WWF South Africa has raised an alarm about a mining application submitted by Kropz, a company owned by African Rainbow Capital, to mine phosphate within the boundaries of the West Coast National Park.
According to WWF South Africa, Kropz has formally applied for a section of phosphate-bearing land within the park to be excised to allow mining activities. The request follows a letter sent to South African National Parks, in September 2024, proposing negotiations.
WWF has strongly opposed the application, citing the irreplaceable biodiversity value of the national park system and expressing concern about the precedent this decision may set. “WWF will do anything in its power to preserve the long-term security of irreplaceable biodiversity assets within our national parks system,” the organisation stated.
This latest move comes amid ongoing legal proceedings over Kropz’s failure to implement biodiversity offset conditions required for its adjacent Elandsfontein mine. The mining company began operations in 2015 under the condition that offsets would be implemented within a year – these commitments remain unfulfilled.
WWF has since taken legal action, filing papers with the Cape High Court in March this year, to challenge the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s decision to dismiss an appeal against the removal of those offset obligations.
The land under application lies close to Kropz’s current Elandsfontein site, increasing concern about the potential expansion of mining into protected areas.
