Mabola is a strategic water source that feeds four of South Africa’s major rivers, but the government has approved a licence to mine coal there. Oxpeckers broke the story in 2015, and recently paid a site visit to the Mabola headwaters Text: Oscar Nkala Photos & drone footage: Johnny Miller / AfricanDrone Bird’s-eye view of the waterfall above the gorge at the headwaters of Mabola river A noteworthy thing about the 32 metre-high waterfall above the gorge at the headwaters of Mabola river in Mpumalanga is its striking resemblance to the world-famous Victoria Falls on the Zambezi river. Although the five metre-wide stream that forms the headwaters of Mabola is by no means comparable in size to the Zambezi, the river and its high water-yield catchment area have generated as much controversy as the Victoria Falls has earned itself fame. The Mabola river is a key component of the Mabola Protected Environment, a 8,772ha zone of protected wetlands, pans and endangered grassland ecosystem which together form the Enkangala strategic water source area. The importance of Mabola is that it is the source of four major rivers – the Pongola, Tugela, Vaal and Usutu – which support huge communities and economic activities downstream. Enkangala supplies water to South Africa’s economic hub, Gauteng, and is an important source for the agricultural sector in the KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provinces. The protected area proclamation of January 2014 designated Enkangala as a national freshwater ecosystem priority area, and a critical aquatic biodiversity zone. Four other wetland areas in Mpumalanga province were declared strategic water sources, critical for the generation of national water supplies for agricultural, industrial and human use. However, the fate of the Enkangala strategic water source hangs in the balance after Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa approved an application for coal mining by Indian company Atha Africa Ventures. Although the approval was signed off in November 2016, it was only made public in January 2017. The mining licence is now the subject of a legal challenge filed by the Centre for Environmental Rights on behalf of concerned citizens and organisations who fear the introduction of coal mining will destroy Mabola’s strategic water source, biodiversity and cultural values. Concerns have also been raised over the possible introduction of chemical poisons that could contaminate the environment and underground water systems. The government has defended the mining licence, saying despite moves towards renewable energy forms South Africa still needs coal-fired power stations to generate electricity. Shoni Munzhedzi, deputy director of biodiversity and conversation at the environment department, told a recent meeting of the parliamentary portfolio committee on environmental affairs that there were sufficient laws to deal with mining-related issues in sensitive environments. Mabola would be a “mixed-land use” area with a plan that recognised its high water yield and cultural values and with mining incorporated as a third feature of land use. Legislative guidelines drawn from the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Constitution and the National Environment Management Act would be used to set the conditions for granting mining applications and mitigation measures for environmental damage. In an interview with Oxpeckers during a recent site visit to Mabola, WWF-SA chief executive Morné du Plessis said the mixed-land use pattern proposed by the government would destroy the strategic water source value of Mabola. “By its very nature, coal mining is highly destructive and poisonous to the environment. It is not compatible with the conservation of biodiversity or pristine environments of fragile ecosystems like Mabola,” he said. “If allowed to continue, the proposed coal mine in Mabola will set a dangerous precedent that will expose all of South Africa’s protected environments to encroachment from mining and other plunderous land uses.” Seven busloads of protesters turned up at the start of the Journey of Water at Mabola The polarising effects of the coal mining plan were underlined when seven busloads of protesters turned up at the start of the Journey of Water, an annual WWF-SA event launched this year at Mabola, to denounce the organisation’s involvement in campaigning against the mine. Waving placards inscribed with political messages such as “WWF, go back to Australia”, the protesters accused the organisation of denying them mining-related benefits such as jobs and economic empowerment. However, a local farmer told Oxpeckers that only 10 out of the estimated 170 protestors were locals.