The Chairpersons Association officially spoke out against mining in the sensitive Soutpansberg area and reiterated their stance on good corporate governance at a meeting on October 20.

The Democratic Alliance´s shadow minister of mineral resources was invited to speak on mining, as well as on good corporate governance.

“Mining is part of the global environment and economy. It has a positive spin-off on the economy and could have a negative impact on the environment. The question is: Does the negative impact outweigh the positive spin-off? I am not against mining. But I am against mining in a sensitive area,” said Adv Hendrik Schmidt, DA shadow minister of mineral resources.

The CA Chairperson, Mr André Naudé, referred to Coal of Africa (CoAL) whose activities at the Vele Colliery had been temporarily closed down by the Department of Environmental Affairs. This Australian mining company’s open-cast coal mine is situated near the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site and the intended Transfrontier Game Park.

“CoAL’s Vele project would last for 20 to 30 years and provide 758 job opportunities. It is not sustainable and, in the process, it destroys thousands of farming jobs. Farmers in the Limpopo play a major role in job opportunities, with their 110 000 employees, indirectly benefiting a million people. The farmers and their employees invest locally, whereas the mine’s money mainly goes to Australia and other places,” said Naudé.

Schmidt said that Vele now had to go back to get their paperwork sorted out.

“You see their intention. If this is how they started, how will they fare after 30 years with rehabilitation?” Schmidt asked. He said that from 1886 there were 5096 abandoned mines and sites to be rehabilitated by the government at a cost of R50 billion.

On the question of objecting to the application of a mining right, Schmidt advised communities and groups to obtain the services of an environmental specialist or a lawyer in order to phrase their objections correctly. Schmidt repeated the saying “Keep on litigating, the government department is only effective by obtaining a court order.” The Agricultural Union representative advised the meeting that they had these services available.

Among the interested parties at the meeting, held at the Lalapanzi Hotel, were farmers from Levubu, Waterpoort and the Musina area, the Chamber of Commerce, the Hlanganani Concerned Group and a DA delegation on national, provincial and local level. The Limpopo team was headed up by the DA provincial leader, Ms Desiree van der Walt.

Mr Jeffrey Gohell of the Hlanganani Group said that mining houses often took advantage of the ignorance of people.

“The black people in the majority support the government. The people don’t know much about what mining does to the environment. If the mining company tells the chief that his people will be getting jobs, then the chief says ‘yes’,” Gohell said.