Artist's impression of the EMSEZ Thermal Power Plant. Proposed industrial sites within the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve have raised public concerns over environmental impact. Picture: Living Limpopo
Environmental and human rights groups, including Living Limpopo, All Rise Attorneys for Climate and Environmental Justice, and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), are urging the public to register as stakeholders in the environmental approval process for the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) which sets out to develop mining and a ferrochrome smelting plant.
The registration deadline is November 12, 2024, and organisations are emphasising the importance of public involvement in deciding on projects that could permanently alter the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-protected region in Limpopo.
The MMSEZ, a joint China-South Africa project, covers 60 square kilometres and is intended as a high-impact industrial zone concentrating on coal and steel production.
Situated north of the Soutpansberg Mountains, the MMSEZ South Site would host facilities ranging from a 10 million tonnes per annum coal washery to a 1 million tonne per annum ferrochrome smelter, with an energy-intensive steel production chain.
Environmental groups warn that this project poses severe environmental and health risks, especially given its reliance on coal resources from the Greater Soutpansberg Coalfield.
Lauren Liebenberg from Living Limpopo has highlighted the procedural irregularities in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, which is being facilitated by Gudani Consulting on behalf of Chinese operators EMSEZ/SAEMB and Kinetic Development.
“The scale of these projects is being downplayed by fragmenting their approvals,” she stated.
“The cumulative impact on the biosphere reserve and local communities requires urgent scrutiny.”
Gudani Consulting has presented the EIA scoping report and held a public meeting on September 13, raising concerns about a “bundled” EIA approach that some see as a tactic to bypass full cumulative impact assessments.
The proposed 1,000MW solar PV plant alone would require the clearance of up to 4,000 hectares of indigenous vegetation, yet it would only partially meet the zone’s power needs, calling into question the project’s sustainability claims.
Environmental and legal groups such as CALS, along with Living Limpopo, have formally registered objections to what they describe as procedural short-cuts and are pushing for stronger public representation.
Community members can still register their interest directly through Gudani Consulting by emailing Mr Setenane Nkopane at setenane@gudaniconsulting.co.za or by joining Living Limpopo as a member, gaining representation in ongoing efforts to prevent significant environmental degradation in the area.
Residents and interested parties are encouraged to make their voices heard by registering as stakeholders before the November 12 deadline to ensure meaningful participation in the decision to approve or deny these projects.
IOL