Minister Mantashe confirms Kunolwazi’s rights to mine plots in South Africa — TimesLIVE
In South Africa, Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe dismissed Seriti Power’s appeal and upheld the decision granting Kunolwazi Resources rights to two plots in the Khutala coal area in Mpumalanga province. These are plots 4 and 28 of the Klippoortje farm. This was reported by TimesLIVE.
The minister’s decision
In a letter seen by Business Times, Mantashe stated that department director-general Edson Ragimana lawfully approved the amendment of Kunolwazi’s mining right on April 16, 2026. The decision allowed the disputed plots to be included in it under Section 102 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.
According to the minister, Seriti relinquished a small isolated block within the Khutala mining area. He stressed that Seriti and Kunolwazi’s application for ministerial consent did not state that it was dependent on Eskom’s consent. Mantashe said that after approval was granted, the right passed to Kunolwazi regardless of Eskom’s consent, and that Seriti’s appeal did not demonstrate the unlawfulness, unreasonableness, or procedural unfairness of Ragimana’s decision.
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The companies’ positions
Seriti Power insists that the two plots are an integral part of its mining rights at the Khutala mine and were never either relinquished by the company or transferred to Kunolwazi. The company said that the agreement concluded by the parties in December 2024 had lapsed because a condition precedent was not fulfilled. Seriti also said that related appeals and court applications were pending and promised to take the necessary steps to protect its rights.
Kunolwazi halted work on the disputed plots in May after Seriti approached the Pretoria High Court to challenge the department director-general’s decision. Kunolwazi director Tsepo Seema stated in court papers that Seriti’s actions posed a threat to Kunolwazi and its subsidiary Mbali Coal. According to him, Kunolwazi supported 300 employees and contractors and was suffering immediate significant financial losses. Seema also stated that the transfer of the plots was intended to prevent them from being taken out of development and to ensure optimal mining without affecting Seriti’s contractual obligations to Eskom.
