TGME Rietfontein EA & WUL

Transvaal Gold Mining Estates Limited (TGME) is planning to redevelop its existing Rietfontein Underground Mine, located approximately 5 km from Sabie in the Mpumalanga province. The Rietfontein Existing Underground Mine Redevelopment Project (the project) area extends over various farms, including Waterval 168 JT, Maliveld Vallei 192 JT, Spitskop 195 JT, and 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 Spitzkop 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 redevelopment project includes the use of existing adits, new development ends, an additional underground decline, and the extension of an existing underground decline. Access to the Rietfontein underground workings will be through existing Adits 3 and 4, both situated on Portion 4 of the farm Rietfontein 193 JT. All necessary surface infrastructure to support the underground workings will also be established on Portion 4 of the farm Rietfontein 193 JT, where infrastructure already exists.

These developments and 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, 20141 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.

Documents are available for download

PLEASE NOTE: You will need a password to access the "View Downloads" page.

Before you click on the button below called "View Downloads",
please make sure you have registered and received your password first.

If you have already registered and have received your password,
click on “View Downloads”.