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Deadly Air Case: The Struggle to Breathe Clean Air in Mpumalanga goes to Court
Landmark #DeadlyAir air pollution case against South African government will be heard in the Pretoria High Court from 17 May 2021 -
Two environmental justice groups are asking the High Court to declare the poor ambient air quality in the Highveld Priority Area a violation of the Constitutional right to an environment not harmful to health or well-being.
Scenes from Wayawaya settlement on the outskirts of Phola: Image by Daylin Paul
17 May 2021 - Today, the Pretoria High Court will for the first time start to hear arguments in a court case that has become known as the “Deadly Air” case: a case about the toxic air pollution on the Mpumalanga Highveld.
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PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa’s failure to tackle toxic levels of air pollution produced by burning coal is a violation its post-Apartheid constitution, activists and a U.N. rights expert said in court on Monday. General view of the coal-based Kriel Power Station owned by state power utility Eskom in Mpumalanga, near Kriel, South Africa, February 17, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo
Campaigners are suing the South African government in the High Court, hoping to force tougher action against heavy polluters such as state power company Eskom and liquid fuel producer Sasol. The campaigners say tougher action is required to enforce a constitutional guarantee of the right to an environment not harmful to health.
Activists and government lock horns over coal pollution
By Reuters
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PRETORIA - South Africa s failure to tackle toxic levels of air pollution produced by burning coal is a violation its post-Apartheid constitution, activists and a U.N. rights expert said in court on Monday.
Campaigners are suing the South African government in the High Court, hoping to force tougher action against heavy polluters such as state power company Eskom and liquid fuel producer Sasol. The campaigners say tougher action is required to enforce a constitutional guarantee of the right to an environment not harmful to health.
Environment Minister Barbara Creecy acknowledges that air pollution is a problem, but her submission to the court says the constitution does not require the ministry to impose stiffer rules. Using the constitution to try to force the minister s hand violates the separation of powers, she argues.
Heavy industries and Eskom power stations on the Highveld play a vital role in sustaining South Africa’s economy, but this cannot be used to justify the excessive levels of air pollution that ‘kill 10,000 people each year’, environmental justice groups argued in the Gauteng High Court on.
Activists and South African gov t lock horns over coal pollution reuters.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from reuters.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.