Trial to shed light on Wild Coast violence

A trial related to an outbreak of violence over the Xolobeni Mineral Sands Project looks set to expose deep and bitter divisions in the Amadiba community on the Wild Coast.

Even close family members have been caught up on opposite sides of the cycle of violence and to date, there have not been any notable prosecutions.

But this could change after 11 February, when five accused stand trial in the Bizana Magistrate’s Court on charges ranging from attempted murder, assault to do grievous bodily harm, vandalism, housebreaking and theft.

The victims were allegedly people opposed to the mining plans, including Tholozani Dlamini, who’s leg is now crippled.

The mining plans are spearheaded by Australian mining company Mineral Commodities Ltd. It describes the Xolobeni Project as “one of the largest undeveloped mineral sands resources in the world”.

For more than 10 years, the mining plans have been strongly supported by South Africa’s department of mineral resources and energy, several businessmen, black empowerment partners and the political elite in the Bizana district municipality.

They argue it will bring economic upliftment and benefits to people in the Amadiba district – one of the poorest regions of SA, where people are largely dependent on subsistence agriculture.

But the plans were met with strong resistance from environmental groups and people who stand to lose their land, their pastoral way of life, and opportunities to develop sustainable eco-tourism enterprises.

The case before the Bizana Magistrate’s Court relates to violence in the Mdatya area in December, 2015.

Two of those accused of attacking people opposed to the mining are Xolile and Mzukhona Dimane. Ironically, they are sons of the late Scorpion Dimane, a leading opponent of the mining.

Despite a death certificate stating that Scorpion died of natural causes – a middle ear infection – in late 2007, several media reports have given voice to suspicions that Dimane might have been poisoned because of his stance against the mining.

Such claims have been repeatedly slammed by his nephew, Zeka Mnyamane, former chair of the Xolobeni Empowerment Company, which was set up as a BEE beneficiary of the mining project.

He said these allegations caused confusion and could even lead to violence.

The trial of the Dimane brothers and three other accused has been postponed for the 10th time as two of the accused were suspected to be sick with Covid-19.