Coal miner Thungela Resources is progressing its extensive R380-million Kromdraai Water Management Project – an environmental response initiative to restore natural water systems and improve water quality for surrounding communities at its Khwezela Colliery, in Mpumalanga.

The initiative, entailing various rehabilitation interventions, includes an R18-million investment in a newly commissioned water treatment facility, alongside an upgraded liming plant, to improve the quality of water discharged into the Kromdraai Spruit.

As part of the initiative, Thungela invested R80-million to deploy Dongalock technology – a structural sealing system made of UV-ray-resistant recycled polyvinyl chloride.

The passive water treatment technology is designed to prevent future shaft failure and manage stormwater ingress along with enhancing water quality and supporting ecosystem recovery.

As part of its longer-term environmental vision, Thungela is also piloting a 50 000 ℓ-a-day passive water treatment plant in partnership with national mineral research organisation Mintek and the University of Pretoria.

This approach, using biological sulphate reduction and low-energy processes, is being tested for use in post-closure water management at multiple sites.

In addition, another project – the Kromdraai Phytoremediation Project – has been initiated by Thungela and has already seen over 100 000 indigenous trees planted across 80 ha, with a target of one-million trees over 250 ha, to help stabilise mine-affected water through root uptake.

“We’ve seen how rehabilitation works when it’s rooted in science, guided by partnerships and implemented with transparency,” says Thungela rehabilitation and closed mines manager Francois Grove.

Environmental Impact
Aligned to its goal of broader ecosystem recovery, Thungela has achieved a key milestone in its long-term rehabilitation strategy, with what the miner says are “promising ecological signs emerging” in the Wilge-Olifants River catchment.

A key component of the rehabilitation plan is the purpose-built fish breeding facility at Loskop dam, launched in 2023 in partnership with the MPTA.

According to Thungela, the facility is the first of its kind in South Africa and is designed to support ecosystem recovery following a mine-related environmental incident in February 2022.

Thousands of indigenous fish have since been bred and reintroduced into the river system, including species such as Labeobarbus Polylepis (Lowveld largescale yellowfish) along with Tilapia sparrmanii, and Pseudocrenilabrus philander, as well as several species of minnows and barbs.

The fish have been released at strategic points, including the Wilge and Olifants rivers, under the supervision of MPTA aquatic scientists.

Thungela notes that the ecological recovery is now being confirmed through structured monitoring and visible change along the river system, with water quality benchmarks returning to pre-incident conditions, based on regular in-field testing by aquatic scientists.