South Africa: Pig Farm Vs Power Station - South African Court Tells State-Owned Eskom to Clean Up Its Pollution

What the report says

South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ordered state-owned power utility Eskom to take stronger action over pollution linked to its Kusile coal-fired power station in Mpumalanga, after a dispute brought by pig-breeding company Topigs Norsvin. The company said polluted water from the plant had affected groundwater, a wetland and nearby streams used by its downstream farming operations. Kusile began operating in 2017 and is one of Eskom’s major coal plants.

According to the article published by The Conversation Africa and carried by AllAfrica, the court ruled on 14 August 2026 that Eskom had not complied with environmental and water-use rules tied to its approvals and licences. It also found that senior officials in the departments responsible for water and environmental oversight had failed to ensure compliance. The judgment said the company had not done enough to prevent or repair the harm and that repeated monitoring problems and water tests showed pollution above permitted limits.

The court’s remedy requires Eskom to submit a sworn plan within 30 days and report on progress within 60 days, while the relevant government officials must explain within 75 days what enforcement steps they will take. The case is significant because it reinforces that environmental permits do not excuse later violations and that regulators can be required to enforce existing rules. More broadly, it reflects South Africa’s wider challenge of balancing coal-dependent electricity generation with environmental protection.