The Centre for Environmental Rights team would like to wish all our partners, clients, funders and stakeholders a peaceful and reinvigorating festive season. Below is a brief overview of our highlights of 2011, and what lies ahead in 2012. This year, the CER: represented communities, community organisations and environmental NGOs in more than seven substantive… continued
On 9 December 2011, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs finally published the national list of ecosystems that are threatened and in need of protection under s.52(1)(a) of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (GG 34809, GN 1002, 9 December 2011). You can access the Government Gazette in several parts here. You can also… continued
As part of a National Lottery-funded collaborative project with partner organisation Lawyers for Human Rights (www.lhr.org.za), the Centre hereby calls for applications by suitably qualified and experienced candidates to take up a three-year contract as staff attorney at the Centre, specialising in the regulation of the environmental impacts of mining and other industrial developments. The… continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights is proud to launch a brand new product designed to support civil society organisations in our collaborative work to ensure mining that is environmentally compliant, transparent and accountable. With support from the Ford Foundation, Prof Tracy Humby from the University of the Witwatersrand’s Oliver Schreiner School of Law led the… continued
The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs has published a draft National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Amendment Bill for public comment. The proposed amendments highlighted below will have a number of significant implications, and we urge all practitioners, experts and affected parties to have a look and submit comments where necessary (including comments of… continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights is a dynamic non-profit organisation and law clinic based in Observatory, Cape Town. The Centre’s mission is to advance environmental rights in South Africa, and its vision is civil society participation in environmental governance that is stronger, more streamlined, and better legally and scientifically equipped. To achieve this, the Centre… continued
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) recently released the National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report (NECER) 2010/11 on Thursday, 03 November 2011, and has issued an invitation to a talk on this report, led by national DEA and Western Cape DEADP, hosted by University of Cape Town’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Law. Presenters: Ms… continued
The Environmental Management Inspectorate’s National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report for 2010-11 notes that time provided to industrial facilities to get their house in order has generally not achieved compliance, with many follow-up inspections of facilities identifying the need for further enforcement action. The Inspectorate states that follow-up inspections were conducted primarily to evaluate whether… continued
The Environmental Management Inspectorate has just released its comprehensive results in its National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report for 2010-11. The full report can be downloaded from the Department of Environmental Affairs’ website. Highlights from this report include the following: As at the end of 2010/11, there are 1076 EMIs. Besides SANPARKS which has 603… continued
As part of a National Lottery-funded collaborative project with partner organisation Lawyers for Human Rights (www.lhr.org.za), the Centre hereby calls for applications by suitably qualified and experienced candidates to take up a three-year contract as staff attorney at the Centre, specialising in the regulation of the environmental impacts of mining and other industrial developments. The… continued
Author/s: Murombo, T. and Valentine, H. Published in South African Journal for Human Rights, 2011 Download in PDF here.
The joint Annual Report for the Centre for Environmental Rights and the Environmental Defence Fund for 2011 is now available. Download it here, or write to us at [email protected] with your postal address and we’ll do our best to get a copy to you.
Earlier this month, the Centre submitted an application to the Department of Mineral Resources under the Promotion of Access to Information Act for access to the report of the Ministerial Task Team on fracking, appointed by the Minister earlier this year. This morning, the DMR advised the CER that its application was refused on the… continued
On Friday, 23 September 2011, the Supreme Court of Appeal handed down two landmark judgements that confirm the power of local authorities to regulate zoning for mining. The SCA held that a mining right or permit issued by the Department of Mineral Resources under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (MPRDA) does not… continued
Bill must be seen against general failure of state departments to implement PAIA The Centre for Environmental Rights is encouraged by reports this morning of a further revision of the Protection of State Information Bill. Although much amended, the Protection of State Information Bill in its current form remains a significant threat to public access… continued
On 26 August 2011, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs published the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill, 2011 for comment by 25 September 2011. Key features of this broad scope amendment bill include: the proposed creation of an effective amnesty for government departments who have failed to prepare environmental implementation plans, and make these… continued
On 12 August 2011, the Centre for Environmental Rights reported to the Petroleum Agency of South Africa on the findings and recommendations of the joint CER/WESSA Community Workshop Series held in 17 towns across the Karoo in June 2011. In its letter, and based on its assessment during the Workshop Series the CER expressed its… continued
Department of Environmental Affairs Media Statement, 17 August 2011 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS WELCOMES SENTENCING OF SILICON SMELTERS FOR CONTRAVENING ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) today welcomed the sentencing of Silicon Smelters who were found guilty of contravening the provisions of the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act (NEM:AQA), for operating without… continued
Visit the Centre’s website for a full overview of the ongoing legal battle around Mapungubwe and Coal of Africa’s proposed Vele colliery. You can download many of the court papers, enforcement notices, parliamentary questions and answers and other government documents. You can also view the first two short film clips (<3mins) in a series on… continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights invites applications by suitably qualified and experienced candidates to take up a six-month pilot contract as staff attorney at the Centre, specialising in pollution, waste and land use matters. The staff attorney will ideally be based at the Centre’s offices in Cape Town, though he or she will be required… continued