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 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.
PPP Part 3: The Vital Roles of EAPs and I&APs in the Public Participation Process
Most people have not heard of an Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) unless they have already engaged with the Public Participation Process (PPP). This is the legally mandated mechanism to assess all types of developments, including mining applications. EAPs are the professionals tasked with managing the PPP on behalf of mining applicants, and while many operate ethically, some do not, with potentially devastating consequences.
Legal experts raise red flag about Draft Mineral Resources Bill
Environmental NGO Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has slammed the Draft Mineral Resources Development Bill for changes that it warns could exclude communities from public participation, strip away environmental safeguards, and set a dangerous precedent by centralising state control.