A Mpumalanga family has issued a R4m legal demand against Mafube Coal Mining, alleging that persistent, unmonitored blasting at the colliery has severely damaged their ancestral rural homestead and put their lives at risk.

In a formal letter of demand sent by Sylvester Mahlangu Attorneys Inc on behalf of resident Themba Mahlangu, the family gave the mine 30 days to pay the claim or 10 days to enter formal negotiations before facing high court action.

The legal demand follows an investigation by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate, which confirmed operational failures by the mine, including an unannounced late blast on March 24 that left the residence unmonitored, and a pre-split blast on March 27 conducted without ground vibration or noise tracking.

Technical surveys attached to the claim reveal extensive cracking, masonry displacement, and collapsed walls, rendering the family’s long-standing home structurally unsafe and at severe risk of total collapse.

The lawyers argue that the family, who cannot afford to relocate without assistance, have had their constitutional rights violated, as the mine failed to provide emergency shelter or negotiate a fair relocation plan.

Mafube Coal has firmly rejected the R4m demand through its legal team, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Inc.

The mine maintains that the homestead lies up to 9.2km away, well outside the standard 2km blast zone and cites independent engineering reports attributing the damage to natural weather and mud-brick degradation rather than blasting.

The colliery also cited alleged past threats of violence by Mahlangu against mine staff and stated it is prepared to defend itself in court while reserving the right to file defamation charges.