Mantashe to forge ahead with visit despite opposition

MINERAL Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe will go ahead with his planned visit to Xolobeni in the Eastern Cape next week despite strong opposition from local residents opposed to his move to grant a mining licence permit to an Australian company.

Yesterday, the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) confirmed that Mantashe and other ministers would be visiting Xolobeni on Thursday next week as part of the continuous engagement on sustainable development for the area.

The statement said Mantashe would also be accompanied by the local leadership of Bizana.

Regarding their failure to consult the local traditional leadership, the department said: “All stakeholders who have been part of previous meetings are in the process of being invited.”

But Xolobeni residents are adamant that Mantashe is not welcome to their village.

The residents have again, less than four months since his last visit in January, accused Mantashe of trying to bully them into agreeing to grant an Australian company mining rights to their ancestral land.

Amadiba Crisis Committee leader Sbusiso Mqadi said they were tipped off about Mantashe’s planned visit by local business people who were invited to apply for a tender to provide food for people who will be attending the public meeting.

Mantashe made his second visit to the area in January at the Xolobeni Sportsground, but the meeting turned chaotic following violent clashes between those who are anti-mining in the area and those in support.

At the time, Mqadi had accused Mantashe of having failed to consult his organisation or the Umgungundlovu Traditional Council before his visit.

Mqadi said they became aware of Mantashe’s third visit after local business people showed them a DMR tender document asking them to apply for the provision of 300 quarter chickens to residents at the Xolobeni Sportsground. “So far, there is no explanation why Mantashe wants to make a third unwanted visit to Xolobeni. His visits on September 23 and January 16 were both dissolved by the police by means of stun grenades and blank shots.

“Gwede Mantashe has nothing to do here. This community doesn’t want the Xolobeni mining project.

“We have said no to mining for 15 years, and in November we won the right to say no to mining in a landmark judgment. The DMR are not welcome to our development meetings and they are not welcome to Xolobeni,” Mqadi said.

He said Mantashe and his office had failed to consult their traditional council about his impending visit.

Mqadi said Mantashe had also failed to file appeal papers in the high court in Pretoria to challenge its November 2018 decision which ordered him to consult with them before granting a mining permit in the village. He said Mantashe filed a notice to appeal only in December.

However, the department claimed it had filed consolidated appeal papers and was awaiting a date for the matter to be heard.