Earthlife Africa Johannesburg v Minister of Environmental Affairs and others
07 March 2017
High Court of the Republic of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria
Case no. 65662/16
Date: 8 March 2017
Judge: Murphy J
Judicial review application against the decision by the Chief Director of the Department of Environmental Affairs (Chief Director) to grant environmental authorisation for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 and the decision of the Minister of Environmental Affairs to dismiss the appeal of Earthlife Afirca Johannesburg (Earthlife) against the Chief Director’s decision.
In Earthlife’s appeal, it was argued that the Chief Director’s decision was not lawful because no climate change impact assessment was conducted as part of the environmental impact assessment report submitted by Thabametsi Power Company (Pty) Ltd to the Chief Director for consideration. The Minister upheld the decision of the Chief Director to grant environmental authorisation for the proposed Thabametsi coal-fired power station on the condition that a climate change impact assessment is conducted.
The Court set aside the Minister’s decision to dismiss Earthlife’s appeal and remitted Earthlife’s appeal back to the Minister for reconsideration.
