PRESS RELEASE

From: All Rise Attorneys for Climate and Environmental Justice

11 May 2026  |  For Immediate Release

Community Calls on SA Lithium to Withdraw Flawed Mine Expansion Application

Submission on behalf of local coalition exposes legal, environmental and procedural failures in proposed expansion of open pit lithium mine and waste dump near Umzumbe, KwaZulu-Natal

On 29 April 2026, All Rise Attorneys for Climate and Environmental Justice submitted a comprehensive objection to SA Lithium's applications to amend its environmental authorisation and waste management licence for the Highbury mine. The submission was lodged on behalf of the UGU Mining Integrity Land Action (UMILA) Association and ten supporting local organisations.

UMILA was established in March 2025 by the Southbroom Ratepayers Association after a prospecting right application was found to threaten the Umtamvuna River and its source, which supplies potable water to more than 100,000 homes. The Basic Assessment Report submitted in support of that application was procedurally irregular under NEMA and substantively flawed, having failed to account for the potable water supply line running from Port Edward to Southbroom. The episode underscored the need for a cohesive regional voice along the Ugu strip, capable of representing residents, landowners, conservation interests, agricultural producers, business stakeholders and custodians of cultural heritage in defence of the area's ecological integrity and biodiversity.

In the twelve months that followed, UMILA has identified 19 prospecting and mining-related applications across the South Coast, submitted ten formal comment reports and lodged one appeal. Desktop research conducted by the Association revealed that many of the applicant companies had limited operational experience in mining. In response, UMILA launched community fundraising initiatives to secure access to independent environmental legal expertise, enabling affected communities along the coastline to participate meaningfully in statutory environmental authorisation processes.

SA Lithium (Pty) Ltd operates the Highbury Mine, an open-cast lithium mine near the town of Umzumbe on KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast. The company is now seeking to expand its open pit from 40 hectares to approximately 150 hectares and its mine waste dump from 56 hectares to around 180 hectares, which would increase annual production to 250,000 tonnes and extend the mine's operational life by an estimated 20 years. The mine sits within a region known for its Blue Flag beaches, sugarcane farming and growing ecotourism economy. Its development has already drawn considerable scrutiny.

Wrong legal process

At the heart of the objection is the contention that SA Lithium is using the wrong legal process. The company is seeking to use a Basic Assessment process to apply for an amendment to simultaneously correct errors in existing licences, obtain retrospective authorisation for activities already underway without approval, and secure permission for a major expansion that would increase the mine's footprint by at least threefold. All Rise argues that these activities require separate application processes under NEMA and NEMWA, including Scoping and Environmental Impact Reporting, as well as Section 24G applications for activities commenced without authorisation. The submission calls on SA Lithium to withdraw its current applications and restart the process in accordance with the correct legal procedures.

Critical gaps in specialist studies

Only two of the eighteen specialist studies identified as necessary by the official Screening Report have been conducted for the proposed expansion. Studies covering geohydrology, air quality, noise, social impact, health, wetlands, aquatic biodiversity, climate change, traffic, geochemistry and seismicity are entirely absent. The two studies that were updated – terrestrial biodiversity and heritage impact assessments – are themselves identified as materially deficient. The Environmental Assessment Practitioner has instead relied on studies prepared for the original 2023 authorisation, none of which assessed the currently proposed expansion.

Inadequate public participation

The submission also documents procedural failings. Interested and affected parties were denied access to all material information despite multiple requests. The mandatory minimum 30-day comment period was therefore not observed. Information was provided predominantly in English and electronic format, effectively excluding the majority of isiZulu-speaking community members.

Environmental and social concerns

The proposed threefold expansion raises serious environmental concerns that have not been adequately assessed. The mine sits within a sensitive water source area containing multiple aquifers, rivers, wetlands and estuaries upon which surrounding communities and commercial farmers depend for drinking water and agriculture. Water abstraction and pollution pose a high risk to these systems. Yet the Basic Assessment Report contains no groundwater baseline, no aquifer modelling, no assessment of acid mine drainage risks, and no evaluation of contamination pathways into the Umzumbe and Injambili rivers and estuaries. The expansion will also destroy critical biodiversity areas containing endangered KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland, with no meaningful quantification of habitat loss, no identification of no-go zones, and no assessment of cumulative impacts on flora, fauna and aquatic ecosystems.

Beyond water and biodiversity, the communities living adjacent to the mine face a broad range of unassessed threats. Increased blasting, dust and heavy vehicle traffic will expose residents, schoolchildren and livestock to harmful particulates, which may include silica and metal-laden dust, with no air quality modelling conducted for the expanded activities. Sensitive receptors, including schools and creches, have not been comprehensively identified and assessed in the draft Basic Assessment Report. Notably, the George Mbhele High School, Inala Primary School and Umthobho Creche, all situated within the mining area, have not been mentioned at all. Thousands of community members face potential resettlement and relocation of graves, yet the psychological, cultural and economic impacts of this dispossession have not been assessed. The rehabilitation and closure plan is inadequate, with insufficient financial provisioning and no long-term strategy for managing contaminated water and unstable infrastructure after the mine eventually closes. 

Other unassessed impacts include impacts on tourism, commercial and small-scale farming, and subsistence and recreational fishing. 

Once the EAP finalises the BAR and submits it to the Department, the Department will have 107 days to accept or reject the application.

Quote from All Rise:

"The process is materially flawed and cannot be salvaged in its current form. The correct legal path begins with a Section 24G application under NEMA for activities already commenced without authorisation, followed by a full restart of the environmental assessment process using the appropriate procedures." Janice Tooley, Attorney, All Rise

Quote from UMILA:

"This is not an isolated mine application. Our inclusive policy that no man is an island, makes our comment reports strong, unified and diverse. Every report is authentic to the region, the people, their identities and values, in representing how we work together and with nature. It's a humble and gratifying experience when integrated, inland and coastal, farmers and indigenous residents and holiday makers all come together and give back to the community. This is what makes us joyous." UMILA

Link to Draft BAR comments:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/157e3OhriGg61piU_65b7jniiG_yBRzHL?usp=drive_link

Media Contact

Kirsten Youens, All Rise Attorneys for Climate and Environmental Justice

Email: kyouens@allrise.org.za  |  0612266868

UMILA:  umilainfo@gmail.com

ENDS