Environmental lobby groups are continuing to block a planned R600-million investment by Australian miner Coal of Africa to resume operations at Vele Colliery, adjacent to the Mapungubwe World Heritage site in Limpopo.
This week the coalition of NGOs, the Mapungubwe Action Campaign, appealed the authorisation granted to Coal of Africa to rectify certain activities unlawfully undertaken at Vele.
Next week the coalition will approach the Water Tribunal to appeal against the granting of the water-use licence to the company in March.
The coalition is also appealing the mining right granted by the department of mineral resources, as well as the associated approval of the company's environmental management programme. The coalition further launched interdict proceedings to stop Coal of Africa from carrying on any mining or related operations on the Vele site.
However, Coal of Africa CEO John Wallington said operations at Vele would start soon.
Wallington said Coal of Africa would deal with environmental appeals as they came.
"The mine is 14km from the buffer zone and 28km from the Mapungubwe park," he said.
Coal of Africa has spent between R3-million and R4-million to keep the Vele assets under care and management.
The delay in operations at Vele, which produces coking coal, has resulted in the company losing out on lucrative exports from the Richards Bay Coal Terminal.
Coal exports from Africa's biggest facility for shipping the fuel rose to 4.78 million tons last month from 3.57 million in May.
The coalition says mining threatens the status of Mapungubwe as an international heritage site and endangers its biodiversity.
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