The Environmental Case Law Index is a collection of judgments from 10 African countries on topics relating to environmental law, both substantive and procedural. The collection focuses on cases where an environmental interest interacts with governmental or private interests.
Get started on finding judgments that are relevant to you by browsing the topic list on the left of the screen. Click the arrows next to the topic names to reveal a detailed list of sub-topics. Most judgments are accompanied by a short summary written by subject-area expert postgraduate students from the University of Cape Town.
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Bubye Minerals (Pvt) Ltd v Min. of Mines & Mining Development & Others (350/06) [2011] ZWSC 3 (13 November 2011); 
EL Index Minerals, oil and gas Minerals and energy Environmental law Role of state in relation to environment Actors in environmental law Environmental law Environmental authorisation Environmental decision-making Environmental law Private prosecutions Criminal offences in environmental law Environmental lawThis Supreme Court case revolved around a compromise agreement between the fourth respondent and the appellant. The fourth respondent, a registered mining company, was going bankrupt and its management was entrusted to the liquidator. The liquidator then granted the appellant the right to treat stockpiles of ore at the mine to raise money to pay the creditors. The appellant then attempted to have all mining activities registered under its name. In doing so, the appellant misrepresented the facts to the third respondents without involving the fourth respondent stating that it paid the creditors their dues and as such, it was entitled to have mining activities registered under its name. However, the fourth respondent succeeded in establishing that the appellant was lying. This led the third respondent to cancel the appellant’s falsely obtained mineral rights. The High Court agreed with the respondents that the appellant's mineral rights over the plot in dispute were justifiably cancelled. The appellant felt aggrieved by the court’s judgement and appealed to the Supreme Court.
The issue for determination was whether the appellant was allowed to register mining rights under its name and whether the third respondent erred in cancelling its rights.
The Supreme Court held that agreements cannot be valid if consent was obtained through misrepresentation. Consequently, it found that the appellant was unjustified and supported the third respondent’s decision to cancel the falsely obtained rights.
S v Mupawaenda (CRB 200/15) [2016] ZWHHC 40 (04 November 2015); EL Index Protected areas (general) Environmental decision-making Environmental law Minerals, oil and gas Minerals and energy Environmental lawIn this case, the High Court considered a murder charge and whether the defence of private defence and/or the defence of property was sufficient to warrant an acquittal.
The accused was employed as a security guard by a private security company. While on duty he shot and killed an illegal diamond panner. Against the murder charge, the accused raised the defence of private defence and the defence of property. The facts were not disputed that the accused and his colleague were attacked by a mob of illegal panners who threatened to kill them. The accused fired a warning shot but the mob persisted until he fired the deadly shot which dispersed the mob.
The court held that the accused was lawfully employed to protect the employer’s assets from theft and entitled by law to protect himself. The court found that in this case a warning shot had been given and the life of the accused was in danger. The court held further that the action in self-defence was not disproportionate or unreasonable. Accordingly, the court found the accused not guilty and he was acquitted.
Hopcik Investments (Pvt) Ltd. v Minister, Environment, Water & Climate & Another (HH 137-16, HC 1796/14) [2016] ZWHHC 137 (17 February 2016); Constitutional Interpretation Constitutional Law Public interest in environment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Freshwater use Water and coasts Environmental law EL IndexConstitutional law – Constitution of Zimbabwe 2013 – Declaration of Rights – right to water (s 77) – legislative measures to ensure supply of potable water – duty of urban council to ensure water distributed fairly
Human rights – right to water – legislative measures to ensure supply of potable water – duty of urban council to ensure water distributed fairly
Debshan (Pvt) Ltd. v Provincial Mining Director, Mat. South Province & Others (HB 11-17, HC 538-16) [2017] ZWBHC 11 (26 January 2017); Declaratory Relief Civil Remedies Environmental duties Concepts and principles Environmental law Environmental impact and risk assessment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Locus standi in environmental litigation Litigation of environmental issues Environmental law Minerals, oil and gas Minerals and energy Environmental law EL IndexEnvironment – environmental impact assessment – requirement for – such requirement additional to considerations for issue of mining permit
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