Billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s $160 million (R2.89 billion) South African phosphate project owned by Billionaire Patrice Motsepe’s $160 million (R2.89 billion) is facing new legal challenges with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
WWF has sued South African Environment Minister Dion George, who decided to reject an appeal for environmental offset exemption for the mine, Bloomberg Report.
The Elandsfontein mine, home to South Africa’s second largest phosphate deposit, has been trapped in environmental disputes for more than a decade, fearing its operations could threaten Langebaan Lagoon, 61 miles north of Cape Town and its moisture content.
Kropz, owned by the African Rainbow and owned the Elandsfontein mine, was also appointed as a respondent.
The company has proposed to purchase and donate more than 20,000 acres of land to West Coast National Park as part of the offset arrangement. The proposal was invalidated by the Ministry and Provincial Office in 2021.
In a legal application filed with the South African High Court on March 13, WWF argued: “The environment, therefore, the public has suffered from incredible delays in implementing the offset requirements”.
Kropz acknowledged recent developments and said his position is being evaluated.
The company, which acquired the mine in 2010, faced many setbacks, including technical issues and environmental opposition, delayed the mine’s launch.
In June 2024, Kropz updated Jorc’s (2012) compatible mineral resource estimates in the Elandsfontein project.
The update partially reverses significant bets in announced ore reserves from 2018 to 2022, mainly due to additional fill drilling completed in 2023.
Despite the increase in the announced reserves and ratings, the overall rating and tonnage of resources are estimated to decline. This reflects a more accurate estimate of deposit ratings and illustrates a decrease in deposit quality over time.
Recently, South African coal and iron ore exporters have revealed plans to sign a multi-billion dollar deal with Transnet to fix rail lines and enhance cargo.
“South Africa Phosphate Mines Face New Environmental Litigation” was originally created and published by GlobalData-owned brand Mining Technology.
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