Atha-Africa In Tussle With Environmental Organisation

The Indian-headquartered miner’s proposed venture, Yzermyn, is situated in a protected area in Mpumalanga. The Centre for Environmental Rights has taken Atha-Africa to court in order to halt construction of the mine.

- David McKay

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), which represents groupings such as Earthlife Africa, has been rattling some cages in South Africa’s coal mining sector lately.

In March, it won an important case in the High Court by having Exxaro Resources’ Thabazimbi thermal coal project suspended until it had provided evidence that the climate change impacts of the venture had been fully explored.

It also swung into action following Anglo American’s decision to sell its domestic thermal coal mines, those that supply Eskom, to a newly formed black-owned consortium, Seriti Resources.

The CER called on the UK-listed group to make public documents including its mine rehabilitation as well as social and labour plans for the mines it intended to sell so that it could hold Seriti Resources to account. The fear is a smaller, less capitalised company may find it too expensive to honour its environmental commitments.

The latest coal mining firm to have received a dig in the ribs is Atha-Africa Ventures, a company controlled by Atha Group, a privately held company with its headquarters in Kolkata, India.