Media coverage

24 NOVEMBER 2011

Coal of Africa, environ groups agree

Source: www.iol.co.za

JSE-listed coal company Coal of Africa and various environmental groups agreed on Thursday to work together to preserve the Mapungubwe world heritage site in northern Limpopo.

Coal of Africa (CoAL) and the Save Mapungubwe Coalition signed a memorandum of understanding, committing to work together to preserve and protect the Mapungubwe cultural landscape.

Previously, various organisations had protested against the development of the Vele coking coal project by CoAL, based near Mapungubwe, over environmental concerns.

The Save Mapungubwe Coalition is made up of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, BirdLife South Africa, Wilderness Foundation South Africa, World Wide Fund for Nature SA, Mapungubwe Action Group and the Association of SA Professional Archaeologists.

Under the new agreement, CoAL has agreed to share all information relevant to the impacts of the Vele Colliery on the environment, including water and heritage resources, CoAL said in a statement. In turn, the coalition had agreed to suspend legal proceedings and administrative appeals subject to the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) by the end of January 2012.

“In the next step of this process, the parties will seek to conclude the MOA which will contain further detail concerning their commitments in managing the sustainable development of the Mapungubwe cultural landscape,” CoAL said.

“Both parties agree to progress their discussions in good faith, with the aim of setting a new best practice benchmark for managing and mitigating the impacts of mining and related activities at the Vele Colliery on the environment.” Earlier this year, the department of environmental affairs imposed a regulatory hold on work at Vele, which was later lifted.

Vele's water use licence was suspended in August after an appeal by the coalition. Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa lifted the water use licence suspension in September. Vele Colliery was expected to start production in the first half of 2012.

The Mapungubwe National Park, a proclaimed World Heritage Site, forms part of a proposed transfrontier conservation park between South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

It is also an area of significant cultural importance, incorporating the “lost city” of Mapungubwe Hill, an ancient 13th century African civilisation. - Sapa