Environmental groups prepare interdict to halt Petmin mine

ENVIRONMENTAL lobby groups are set to lock horns with Tendele Mining, a subsidiary of Petmin, a predominantly anthracite mining firm whose Somkhele colliery is situated in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.

According to a report by the Zululand Observer, The Global Environmental Trust (GET) has requested a court interdict preventing Tendele from operating at Somkhele saying that the mining firm does not have valid environmental authorizations in terms of the country’s National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).

GET also contests that Tendele has “… never obtained municipal permission to conduct mining; that no waste management licenses have been obtained, and Somkhele residents are suffering irreparable harm”. The Zululand Observer said that Tendele rejected these allegations and filed an answering affidavit opposing the interdict.

“We are confident of our legal position and will seek to have the court date brought forward if possible, in order to resolve this matter as soon as possible,” said Tendele human resources Manager, Davie Coetzee.