. The Mpumalanga government has revoked the status of the Mabola Protected Environment, in a move that activists fear will open up the way for mining in the area. Former MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs Vusi Shongwe revoked the protected area status for a portion of the Mabola Protected Environment (MPE), a highly sensitive protected grassland and water catchment area. Zanele Shabangu, head of communication in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Rural Development, told GroundUp the decision had been taken “after intense interrogation and consideration of all the facts that were presented before him by the Voice Community, the SA National Botanical Institute (SANBI) and civil rights non-profit organisations.”