#CancelCoal

Our Future Now!

The #CancelCoal campaign is a youth-led campaign by the African Climate Alliance, Vukani Environmental Movement, and groundWork. It calls for the end of new coal in South Africa and supports the landmark legal case of the same name, represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights. 

The legal case is a constitutional challenge to the South African government’s plans to introduce 1500 MW of new coal-fired power electricity - the equivalent of three to four large power plants. We are asking the court to put a stop to the government’s call for the development of this new coal capacity. 

Leading the Charge to End New Coal for our Just Future

It is the first time in South African history that youth have led on a climate change court case against the government!

Why is #CancelCoal important?

Those who live on the coal front are already suffering extreme health problems because of poor air quality around coal plants. Air pollution from coal-fired power stations kills more than 2,200 South Africans every year and causes thousands of cases of bronchitis and asthma in adults and children annually. This costs the country more than R30 billion annually, through hospital admissions and lost working days.

  • The proposed new coal development threatens the constitutional rights of the people of South Africa, both now and in the future. This includes the right to a healthy environment, the best interests of the child, and the right to life, dignity, and equality. These human rights violations will especially affect young people and women.

    We are fighting now for our future rights!

    Building new coal power plants does not align with or support global efforts to stop a climate crisis from happening.

    It has been proven that there is no reasonable or justifiable reason to build new coal power plants, especially because renewable energy is cheaper, cleaner and less harmful.

Stay updated with the Cancel Coal Campaign

Our #CancelCoal campaign has a regular newsletter that is published to share campaign updates and a news bulletin. The newsletter also features a section for art, called 'Art of the week', where we give a space and a platform for different artists to share their work for positive change.

Our vision for a new society without the dangers of coal

  • A world where people are prioritised over profits and the future is safeguarded for future generations! 

  • A nation that has gone through a comprehensive Just Energy Transition where coal communities have been upskilled and new jobs have been created. Where South Africans can actively participate in the “green economy”.

  • A country where there is active and strengthened public participation through meaningful inclusion of women, youth and other marginalised groups in decision-making processes that affect them.

Case Updates

  • In a significant development, the Cancel Coal court case has taken a new turn with the inclusion of the Minister of Electricity.

    After a 17-month delay caused by the Minister of Mineral Resources & Energy’s failure to release all relevant records, the applicants filed their supplementary founding affidavit on September 6, 2023. The Minister of Electricity’s newly acquired powers in determining new generation capacity make his inclusion in the case necessary.

    Now, the #CancelCoal applicants await the government’s responding affidavits as they continue grassroots mobilization and capacity building, striving for a just future.

    Read more here.

  • In an initial legal victory for the #CancelCoal court case, the High Court of Pretoria ordered the minister of Mineral Resources and Energy to release documents relating to Minister Mantashe’s decision to include new coal power in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP), and the 2020 Ministerial determination for new coal, also issued under the IRP. This is an important step in clearing the way for the main #CancelCoal case to proceed.


    This comes after the African Climate Alliance, Vukani Environmental Movement, and GroundWork filed a rule 30A application compelling the mininster to release planning documents relating to his decision to include new coal in the IRP after the minister had refused to provide these documents.

  • On November 16th, ACA and other applicants went to the Pretoria High Court to bring the 30A application to compel the Minister of Mineral Resources & Energy to release records relating to the Minister’s decision to include new coal power in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP), and the Ministerial determination for new coal issued under the IRP.

    On 25 November the initial legal victory took place when Michau AJ of the Pretoria High Court ordered the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy to release records relating to the Minister’s decision to include new coal power in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP), and the 2020 Ministerial determination for new coal issued under the IRP. The court ordered the Minister to release the documents in question within 10 days and ordered government to pay costs, clearing the way for the main #CancelCoal case to proceed.

  • In May Minister Mantashe stated that he intended to oppose our application to get all the documentation needed. This came as no surprise and can be seen as an obstructive tactic to delay the case. We, however, proceeded with the appropriate course of action against the Minister.

    NERSA on the other hand had requested that we give it an undertaking that we would not pursue an order against it. NERSA stated that it had provided us with complete records despite not providing us with all of the documents we had requested nor providing us with an affidavit stating that these documents do not exist. So whilst we will not be taking further action against NERSA it does highlight questions around the lawfulness of NERSA supporting Minister Mantashe in his decision to allow for the procurement of new coal in our IRP.

  • In April we as the applicants filed a rule 30A application against Minister Mantashe. This is a separate smaller court application to force the Minister and NERSA (by order of court) to provide us with the outstanding record documents that they have failed or refused to provide which are necessary for the case to proceed.

  • On 1 February 2022 we released another public update on the case after Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) officially responded to state that they will be opposing the cancel coal court case in court.

  • The case launches