South African court orders government to clean up air in coal belt

A South African court on Friday upheld a complaint by activists that poor air quality in the coal belt is a breach of constitutional rights, giving the environment minister a year to make regulations to put into effect a clean air plan.

The High Court in the capital Pretoria said Environment Minister Barbara Creecy had a legal duty to make regulations that enforce a government plan for cleaner air in coal belt, and that she had so far "unreasonably delayed" doing so. A spokesperson for Creecy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.