"Civil society takes Atha-Africa to court", 22 June 2017

A coalition of eight civil society and community organisations has launched proceedings in the Pretoria High Court against India-owned mining company Atha-AfricaVentures, asking the court to stop the miner from starting any activities inside the Mabola protected environment, located outside Wakkerstroom, in Mpumalanga. The parties have alleged that Atha-Africa did not yet have confirmed environmental authorisation and local planning approval. Represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, the coalition, comprising groundWork, the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, Birdlife South Africa, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, the Federation for a SustainableEnvironment, the Association for Water and Rural Development and the Bench Marks Foundation, noted that If Atha were allowed to start mining now, and the approvals were thereafter set aside, the damage caused would be irreversible...The area in which Atha-Africa wants to build an underground coal mine is a declared protected environment, with the water source area identified as strategic and the protection of that area in the interest of all South Africans...These rivers provide water to a significant number of downstream water users, who will be affected if the sources of those rivers are compromised. Before launching court proceedings to stop the miner from going ahead with construction of the coal mine, the coalition repeatedly asked Atha-Africa to declare in writing that it will not proceed without these approvals. Allegedly, the miner refused to do so.