(Translated from the original article in Trouw ) If Mount Taranaki in New Zealand and Antarctica can be declared a legal entity, why not Table Mountain? A leading South African environmental lawyer is on a mission. Cormac Cullinan (63) is one of the lucky few who can look out of his window each morning and see one of the world’s most beloved rock formations. Table Mountain in Cape Town, with its iconic flat top, is a constant presence in the lives of five million residents —

At a colloquium at NWU in September 2025 the Wild Law Institute submitted two formal abstracts for potential peer-reviewed publication, marking a significant step toward establishing an academic foundation that will strengthen the initiative’s legal credibility. In these academic forums, the Wild Law Institute presented the legal rationale for recognising Hoerikwaggo as a living entity with inherent rights, situating the initiative within the broader planetary polycrisis and

On 22 October 2025, members of the Table Mountain Rights initiative participated in the Human (in) Nature Conference hosted in Stellenbosch and organised by the Bergplaas Nature Reserve within the Nature and Circularity Week . The gathering brought together researchers, lawyers, land owners, spiritual practitioners, and Rights of Nature advocates to explore emerging approaches to relating with the more-than-human world. The Table Mountain Rights Initiative was referenced in t

Social justice and environmental justice are inseparable. Protecting Table Mountain is not only about conserving a unique ecosystem; it is also about recognising the mountain’s cultural and spiritual significance, honouring Indigenous histories, and ensuring that local communities have a genuine voice in decisions that affect their lives. This means rethinking the way we approach development, conservation, and human well-being — not as competing agendas, but as deeply connect