IN THE NEWS

Out of Mined wins Cannes Film Award after sold out World Premiere

The international extent of Protect the West Coast (PTWC) took a giant leap forward over the weekend when the feature documentary, ‘Out of Mined’, which was produced in association with Eyeforce, won a Cannes Film Award. The prestigious honour came a little more than a week after the film held its world premiere at a packed out Labia Theatre, selling out all four cinemas at the iconic Cape Town venue, and then selling out an additional screening a week later.

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June 30, 2026

Controversial St Helena Bay Prospecting Application Rejected

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) has refused to issue an Environmental Authorisation for an application by Gauteng based company Zuculox (Pty) Ltd to prospect for diamonds, copper, tungsten and heavy minerals at Britannia Bay, near St Helena Bay on the Cape West Coast. The prospecting application attracted attention because it was the furthest south such an application – initially made public in mid-2025 – had ever been made, and was located in the middle of farmland and residential zones, in an environmentally sensitive area.

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June 4, 2026

Lungs of the World: The Benguela Marine Ecosystem off the West Coast

In the second part of our positive, science-based series, we dive into the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME). Considered one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world, this system off the West Coast hosts a huge diversity of marine species and supports nearly 10 million people along its shores, and beyond. This is why it is important to consider the long-term impacts of extraction as mining creeps from the land into the sea.

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June 4, 2026

Return of the Giants: Humpback Superpods recorded off West Coast

Renowned ocean conservationist and apex predator specialist Chris Fallows has been in the news after he recorded world record ‘superpods’ of humpback whales off the West Coast. Chris spoke to Protect the West Coast (PTWC) about this significant conservation victory and what a critically important role whales play in the ocean ecosystem. The discovery is great news for the West Coast … for a change. Part 1 of a series of positive stories about the region.

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May 28, 2026

PTWC Appeals Flawed Authorisation Granted to Richwill Diamonds in Northern Cape

Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has filed an appeal against an Environmental Authorisation (EA) granted to Richwill Diamonds to prospect for diamonds along a critically sensitive stretch of Northern Cape coastline. The appeal identifies several serious flaws in the assessment and decision-making process. It is the latest development in a saga involving Richwill’s attempts to prospect in the area – including a charge of alleged trespass on one of the affected farms – that has been running for years, and across two provinces.

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May 20, 2026

Approval of Inadequate Environmental Management Programme Spurs PTWC Appeal

Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has lodged an appeal against the approval of an upgraded Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) for Trans Hex’s diamond mining operations in sea concessions and corresponding surf zones 11A, 12A and 13A along the West Coast. PTWC contends that the approval is unlawful because it is built on incomplete science, and the upgraded EMPr is now missing rehabilitation obligations included in a previous iteration of the EMPr. Moreover, despite a 2023 High Court Order that specifically required Trans Hex to conduct adequate specialist studies, identify no-go areas, assess cumulative impacts and properly engage with the coastal communities most affected, the PTWC appeal contends that these have not been sufficiently complied with.

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May 5, 2026

PTWC Annual Impact Report showcases significant progress

Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has published its Annual Impact Report, covering the period from March 2025 to February 2026. The report outlines steady growth within the organisation, and details a series of successful special projects that have set the environmental NGO up for a strategic boost in 2026 and 2027. Now entering its sixth year, PTWC has evolved from a grassroots watchdog into an entity wielding considerable scientific and legal gravitas that pressures the government and mining industry to create a more just and sustainable future for the people and environment of the West Coast.

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May 5, 2026

PTWC lodges another appeal against Cape Nickel Environmental Authorisation

Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has submitted a second appeal this year against an Environmental Authorisation granted to Cape Nickel Ventures for prospecting in the Northern Cape. The appeal highlights growing concern that approvals issued by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) are not based on proper assessment of key impacts, and that specialist studies are delayed, mitigation measures are vague or incomplete, and public participation processes are flawed and inadequate.

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April 21, 2026

Debut Special Report Exposes a Broken Regulatory Framework

Protect the West Coast’s first Special Report, ‘The Tipping Point’, brought our legal, science and media teams together to create a unique 56-page expose on the state of the West Coast. Packed with history, stats and other information, the report unpacks the damage from decades of heavy mineral and diamond mining, partly as a result of weak regulatory oversight. But all is not lost. We make the case for better enforcement of existing legislation, a moratorium on new mining applications while an assessment of cumulative impacts is conducted, and more investment in alternative economic solutions, such as nature-based industries, including ecotourism.

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April 17, 2026

PTWC Appeals Trans Hex Authorisation to Mine for Diamonds Offshore

Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has formally submitted an appeal against the decision to grant an Environmental Authorisation to Trans Hex for diamond mining in Sea Concession 13B off the West Coast adjacent to Doringbaai, Strandfontein and Papendorp, just south of the Olifants River Mouth. The appeal, lodged on 27 March 2026, challenges the decision on the basis that it was granted despite significant gaps in environmental assessment, procedural shortcomings, and unresolved concerns relating to marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods.

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April 1, 2026