South Africa’s agriculture and rich biodiversity face grave danger as mining permits and licences continue to be granted without adequate research or environmental safeguards.
These decisions are compounding existing pollution, mismanagement, and neglect of fragile ecosystems, particularly in Limpopo.
The environmental conservation group, Living Limpopo, has raised the alarm over the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MM-SEZ) development, revealing its extensive and potentially devastating environmental impacts.
Destruction of fauna and flora
Dawid Maree, the chairperson of TLU SA’s Environmental Management Committee, said, “The disregard for South Africa’s rich heritage of fauna and flora, bureaucratic obfuscation of the true scale of natural heritage loss, and opaque handling of impact studies that should be approached with far greater responsibility and expertise, have left the people of Limpopo and environmental experts in South Africa astounded.”
Meree said a key point of contention is the announcement that 600 000 protected trees, including thousands of iconic baobabs, could be destroyed to facilitate coal mining in northern Limpopo.
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“The entire bushveld north of the Soutpansberg faces the destruction of its fauna and flora,” Maree said.
He warned of severe consequences for agriculture, tourism, and the hunting industry if the project proceeds unchecked.
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Meanwhile, TLU SA has commended Living Limpopo’s efforts to bring these issues to light and called on stakeholders and local communities to oppose the proposed developments actively.
“All stakeholders and concerned residents must join the objectors against this reckless development.”
Threats to the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve
Lauren Liebenberg, another concerned stakeholder, highlighted that over 125 000 hectares of indigenous vegetation in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve are at risk due to plans for ten new open-cast coal mines as part of the MM-SEZ project.
Living Limpopo’s investigation uncovered that since 2020, multiple permits have been granted for mining activities in ecologically sensitive zones, including those authorising the destruction of 1 000 baobabs and other protected trees.
The group accessed these details through the Promotion of Access to Information Act, revealing that more than 20 000 baobabs face potential destruction in the southern and northern mining zones.
Criticism has also been levelled at the flawed environmental impact assessments that led to the approval of these mining activities.
Bennie van Zyl, general manager of TLU SA, warned of irreversible harm to ecosystems and agricultural lands if the Vhembe area is rezoned from a natural fauna and flora zone to one dominated by coal mining and heavy industry.
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