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In South Africa, acid mine drainage (AMD) is a perennial issue that may have a serious impact on sustainability of ecosystems and the quality of water in the country. AMD has resulted in controversial debates in this country where the ownership of mines has traditionally been characterized by policies of the apartheid era that downplayed community participation in environmental decision making. This case study therefore aimed to find out stakeholder perceptions of the history, management, and decision-making approaches on AMD in South Africa. The study also aimed to ascertain if adoption of the precautionary principle (PP) would have made a difference to the decisions that are known to have led to the problem of AMD in this country. The results indicated that AMD is not only an issue resulting from the lack of resources and skills in its management but mainly a public participation and decision-making issue. These results, therefore, have implications for the revision of decision-making approaches and the extent to which public participation grounded in the philosophy of the PP is facilitated in environmental decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]