‘No bulldoze tactics on mining’

MINERAL Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has dismissed allegations that his department was trying to bulldoze the mining development in Xolobeni after he visited the village in Mbizana, Eastern Cape, to listen to concerns around proposed mining in the Wild Coast area.

This comes after an altercation at the weekend between Mantashe and Amadiba Crisis Committee members, who oppose the mining of titanium in their area by Transworld Energy and Mineral Resources, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Australian corporation Mineral Commodities.

Mantashe said that out of 10 community organisations at the meeting, including the Xolobeni Development Trust, Amadiba Development Forum, Eastern Cape Contractors Forum and Bizana Chamber of Commerce, only the Amadiba Crisis Committee was opposed to the mining exploration.

The government could not just ignore such an overwhelming majority of support for development, he said.

“Ten organisations made presentations. Of these, nine were for the development of both mining and tourism. One, Amadiba Crisis Committee, was against mining in the area. Ward 25 in Bizana, of which Xolobeni is part, is the poorest in the area.

“The community wants to use tourism and mining to develop itself further. It’s not tourism versus mining. It’s tourism and mining. It is important that consultation is allowed to proceed peacefully, so a final determination can be made on this matter…

“We must allow mining alongside other developmental issues.”

Mantashe also said a team would go back on Monday to calm tensions over coal and heavy-mineral mining plans‚ including a high court case with community members demanding the closure of the Somkhele coal mine on the border of the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. | ANA