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Civil society organisations say it will be a dark moment for democracy if the government opposes this week s judgment to dissolve the Makana Council. Illegal dumping back in the spotlight
More than 100 loads of dumped waste were removed from Aiken Street during three weeks in 2019 and 15 loads were removed from outside JD Dlepu stadium in Joza from 29-31 October. From October through December of that year, skips and containers across the town were emptied 71 times.
This information is contained in the Council’s Social Development portfolio minutes of 28 January 2020. It forms part of Makana Municipality’s response to an October 2020 court application.
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Coalition condemns MEC’s decision to revoke protected area to allow new coal mine
Water heritage under threat Mabola Protected Environment, Wakkerstroom, Mpumalanga, faces potentially catastrophic threats from a new coal mine. One of only 22 Strategic Water Source Areas in the country, it is composed mostly of wetlands, pans and endangered grassland ecosystems that support endangered species and the provision of clean water. The mine is set to cause irreversible damage to the sensitive and critically important aquatic environment. Picture: JAMES OATWAY for CER.
11 February 2021 - Last month, the Mpumalanga Provincial MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, MEC VR Shongwe, published his decision to revoke the protected area status for a large part of the Mabola Protected Environment in Mpumalanga in order to enable a controversial new coal mine to proceed.
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The PHA (Philippi Horticultural Area) Food and Farming Campaign says the massive Oakland City development could destroy farming on the land and dry up the aquifer.
Public participation on the environmental impact of the 479-hectare development is open until 24 February.
The Oakland development proposes housing for 15,000 families, schools, and commercial and industrial properties, with 77 hectares for conservation and wetlands.
The Western Cape high court in February 2020 ordered Anton Bredell, MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, to reconsider his decision in March 2017 to grant environmental authorisation to the Oakland development.
The PHA Campaign had taken the department, the City of Cape Town, and Oakland City Development to court, arguing for the “survival of unique and irreplaceable farmlands of the PHA” that is situated in an ideal farming climate.
The lack of water and sanitation, infrastructure, PPEs and learner transportation are some of the concerns raised by the DA about schools' state of readiness.