In the Matter Between: MINING and ENVIRONMENTAL. JUSTICE
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA 10 GAUTENG DIVISION, PRETORIA CASE NO: _ In the matter between: MINING AND ENVIRONMENTAL. JUSTICE COMMUNITY NETWORK OF SOUTH AFRICA First Applicant GROUNDWORK Second Applicant EARTHLIFE AFRICA, JOHANNESBURG Third Applicant BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA Fourth Applicant ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRUST Fifth Applicant FEDERATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT Sixth Applicant ASSOCIATION FOR WATER AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Seventh Applicant BENCH MARKS FOUNDATION Eighth Applicant and MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS First Respondent MINISTER OF MINERAL RESOURCES Second Respondent ATHA-AFRICA VENTURES (PTY) LTD Third Respondent THE MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION Fourth Respondent MEC FOR AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, MPUMALANGA Fifth Respondent FOUNDING AFFIDAVIT rn \ k*IC __ CC5? 1 Contents THE PARTIES ................................................................................................................. 4 OUTLINE OF THIS APPLICATION .................................................................................10 CHAPTER A: BACKGROUND ....................................................................................... 11 A.1 The prooascd mine in a Protected Environment .................................................. 11 A.2 The statutory authorisations required for the mine .............................................. 14 A.3 The present application ....................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER B: STATUTORY FRAMEWORK ...................................................................18 6.1 The Constitution .................................................................................................. 18 8.2 NEMPAA ..............................................................................................................19 B.3 NEMA ..................................................................................................................23 B.4 The environmental provisions of the MPRDA .......................................................24 CHAPTER C: RECOGNITION OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE MPE ..............26 C.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................26 C.2 Recognition in the Mpumalanga Biodiversity Conservation/Sector Plan ...............27 C.3 Recognition in the Grasslands Programme ..........................................................29 C.4 Recognition in the National Protected Area Expansion Strategy ..........................29 C.5 Recognition in the Spacial Development Frameworks .........................................30 C.6 Recognition in the Mpumalanga Protected Area Expansion Strategy ..................36 C. 7 Recognition by the Minerals Minister and the Environment Minister....................36 C. 8 Recognition in the Atlas of National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas .........39 C. 9 Recognition by the MEC responsible for environment .........................................41 C.10 Recognition in the Strategic Water Source Areas Report ...................................42 C.11 Recognition by the Mining Sector ......................................................................44 CHAPTER D: ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MPE .............................................................45 0.1 Establishment .......................................................................................................45 0.2 The draft MPE marragement plan ........................................................................46 CHAPTER E: THE OPAQUE DECISION-MAKING ON PERMITTING MINING IN THE MPE ................................................................................................................................48 E.1 The CER's attempts to find out about any application or decision-making through correspondence .........................................................................................................48 E.2 The CER's attempts to find out about any application or decision-making through PAIA applications .......................................................................................................55 E.3 The applicants and CER learn of the NEMPAA decisions ....................................57 CHAPTER F: ATHA'S NEMPAA APPLICATION AND THE MINISTERS' NEMPAA DECISIONS ....................................................................................................................59 F.1 Atha's NEMPAA application ................................................................................ 59 F.2 The Ministers' NEMPAA decisions .......................................................................62 rThr 2 CHAPTER 0: THE GROUNDS OF REVIEW .......................................................................... 66 G.1 The Ministers did not take the NEMPAA decisions in an open and transparent manner or in a manner Thal promoted public participation................................................. 67 G,2 The NEMPAA decisions were procedurally unfair ....................................................... 69 G.3 The Ministers relied on an outdated and rejected version of the BAR ......................... 72 G.4 The Ministers misconstrued their distinctive duties in terms of NEMPAA ................... 77 G.5 NEMPAA envisages that mining will only be permissible in a protected environment in exceptional circirmslances ............................................................................................... 79 G.6 The Environment Minister failed to take into account the interests of local communities ......................................................................................................................... 84 G.6.1 The contribution of the mine to the local community ............................................. 86 G.6.2 The direct cost of the mine to the local community ............................................... 90 G.6.3 Conclusion under this head ................................................................................... 93 G.7 The Ministers failed to lake into account that the use arid exploitation of non - renewable natural resources must be responsible and equitable ...................................... 94 G.8 The Ministers failed to apply the precautionary principle and Me vulnerable ecosystems principle ........................................................................................................... 99 G.9 The Ministers failed to ensure intergovernmental co-ordination and harmonisation and ignored key planning and other instruments ............................................................. 109 6.10 The Ministers failed to take into account South Africa's international responsibilities relating to the environment ...................................................................... 112 G.11 The Ministers ought to have awaited the outcome of the various statutory appeals .......................................................................................................................................... 122 G.11.1 The EMPR and the EMPR appeal .................................................................... 122 G.11.2 The EA and the EA Appeal ............................................................................... 125 G.11.3 The WUL and the WUL Appeal ........................................................................ 127 G.12 The Ministers failed to take into account that Atha has made inadequate provision for rehabilitation ................................................................................................................ 128 G.13 Failure to await the approval of the management plan for the MPE ........................ 132 CHAPTER II: RELIEF SOUGHT ........................................................................................... 134 H.1 The interim relief in Part A of the notice of motion .................................................... 134 H.2 The final relief in Part 8 of the notice of motion ......................................................... 138 H.3 Costs .......................................................................................................................... 138 nn , 3 13 THELMA THANDEKILE NKOSI state under oath that: 1 I am an adult female Chairperson of the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Mica ("the Community Network"), the first applicant. The Community Network's administrative address is c/o the Centre for Environmental Rights: 2" Floor, Springtime Studios, 1 Scott Road, Observatory, Cape Town. 2 The facts and circumstances set out in this affidavit fall within my personal knowledge and belief or appear from documents under my control: except where the context indicates otherwise, and are true and correct. Where I make submissions of a legal nature, I do so on the advice of the applicants' legal representatives: which advice I believe to be correct. 3 The applicants have resolved to institute this application and to instruct their attorneys. the Centre for Environmental Rights ("the CER"). THE PARTIES 4 As noted above, the first applicant is the MINING AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY NETWORK OF SOUTH AFRICA ("the Community Network"), a non-profit voluntary network of communities, community-based organisations and community members whose environmental and human rights are affected: directly or indirectly, by mining and mining-related 4 5 a . activities. Since its constitution on 17 October