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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Director: Mineral Development, Gauteng Region and Another v Save the Vaal Environment and Others (133/98) [1999] ZASCA 9; (12 March 1999); 
Administrative Review Administrative Law Natural Justice Constitutional Law Access to environmental information Human and environmental rights Environmental law Public participation Human and environmental rights Environmental law Healthy environment Substantive rights Human Rights EL IndexThis was an appeal against the decision of the High Court to reverse the issuance of a mining licence the second appellant without hearing the respondents. The first appellant was the regional director responsible for providing mineral licenses and the second appellant was the mining company that had obtained a mining licence. The respondents wished to oppose the grant of the mining licence but a notice to the public which would have afforded them the opportunity to raise objections was not issue. The appellants contended that article 9 of the Minerals Act 50 of 1991 did not provide such a duty. The respondents contended that the right to be heard was a natural right and therefore a silent section could not be deemed to oust it.
The Supreme Court considered whether interested parties, wishing to oppose an application by the holder of mineral rights for a mining licence in terms of sec 9 of the act, were entitled to raise environmental objections and be heard by the first appellant, The court held that the right to be heard was such a critical right that it could not be easily ignored and the critical nature of environmental issues at the global level demanded that the first appellant involve the public on environmental assessment measures taken. The court stated further that there was an obligation on the first appellant to provide allow for a hearing on any objections before a license could be issued. Accordingly, the appellants’ case was dismissed.
Golden Falls Trading 125 (Pty) Ltd v MEC of the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Others (77836/2010) [2012] ZAGPPHC 361; (23 November 2012); EL Index Judicial Review Appeals and reviews Civil Procedure Public participation Human and environmental rights Environmental law Procedural Fairness Justice and fairness Civil ProcedureThe matter concerned an application to the High Court for review of the decision of the first respondent to dismiss an appeal lodged by the applicant against environmental authorisations granted by the second respondent to the fourth and fifth respondent. The applicant argued that its right to procedural fairness was violated because a number of statutory provisions were not strictly followed. It was the applicant’s contention, however, that the words ‘must’ and ‘shall’ indicate the imperative, mandatory and preemptive intention of these provisions.
The court considered whether the act required exact compliance in every instance and whether the public participation process was flawed in this case. The court cited s47(a) of the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 1998 and held that requirements classified as mandatory need not, in fact, be strictly complied with, but that substantial or adequate compliance may be sufficient. In the present case, the court found that the failure to strictly comply with the statutory requirements did not materially prejudice the rights of the applicant.
The court also found no support for the applicant’s allegations that the public participation process was flawed or inhibited and that the environment would be endangered in any way. Rather, the court agreed with the respondents that the applicant seemed to attempt to capitalize on trivial deficiencies to discredit the entire process.
The court, therefore, dismissed the applicant’s application with costs.
Space Securitisation (Pty) Ltd v Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority and Others (13852/2013) [2013] ZAGPJHC 228; (03 September 2013); EL Index Public interest in environment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Injunctions and interdicts Civil Remedies Public participation Human and environmental rights Environmental law Environmental impact and risk assessment Environmental decision-making Environmental lawThe court considered whether an interim interdict could be granted to stop short-term remedial measures which were put in place to treat acid mine drainage (AMD).
To determine whether to grant the interim interdict, the date on which the ECL would be reached was critical. The court found that pursuant to the date being determined, the court was to apply the precautionary principle, which requires authorities to insist on adequate measures to safeguard against the contamination of underground water.
The court found that the ECL could not be determined and based on the short-term project, the greater the danger and consequences of untreated AMD is averted.
Application dismissed.
Earthlife Africa (Cape Town Branch) v Eskom Holdings Ltd (04/27514) [2005] ZAGPHC 129; (15 December 2005); EL Index Public interest in environment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Energy Minerals and energy Environmental law Access to environmental information Human and environmental rights Environmental lawThe appellant sought leave to appeal the respondent’s refusal to allow access to information concerning the use of a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) for generating electricity.
The court determined the limitations of the right to information in s 32 of the constitution and the Promotion of Access to Information Act of 2000; and whether the respondent was right in relying on the limitations to deny the applicants access to the information.
The court held that the right to information is not absolute since it is limited by the right to privacy as per s 36 of the constitution. The court determined whether the information required by the appellant fell within the exceptions in the act.
The court also noted that this was a technical matter that required expert evidence since experts are better qualified to draw inferences in such matters than the judicial officer. The court observed that only the respondent brought expert evidence.
The court applied s 42(3)(a) of the Information Act that entitles the respondent to refuse a request for access to a record that contains trade secrets. It found that the respondent had proved its case and that the research requested by the appellant was protected from disclosure.
Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed with costs.
Trustees for the timebeing of the Biowatch Trust v Registrar Genetic Resources and Others (23005/2002) [2005] ZAGPHC 135; (23 February 2005); EL Index Procedural Fairness Justice and fairness Civil Procedure Access to environmental information Human and environmental rights Environmental law Judicial Review Appeals and reviews Civil ProcedureThe matter dealt with an application for access to information relating to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). The court considered the applicability of the provisions of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA).
The court applied the test in our law that no statute is to be construed as having retrospective operation unless the legislature clearly intended it to have that effect. In the circumstances, if one were to apply PAIA’s provisions retrospectively they would interfere with the applicant’s then existing rights. The court found that the disclosure of information, or the granting of access to information should be necessary for the proper application of the provisions of the GMO act.
The court considered the applicant’s failure to exhaust internal remedies as required by s19 of the GMO act. The court found that the act does not expressly state that recourse to the courts is to be deferred until the internal appeal procedure provided for in s19 thereof is exhausted. The court found that it is illogical to insist that the applicant should have exhausted the internal appeal remedy first. The court found that this was not necessarily destructive of the relief sought by the applicant.
On the issue of whether the applicant failed to articulate the information sought, the court considered how requesters for information would not always have knowledge of the precise description of the record in which the information sought, is contained. The court found that the applicant has a clear right to some of the information to which access was requested and that the respondent was entitled to refuse access to certain records, or parts thereof, in terms of the grounds for refusal.
Drift Supersand (Pty) Limited v Mogale City Local Municipality and Another EL Index Locus standi in environmental litigation Litigation of environmental issues Environmental law Public interest in environment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Judicial Review Appeals and reviews Civil Procedure Procedural Fairness Justice and fairness Civil Procedure Sustainable development Concepts and principles Environmental law Public participation Human and environmental rights Environmental lawGongqose and Others v Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Others, Gongqose and S EL Index Offences in relation to indigenous species Criminal offences in environmental law Environmental law African customary law and rights of indigenous peoples Human and environmental rights Environmental law Use of coastal and marine areas Water and coasts Environmental law Protected areas (general) Environmental decision-making Environmental lawMagaliesberg Protection Association v MEC, Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development, North- West Provincial Government and Others Role of state in relation to environment Actors in environmental law Environmental law Environmental impact and risk assessment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Protected areas (general) Environmental decision-making Environmental law Public participation Human and environmental rights Environmental law Land use Human exploitation of the environment Environmental law EL IndexThis was an application for review of the respondent’s decision to authorise the construction of a lodge in a protected area. The lodge was built prior to obtaining the necessary environmental authorisation but this was obtained ex post facto. The applicant had at the time of filing this application alos filed an application for an interdict to stop the construction of the lodge, which application was dismissed.
The main legal issue to be resolved was whether under the National Environmental Management Act No 107 of 1998 (NEMA) a permit to build a house in the Protected Environment (MPE) could be issued ex post facto as was given to the third respondent by the first and second respondents.
The court held that section 24 G of NEMA provided for the rectification of the unlawful commencement of the activity by applying to the Minister or MEC for an ex post facto environmental authorisation. In conclusion, the court held that since the application was done and approved ex post facto the respondents had acted within the confines of the law and therefore the application lacked merit. The court observed further that the was aware, or ought to have been aware that when it was unsuccessful in the urgent application to have the development of the Lodge suspended, the consequences were that the respondent would continue with the construction and finalisation of its building project and the review would be rendered academic. Accordingly, the application was dismissed.
Bengwenyama Minerals (Pty) Ltd and Others v Genorah Resources (Pty) Ltd and Others EL Index Public interest in environment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Judicial Review Appeals and reviews Civil Procedure Procedural Fairness Justice and fairness Civil Procedure Free prior informed consent Human and environmental rights Environmental law Administrative Review Administrative LawThe matter dealt with an application for leave to appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court to allow the first respondent to acquire a prospecting licence in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act over the applicant’s land.
Appeals to the High Court, and later to the Supreme Court were dismissed on the ground that the community had failed to file for review timeously in terms of the provisions of the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act. The merits of the case were not heard in both matters.
In determining the application, the Constitutional Court considered the following: whether there were internal remedies; whether there was proper consultation and whether consideration was given to the environmental requirements.
It found that an internal appeal was available to the applicants, but the respondents’ failure to deal with the appeal frustrated the process, although the review application had been brought in time. Further, the court held that the granting of prospecting rights was an invasion of a property owner’s rights and that the purpose of consultation with landowners, was to provide them with the information necessary to make an informed decision on how to respond to the application.
The court concluded that the decision-maker had not given the community a hearing or complied with the fairness requirements of the Act, and that the environmental requirements in terms of the Act had not been satisfied. Accordingly, leave to appeal was granted and the prospecting rights on the community’s land were set aside.
Escarpment Environment Protection Group and Another v Department of Water Affairs and Others, In Re; Escarpment Environment Protection Group and Another v Department of Water Affairs and Others, In Re; Escarpment Environment Protection Group and Another v EL Index Judicial Review Appeals and reviews Civil Procedure Locus standi in environmental litigation Litigation of environmental issues Environmental law Public interest in environment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Public participation Human and environmental rights Environmental law Administrative Review Administrative Law Constitutional Supremacy Constitutional Law |
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