Fikile Ntshangase

Fikile Ntshangase was a South African environmental activist. She was a leading member of the Community Environmental Justice Organisation (MCEJO). She is taking legal action against the proposed expansion of an open-cast coal mine. The mine is operated by Tendele Coal Mining (Pty) Ltd, near Somkhele, situated near Hluhluwe–iMfolozi park. It is the oldest nature reserve in Africa. 
Environmental activism.
Environmental work.
Ntshangase was a Vice-Chairperson of a sub-committee of the MCEJO. The organisation previously challenged mining expansion in Mthethwa through processes. MCEJO was supported by Earthlife Africa, groundWork, ActionAid South Africa, and WoMin.
Mpukunyoni Community.
MCEJO was challenging the Somkhele mine on the request of residents in the Mpukunyoni community. Tendele Coal Mining had been granted additional rights in the area. The expansion of the mine would reach near the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. The mine is located near Ntshangase’s home in Ophondweni in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. It is the largest African producer of anthracite. It is used in steel production. The Mpukunyoni community has traditionally depended on herding and agriculture. However, the Somkhele Coal Mine and the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi game park are currently the biggest employers of the community. 
Health concerns related to the mine have been raised by the local community. It includes the respiratory-related issues linked to coal dust, the pollution of drinking water and dried up water sources. Cultural concerns were also lodged as ancestral graves where exhumed and moved elsewhere without proper identification. Additionally, the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve plays a significant role in the environment conservation efforts around the . There are fears from the reserve that the expansion of the Somkhele mine close to its border would increase the hunting.
Ntshangase opposed the expansion the Somkhele mine. With the help of Attorneys for climate change and environmental justice, ALL RISE, MCEJO instituted legal action against Tendele Coal Mining to cease its activity in the Somkhele mine. It was until it had changed its environmental management plan and obtained relevant permits for waste management and the removal of protected plants in the area. The Pietermaritzburg High Court held that Tendele was not required to have environmental authorisation for its mining rights. When the case was appealed, the Supreme Court of Appeals dismissed the case. It was based on MCEJO and ALL RISE not specifying the specific activities undertaken by Tendele that required environmental authorisation.