A farmer from Delmas, Mpumalanga has lodged a complaint against mining company Exxaro with the Blue Scorpions, Beeld reported on Monday.
The mining giant had allegedly destroyed one wetland and commenced mining in a second.
Three weeks ago Minister of Water and Environment Affairs Edna
Molewa, in a written response to a question by the Democratic Alliance, said Exxaro had broken the law at its Leeuwpan coal mine.
Delmas farmer Peet Bezuidenhout said on Sunday he had complained to Blue Scorpions head Nigel Adams, because Exxaro had depleted a wetland area, and now, most recently, drained a pan before beginning another mining operation. The wetland area and the pan were situated next to each other on the farm Weltevreden.
Adams said law enforcers would visit the farm on Monday.
Exxaro spokesman Hilton Atkinson told Beeld he would respond to questions on Monday.
Molewa said in her written response to the DA that officials from her department had already visited the farm twice, and that Exxaro had been explicitly warned it had damaged the wetland, and transgressed the terms of its licensing agreement.
According to Molewa, the mining giant was not allowed to use any water that affected the functioning of the wetland. - Sapa