Mining row erupts in suburb
MEMBERS of the public are up in arms after a city resident, claiming to be acting on behalf of the Colville Community Trust, began mining operations as part of a clean-up project.
However, members of the trust have denied any involvement in the operations of Mervin Pillay and have claimed that they were never involved in any discussions regarding the right to mining in the area.
While a back-end loader continued to collect and remove ground for processing from a mine dump on the corner of St Paul and Margaret streets in Colville on Friday, Pillay said that he had met with the Sol Plaatje Municipality and been given the authorisation for the clean-up operation.
In a letter from the mayor’s office to Pillay, the community is encouraged to take ownership of the cleanliness of their immediate environment and Pillay’s support is requested in cleaning ditches in Colville/Floors as well as “all illegal dumps” and outskirt streets.
“Along with the Colville Community Trust, I approached the municipality and was issued a letter from the mayor’s office granting me permission to clean up the suburb including the illegal dumping.
“There was never any contract for mining these illegal dumps and since I have been given all the relevant paperwork to clean illegal dumping sites we began work on the site last Friday (August 24).
“On June 7, I asked to see the mayor and we tried to get (councillor Shaine) Griqua to sit in on the meeting but he wasn’t available. We got our letter a week later.
“The artisanal miners are coming and we don’t want to have a bloodbath on our hands. We are cleaning up everywhere and I am willing to take this fight to the court.
“Any money that is made in the process will go straight back into the trust. We won’t be benefiting alone.”
However, the councillor for Ward 28, Shaine Griqua, disputes Pillay’s claims to his right to mine the site saying that he did not have the support of the community nor permission to mine.
“On Friday, August 24, I approached him but he refused to stop his activities,” said Griqua. “I went to several members of the trust to enquire and they said they are willing to testify that they were not aware of these activities in the name of the trust.
“Then, at about 8.30am last Thursday (August 30), Pillay was again busy with a grader. I called the police to intervene.”
Griqua said that a criminal case was opened on Friday afternoon.
“I don’t think anyone has the right to remove mining dumps without proper processes being followed,” he said.
A member of the Colville Community Trust, Janup Meyers, added that neither the trust nor the greater community had been consulted before Pillay began mining in the area, emphasising that he had refused to provide members with the relevant paperwork upon their request.
“We were informed after the fact that he intended to mine and when we asked him for the documents and permits from the DMR (Department of Mineral Resources), he was not willing to provide them.
“He is using the name of the trust because he cannot make the application in his own capacity and claims to be acting on our behalf though he doesn’t have our permission.”
The police had not responded to media enquiries at the time of going to press.