davis yesterday delivered a damning judgment in which he severely criticised former Mineral Resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane and the late Environment minister Edna Molewa for not being transparent, and denying concerned parties a say when they granted permission for Atha to open a huge underground coal mine in the protected wetlands area.