Artisanal miners object to prospecting application

THE KIMBERLEY Artisanal Mineworkers (KAMW) has lodged an objection with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) against the Kimberley Ekapa Mining Joint Venture’s (KEM-JV) application for prospecting rights of a portion of the farm Rooifontein.

In an e-mail addressed to the Free State regional manager of the DMR, the KAMW expressed its concerns with the KEM-JV’s application, citing a lack of opportunity for public input among its reasons for the objection.

On September 8, the KEM-JV, through consultants, Shangoni Management Services (Pty) Ltd, took out an advert in the DFA, advising the public that they had until Tuesday, October 10 to provide input on the application for the prospecting rights.

The advert also stated that a hard copy of the documentation would be available at the Kimberley Public Library for a period of 30 days.

The KEM-JV again called for public feedback in the DFA on September 29, announcing that a public meeting would be held at the Rooifontein Wildlife Club on Thursday, October 5.

This second advert also reiterated that the relevant documentation was available for public perusal at the library.

However, according to KAMW chairperson, Lucky Seekoei, the relevant environmental management programme (EMPr) and the basic assessment report (BAR) had still not been made available at the library by October 3, while requests made by library staff to the consultants for clarity proved futile.

He added that the environmental authority (EA) application was eventually distributed at the meeting without a preview by the Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs).

Seekoei stated that the adverts that appeared in the DFA lacked basic information, a factor, he said, that would have made poor public attendance at the meeting at Rooifontein an inevitability.

“The advert stated that the meeting would be held on October 5, 2017 at the Rooifontein Wildlife Club,” Seekoei said in his statement to the DMR. “No address, maps nor routes were provided. This resulted in our members going astray and missing the meeting.”

Seekoei added that members who were looking to attend this meeting were denied access to the game farm.

“Access to Rooifontein is controlled through a guarded gate,” he said. “The guards were most uncooperative and claimed they were not forewarned that visitors would be needing access to this venue. Hence, some of our members reached the venue after the meeting.”

“We therefore demand that this meeting be declared null and void and a properly arranged meeting be reconvened since we were not heard.”