John Yeld | Bizcommunity

John Yeld | Bizcommunity

News

Eskom’s current and only nuclear power station located at Koeberg, Western Cape. Archive photo: Brent Meersman

Nuclear Power

Public gets three more weeks to comment on Eskom nuclear site — but critics say it’s not enough

John Yeld 3 hours

Rapid wind farm development just beyond the boundaries of Eskom’s consolidated Thyspunt properties has already created a large network of new powerlines. Photos: John Yeld

Nuclear Power

Thyspunt recommended for Eskom’s new nuclear power station

John Yeld 15 Apr 2026

Source: GroundUp. Bulk services work on Botmaskop Estate at Helshoogte outside Stellenbosch before an April 2025 interdict prohibited any further construction.

Property Development

Judgment reserved in Stellenbosch luxury estate battle

John Yeld 16 Mar 2026

Raising revenue from alien invasives

Agriculture

Raising revenue from alien invasives

John Yeld 13 Jan 2026

Four months ago, final environmental authorisation was given for the construction of a second nuclear power plant for South Africa at Duynefontein, which currently hosts the 1,940-megawatt (MW) Koeberg nuclear facility, pictured above. Photo: Brent Meersman

Nuclear Power

Eskom starts environmental assessment for a third nuclear power station

John Yeld 3 Dec 2025

Source: John Yeld. Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area conservation manager Erica Brink and operations manager Ross Kettles. In the background is part of the wetlands where hippos were reintroduced after being shot out more than 150 years ago.

Land Policy, Reform & Restitution

How a group of landowners brought the Agulhas Plain back to life

John Yeld 19 Nov 2025

Source: Holland & Associates (fair use). The Namaquasfontein Skool Dam was illegally enlarged in 2017.

Construction & Engineering

Illegal enlargement of West Coast farm dam condoned

John Yeld 27 Jun 2025

Further work on the Botsmaskop Fynbos Estate has been halted by the Western Cape High Court. Photo from an appendix in court papers.

Land Policy, Reform & Restitution

Court halts further work on luxury Stellenbosch mountain estate

John Yeld 23 Apr 2025

An architect’s impression of the proposed retirement complex at Sedgefield. Graphic: Eco Route Environmental Consultancy (Draft Amendment Report).

Land & Property Law

Developer sues Sedgefield environmentalist for R5m

John Yeld 19 Mar 2025

Conservationists argued that current no-fishing zones are inadequate to prevent the African Penguin’s extinction. Archive photo: John Yeld / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Settlement reached in African Penguin case

John Yeld 13 Mar 2025

All infrastructure work on the R300m Botmaskop Fynbos Estate on the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek has already been completed. Photo from an appendix in the respondent’s court papers.

Property

Parties hold their breath in battle over R300m Stellenbosch mountain estate

John Yeld 26 Feb 2025

Conservation groups want new “sweet spot” no-fishing zones around African Penguin breeding colonies, arguing current zones are inadequate to prevent the species’ extinction. Archive photo: John Yeld / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Major showdown in court over African Penguin’s future

John Yeld 17 Feb 2025

Beaches along the West Coast were soiled with oil spilling from the wreck of the MV Ultra Galaxy which ran aground in July 2024. Photo: Annalize Barnard / GroundUp

Circular Economy & Waste Management

Wreck of MV Ultra Galaxy confirmed as source of West Coast oil spill

John Yeld 10 Feb 2025

A drone image of oil at the main beach in Strandfontein on the West Coast. Photo: Tania Fouche / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

West Coast beaches polluted by oil spill

John Yeld 3 Feb 2025

#BestofBiz 2024: ESG & Sustainability

ESG & Sustainability

#BestofBiz 2024: ESG & Sustainability

17 Dec 2024

African Penguins (photographed above at the Boulders penguin colony) are critically endangered. Photo: John Yeld/GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Legal delays threaten survival of African Penguins, say conservation groups

John Yeld 12 Dec 2024

African Penguins at Boulders Beach in Cape Town. Archive photo: Ihsaan Haffejee / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Talks on penguin litigation fail to break deadlock

John Yeld 22 Oct 2024

African Penguins at Boulders Beach in Cape Town. Archive photo: Ihsaan Haffejee / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Former environment minister Creecy under fire from penguin conservation groups

John Yeld 1 Oct 2024

African penguins, photographed here in Simon’s Town, could be extinct as soon as 2035, according to BirdLife South Africa and Sanccob (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds). Photo: Dan Callister / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Surprise move in litigation over African Penguins

John Yeld 21 Aug 2024

A cleaned African Penguin swimming at Sanccob's Rietvlei centre in 2018. Photos: John Yeld / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Latest science confirms plummeting penguin population

John Yeld 15 Jul 2024

A government proposal to drop some statutory safeguards for the Kruger National Park has raised the alarm among some experts. Photos: John Yeld

Environment & Natural Resources

New proposal puts Kruger National Park’s environmental safeguards 'at risk'

John Yeld 31 May 2024

Mabola Protected Area in the Mpumalanga grasslands is under threat of coal mining. Archive photo: supplied

Environment & Natural Resources

Proposed coal mine in Mpumalanga grasslands back in court

John Yeld 2 May 2024

The Western Cape High Court has dismissed an attempt by Noordhoek environmentalists to set aside approval for a road link in an area where the endangered Western Leopard Toad breeds. Archive photo: John Yeld / GroundUp

Environment & Natural Resources

Judge rules for 'road' in legal clash with 'toads'

John Yeld 24 Apr 2024

The Alexkor coffer-dam wall between two dams at high tide. Photos from a Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment report titled: “Enforcement: In Loco Inspection Report – The salt/tidal flats of the Orange River Mouth Ramsar site”, published 28 January 2020.

Environment & Natural Resources

Alexkor vs Creecy in environment court battle

John Yeld 12 Apr 2024

African penguins, photographed here in Simon’s Town, could be extinct as soon as 2035, according to BirdLife South Africa and Sanccob (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds). Photos: Dan Callister

Environment & Natural Resources

Minister’s plan could wipe out African penguins, say scientists

John Yeld 25 Mar 2024

Mark Caruso when he was still executive at Mineral Commodities with Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources Gwede Mantashe in February 2019. Caruso is pursuing defamation claims against environmental activists. Archive photo: DMR

Media & Entertainment Law

Aussie mining company “Slapp suit” partly settled out of court

John Yeld 23 Nov 2023

The Olifants River estuary on the West Coast is now protected from diamond mining in terms of a legally binding settlement agreement. Photo: John Yeld | GroundUp

Environmental Law

11th-hour out-of-court settlement reached on West Coast diamond mining

John Yeld 1 Sep 2023

Damage to the West Coast north of the Olifants River estuary caused by previous diamond mining operations (before Trans Hex). Photo: John Yeld | GroundUp

Environmental Law

Court challenge to 30-year extension of West Coast diamond mining rights

John Yeld 28 Aug 2023

The camera trap image that caused all the excitement: the first recorded cheetah in Djibouti for more than three decades. Photo: HawkWatch International

Environment & Natural Resources

Cheetah spotted in Djibouti for the first time in over 30 years

John Yeld 3 Aug 2023

Western Cape government joins battle over mining

Mining

Western Cape government joins battle over mining

John Yeld 23 Feb 2022

A screengrab of Thursday’s virtual Constitutional Court hearing into a R14.25m defamation case brought by Australian mining interests against South African lawyers, activists and a social worker.

Environmental Law

Concourt hears vital defamation case

John Yeld 21 Feb 2022

The Pretoria High Court has stopped Uthaka Energy from starting to mine coal this week in the critical water source area of Mabola, Mpumalanga. Archive photo: supplied

Mining

Court stops Mpumalanga coal mine

John Yeld 26 Mar 2021

The Inyanda-Roodeplaat wind farm site in the Eastern Cape, taken from the cover of an Environmental Impact Report.

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Controversial Watsons' wind farm approval overturned on review

John Yeld 24 Mar 2021

Coffer dam mining operations in 2017. Image from the report Amendment of Environmental Management Programmes for Mining Rights 554MRC, 10025MR, 512MRC and 513MRC - Volume 2: Mining Right 554MRC, November 2017 by SLR Consulting in association with Placer Resource Management.

Mining

Diamond divers warn of damage to seabed from West Coast mining dams

John Yeld 9 Dec 2020

Much of the West Coast between Elands Bay in the south and Alexander Bay in the north is, or has already been, the target of mining operations. Photos: John Yeld

Mining

Court challenge to West Coast beach mining

John Yeld 13 Nov 2020

Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources Gwede Mantashe and Australian mining boss Mark Caruso during the minister’s visit to the Tormin mineral sands mine on the West Coast in February 2019. Photo: John Yeld

Mining

SA-linked Aussie mining executive in trouble with the law at home

John Yeld 6 Oct 2020

The West Coast One wind farm near Vredenburg has operated since 2015. Environment minister Barbara Creecy says the wake effect on this facility of a proposed new neighbouring wind farm must be investigated before it can also be approved. Photo: John Yeld

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Creecy upholds appeal against giant West Coast wind farm

John Yeld 9 Sep 2020

Creecy poised for West Coast wind farm decision

Infrastructure & Utilities

Creecy poised for West Coast wind farm decision

John Yeld 31 Jul 2020

R14m defamation case between Australian miners and critics will make legal history

Media & Entertainment Law

R14m defamation case between Australian miners and critics will make legal history

John Yeld 9 Jun 2020

The map shows the location of the new Juno Wind Farm. Graphic: from the Supplementary Heritage Report by Sarah Winter and Nicolas Baumann (July 2019)

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Giant turbine farm set to harvest West Coast wind

John Yeld 11 May 2020

Barbara Creecy overrules officials on air pollution data

Climate Change

Barbara Creecy overrules officials on air pollution data

John Yeld 16 Apr 2020

Environment minister Barbara Creecy’s decision to allow mining on ten more West Coast beaches has prompted criticism from environmentalists. Photo: John Yeld

Sustainability

"New broom" minister Barbara Creecy raises dust

John Yeld 9 Apr 2020

New twist in Noordhoek wetland road controversy

Sustainable Development

New twist in Noordhoek wetland road controversy

John Yeld 3 Mar 2020

The view looking east across the West Coast with the village of Paternoster in the foreground. The recently approved Boulders Wind farm will stand on the hills in the background, directly in this view. Photo: John Yeld

Renewables & Energy Efficiency

Wind farm says massive new rival could cost it "hundreds of millions" in lost energy

John Yeld 19 Feb 2020

West Coast property owners could be ordered to demolish their houses

Residential Property

West Coast property owners could be ordered to demolish their houses

John Yeld 29 Jan 2020

The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) has conditionally approved the Boulders wind farm project. Image from the Final Environmental Impact Assessment Report by CES (copied for fair use).

Infrastructure & Utilities

Huge West Coast wind farm approved

John Yeld 22 Jan 2020

Mining for heavy minerals on the West Coast beaches north of the Olifants River. Photo: John Yeld

Mining

Bid to protect West Coast jewel from mining

John Yeld 3 Dec 2019

The Constitutional Court has denied Athi-Africa Ventures leave to appeal against a judgment blocking its plan to mine coal in a protected area in Mpumalanga. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks

Mining

Constitutional Court rejects coal mining company's attempt to appeal

John Yeld 20 Nov 2019

Part of the current mineral sands extraction by the Tormin mine on the West Coast. Photo: John Yeld

Mining

State approves Tormin's massive West Coast mining expansion

John Yeld 15 Jul 2019

Court blow for activists being sued by mining company

Media & Entertainment Law

Court blow for activists being sued by mining company

John Yeld 31 May 2019