Buffalo Coal fights for survival in High Court

Over a thousand jobs are on the line after Aviemore Colliery, Buffalo Coal’s most profitable mine, was shut down on Friday by Mineral Resources Manager, Ngoako Ramathodi.
Buffalo Coal is challenging the decision by making an urgent High Court application to be heard in Pretoria this week.
A mine spokesperson said there had been an objection to the mining operation early in 2013 by the Aviemore Trust which the mine successfully challenged.
“A mining right was issued in June 2013 but apparently there was another objection in October 2013 of which we were not aware.

Suddenly the Minister revokes the license. When we asked why, we were told it was because we never challenged the objection which we did not know about.”
Aviemore Mine is what is keeping Buffalo Coal above water at the moment and should the license not be reissued, it could deal a serious blow to the local economy.
The plummeting coal price, currently $54 a ton, has put serious pressure on the Magdelena operation that produces bitimous coal.

Aviemore produces anthracite products.