The management of the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park in KwaZulu-Natal, one of Africa’s largest estuarine systems, has appointed a team to study the processes around an application for dune mining along its buffer zone and the surrounding area of Maphelane.
Located in St Lucia, the park is SA’s third-largest protected area, spanning 280km of coastline from the Mozambican border in the north to Maphelane south of the Lake St Lucia estuary, and is made up of about 3,280km² of natural ecosystems.
In December 1999, the park was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site.
The mining application by Eyamakhosi Resources, a company formed by businesspeople from the local KwaSokhulu area, and whose director is former Richard Bay Minerals employee Sicebi Mthethwa, was launched with the mineral resources department earlier this year.
The application has sparked protests by environmental activists; however, locals have complained that they are not benefiting from the area as is.
Environmental groups, including Coastwatch KZN, have objected to both prospecting and potential mining in the area on the grounds that it will kill the biodiversity that propelled the park to earn its world heritage site status.
Last month, thousands of KwaSokhulu residents marched to the park to demand that management stop opposing the proposal from Eyamakhosi Resources to prospect and mine part of the Sokhulu State Forests. Protesters said mining will bring about jobs and other much-needed economic benefits.
In its application, Eyamakhosi Resources, which has no previous mining experience, says it wants to prospect the Sokhulu State Forest,part of which falls in the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, and possibly mine for ilmenite, zircon and other heavy mineral sands.
Interested parties had until September to lodge their objections.
[The] MD of Eyamakhosi Resources, is adamant that mining will take place in the area, despite the opposition. He said they want mining in the area to maximise beneficiation for the local populace, because the park is not helping develop the community.
iSimangaliso’s environmental planner Siboniso Mbense told Business Day that although park officials are engaging with residents to get their views about mining and its potential economic benefits, it will ask a team of specialists to formulate its response to the various government and regulatory processes, including public participation and an environmental impact assessment.
Jobs vs heritage
“It is still too early to say whether we will accede or object to the proposed mining. We will use our technical team to engage the process and all the stakeholders, Mbense said. “Our new CEO [Sibusiso Bukhosini] is doing everything to speak to local chiefs and local communities surrounding the wetlands park. He has been in the job for only a few weeks but he has held more than three meetings with the chiefs and local communities to get their views on various issues. This shows that we are willing to engage and work together with our communities.”
Sicebi Mthethwa, MD of Eyamakhosi Resources, is adamant that mining will take place in the area, despite the opposition. He said they want mining in the area to maximise beneficiation for the local populace, because the park is not helping develop the community.
“Eyamakhosi Resources was started by the people of KwaSokhulu and the community are its shareholders. They will benefit as shareholders and from the job opportunities that will be part of this project.’’
His sentiments were echoed by Simon Mthiyane, a local chief, who said he would like to see a situation where locals are able to use the local resources to develop themselves without going to Durban or Johannesburg.
He said they were buoyed by the recent Constitution Court ruling that stated local communities must be allowed to determine what type of mineral extraction should take place in their areas.
On October 25, the apex court ruled in favour of 38 villagers from the Bakgatla Ba Kgafela community against their own community mining company. The villagers said that they had not been properly consulted and that a decision taken by the tribal authority of the Bakgatla people to permit mining on the farm had no bearing on the villagers because they were the true owners of the farm.
“I must say that we fully endorse them to open mining opportunities in the area. We are always open to the development of economic activities that will benefit our own people,’’ Mthiyane said. “We carefully considered the [Eyamakhosi Resources] proposals. We have always said that we like iSimangaliso, but it has not really developed our people.”
The mineral resources department is expected to make an announcement soon on the state of the mining applications.
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