IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: 31 July, 2023 The Pretoria High Court is set to hear the challenge to a proposed gas to power facility in the Richards Bay IDZ, Richards Bay Gas to Power 2 (RB2) on Monday and Tuesday next week (31 July and 01 August). groundWork (gW) and South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA),… continued
IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: 6 JULY 2023 CONTACT: [email protected] To allow it to utilise temporary repairs at its Kusile power station in Mpumalanga, Eskom has been granted permission to bypass the plant’s Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) equipment and emit unabated sulphur dioxide (SO2) and increased mercury emissions, potentially up until 31 March 2025. The Vukani Environmental… continued
Each year, the Mail & Guardian newspaper publishes a list of 200 exceptional and notable South Africans under the age of 35 in its “200 Young South Africans” list. This year, the Centre is extremely proud to announce that Tatenda Muponde, an attorney in the CER mining programme, has been chosen to feature among the leading… continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is delighted to announce that nominations and applications are now open for the highly anticipated 2023 Rights and Remedies (R&R) Course for environmental justice activists. This transformative course takes place in the City of Cape Town, South Africa, and promises to revolutionize your approach to environmental justice. Under the… continued
South Africans are reaching their breaking point with loadshedding and its increasingly devastating impacts, leaving many wondering why there is such strong opposition to Karpowerships, especially since it is being touted as the silver bullet the country needs to solve the crisis. However, according to civil society organisations – including the South Durban Community Environmental… continued
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Palesa Madi as the Centre’s Deputy Director: Programmes and Majury Chada as the Head of Operations. Palesa Madi is a seasoned human rights lawyer, having worked in the human rights sector for over 10 years. She previously held the position of Deputy… continued
IMMEDIATE RELEASE On 23 May 2023 a coalition of environmental justice organisations, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), will appear in another High Court hearing in the ongoing eight-year legal battle to prevent coal mining in a Protected Area and Strategic Water Source Area near Wakkerstroom in Mpumalanga. The application, to be heard… continued
Wandisa Phama is the incoming Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Rights. An admitted attorney and human rights activist, with over a decade of experience in various roles in the public interest law sector, she is passionate about advancing social justice. We spoke to her about her commitment to taking the CER forward. … continued
IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: 26 APRIL, 2023 CONTACT: [email protected] Eskom’s latest plan to get three units at Kusile coal power station in Mpumalanga back into operation would lead to unabated and increased sulphur dioxide (SO2) pollution at a deadly health cost to local communities. The Life After Coal campaign (LAC), a joint campaign by Earthlife Africa… continued
This article was first published in the Business Day We have seen a flurry of excitement in recent weeks about the proposed reopening of some old coal power stations to help ease load-shedding. This is a terrible idea for many reasons, not the least the problem of throwing good money after bad when there are viable,… continued
South African institutional investors’ holdings in coal, oil and gas companies in South Africa amount to USD 17.1 billion, ranking South Africa 19 out of 74 countries globally for the amount of money invested in fossil fuel companies. This is one of the findings of a new global research report on the companies investing in upstream… continued
Wandisa Phama, who has held the position of Deputy Director at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) for the past four years, will assume the role of Executive Director from May 2023, when current Executive Director Melissa Fourie steps down after 13 years at the helm. “We are immensely pleased to announce the appointment of… continued
Our new impact report, released today, reflects on our achievements over the past 13 years and celebrates our vision for the future: to contribute to a vibrant and growing environmental and climate justice movement in South Africa. The report, which can be read in full here, traces the trajectory of CER from its modest beginnings… continued
Update: Wednesday, 15 March, 2023 Leave to appeal granted. See court order below. Court Order – Application for leave to appeal- Deadly Air The Supreme Court of Appeal will consider arguments on the part of the order relating to the interpretation of section 20 of the National Environmental Management Act: Air Quality Act. We await… continued
IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: 13 February 2023 On 31 January 2023, environmental justice groups groundWork and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), lodged an appeal to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment against the environmental authorisation that was granted in November last year to the… continued
In December 2022, a coalition of civil society and community-based groups launched a legal challenge of the environmental approval granted to MMSEZ SOC Ltd to develop the Musina Makhado industrial mega-complex in Limpopo province. This court challenge is in addition to two other legal proceedings launched by two separate groups of environmental justice organisations in… continued
Research on air pollution caused by Eskom’s ailing fleet of power stations is unequivocal: if allowed to continue, emissions from the company’s fleet of ailing power plants will cost thousands more lives. Earthlife Africa and groundWork (Friends of the Earth South Africa), represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), have made a legal submission… continued
Article originally published in Business Day Live Karpowership projects could have serious implications for the funding of SA’s Just Energy Transition Partnership In desperate situations it is tempting to accept any proposal that offers to relieve the pain. But short-term solutions can be costly and may take years and even decades to undo. And so… continued
Article originally published on GroundUp When residents of Mmadithlokwa, near Marikana in North West province, have mobile data, they record their experiences of mine blasting explosions from the nearby Tharisa mine on WhatsApp groups. A sample of the messages posted by residents, members of the Mine Host Communities in Crisis Network (MHCCN) and other community… continued
In an early victory for #CancelCoal applicants, yesterday the Pretoria High Court ordered the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy to release records relating to the decision to include new coal power in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP), and to the 2020 Ministerial determination for new coal issued under the IRP. The… continued