Project

Transvaal Gold Mining Estates Limited (TGME) propose to redevelop its existing Rietfontein Underground Mine. The Rietfontein Existing Underground Mine Redevelopment Project (the project) area extends over Portion of Portion 16 of the farm Waterval 168 JT, Portion of the Remaining extent of the farm Maliveld Vallei 192 JT, Portions 2 and 3 and Remaining extent of the farm Spitskop 195 JT, Portion of Portions 1, 4 and 6 of farm Rietfontein 193 JT (Project Area).

The Project Area overlaps with two mining right areas that has been granted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act 28 of 2002) (MPRDA):
• 358MR (DMRE reference number MP30/5/1/2/2/358MR), granted on 17 February 2012, effective from 5 June 2013, covering parts of the Waterval 168 JT, Maliveld Vallei 192 JT, Spitskop 195 JT, and Rietfontein 193 JT farms. This mining right is valid for 15 years until 4 June 2028.
• 10161MR (DMRE reference number MP30/5/1/2/3/3/10161MR) granted on 17 March 2019, includes the farms Spitskop 195 JT, Hendriksdal 216 JT, Grootfontein 196 JT, Waterval 168 JT, Sheba 219 JT, Vertroosting 218 JT, Olifants Geraamte 198 JT, and Rietfontein 193 JT.

The Rietfontein underground workings will be accessed through existing Adits 3 and 4 that are located on a portion of Portion 4 of the farm Rietfontein 193 JT. All surface infrastructure required to support the underground workings, will be located on Portion 4 of the farm Rietfontein 193 JT where existing infrastructure is located.

The introduction of ancillary infrastructure triggers Listed Activities under the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act 107 of 1998) (NEMA) and the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act 59 of 2008) (NEMWA) requiring that a Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process be undertaken to obtain an integrated Environmental Authorisation (EA).
The current 358MR mining right area is divided in two by the Rietfontein 193 JT farms, which form part of the 10161MR. The confirmed Rietfontein reef stretches over the Rietfontein 193 JT, Maliveld Vallei 192 JT and Spitskop 195 JT farms. An application in terms of Section 102 of the MPRDA to obtain consent from the Minister to move the Rietfontein 193 JT properties from the 10161MR to the 358MR area was submitted on 8 July 2020 and is currently pending approval (Section 102 application).

At the time of the Section 102 application an EA was not required in terms of the NEMA for amendments to mining rights. This however became a requirement in 2021 when the NEMA EIA Regulations, 2014 and Listing Notices 2 were amended in June 2021. The EA application therefore seeks to authorise both the amendment of the mining right in terms of section 102 of the MPRDA and the ancillary activities associated with the redevelopment project.

OMI Solutions (Pty) Ltd (OMI) has been appointed as the independent environmental assessment practitioner to undertake the Scoping and EIA process which is aimed at critically evaluating the potential environmental and social impacts of the proposed project.