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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
West Coast communities call for sustainable future amid surge in mining applications
In a first of its kind on the West Coast, the Ripple Effect Gathering drew more than 150 Indigenous leaders, fishers, scientists and other stakeholders, who gathered in Langebaan to lay the foundation for a sustainable economic future.
Unusual surge in prospecting applications in Northern and Western Cape a major concern
Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has identified an unusual and alarming surge in prospecting right applications across the Northern Cape and Western Cape since the start of 2026, with at least 48 applications lodged in the past two months. Many fall within sensitive West Coast and Namaqualand areas, and are linked to multiple entities associated with the same sole director. PTWC is concerned about the quality of several submissions, the extent of public participation and the cumulative environmental risks if any of these applications are granted and mining rights follow.
PTWC appeals “woefully inadequate” rehabilitation plan as massive new Northern Cape mine approved
Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has appealed the Environmental Authorisation for a mining operation across a huge area south of the Orange River estuary on the Northern Cape coast. The mining right spans more than 84,000 hectares. PTWC scientists estimate that roughly 5,000 hectares could be mined should this application be successful – an extent equal to 5,000 international rugby fields. PTWC lawyers said that the application lacked meaningful public participation, and was beset by woefully inadequate environmental planning and rehabilitation that posed a significant threat to the environment and communities.
PTWC appeals Environmental Authorisation that threatens sensitive bird habitat
Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has appealed against the Environmental Authorisation (EA) granted by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources for mineral prospecting by Cape Nickel Ventures in Critical Biodiversity Areas in the Northern Cape. The application area is home to several sensitive bird species, many of which are threatened and suffering habitat loss. PTWC contends that the EA does not adhere to requirements under the National Environmental Management Act because it lacks a specialist avifaunal report detailing the impact of drone surveys on bird life that should have been considered by the public before a decision was made.
New Date of March 14 set for Ripple Effect Gathering on the West Coast
Protect the West Coast (PTWC) invites all those who love and support the West Coast to attend the Ripple Effect Gathering at the Langebaan Town Hall on Saturday 14 March for an inclusive celebration and forum to showcase the amazing resilience and potential of the West Coast. We call on like-minded people concerned about the damaging effects of illegal and unchecked mining to gather for a communal brainstorm to come up with strategies to promote alternative, sustainable industries that protect the West Coast environment and the economic future of her people beyond extractive industries.