Minister reprimands miner

WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE, SAYS MANTASHE

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has delivered a tough message to the controversial Australian mining company that owns and operates Tormin, a highly profitable mineral sands mine on the West Coast near Lutzville through its South African subsidiary.

Responding to concerns raised at a community meeting in Lutzville on Friday, Mantashe told Perth-based Mineral Commodities Ltd (MRC) and its subsidiary, Minerals Sands Resources (MSR), they had to talk to their workers and communicate comprehensively and meaningfully with the surrounding local communities.

They should promote local staff to top management instead of bringing in its own nationals. This extended to all other mining houses operating in SA, he explained.

“Mining companies must respect workers; mining companies must respect communities … Wake up and smell the coffee!”

Mantashe confirmed mines had to comply with environmental regulations and his department would take legal action if they did not.

But Mantashe, who has held office for nearly a year, did not acknowledge that the government’s One Environmental System, which came into effect in December 2014, has placed all environmental controls over prospecting and mining other than appeals in the hands of his department.

Instead, he suggested – incorrectly – that environmental policing of mines was still done by department of environmental affairs.

MSR has applied to Mantashe’s department for an expansion of its current mining area.

MRC’s other SA company is Transworld Energy and Resources, which has been unsuccessfully trying to establish a mineral sands mine at Xolobeni in Pondoland for 15 years.

Mantashe’s last two visits to the Amadiba community where there is strong opposition to mining on ancestral land at Xolobeni, ended with police intervention and chaos.

There were concerns that the Lutzville community meeting could also turn violent and there was a strong police presence at the Uitkyk Community Hall on Friday morning when Mantashe and his top officials met Matzikama Municipality mayor, the Democratic Alliance’s Johan van den Hoven, councillors, political leaders and municipal officials.

Mantashe heard a litany of complaints about MSR.

Lutzville activist Davine Cloete,

‘You don’t need anyone’s permission to form a union.’

one of seven people facing an alleged strategic lawsuit against public participation brought by MRC/MSR, told Mantashe: “I’m not against any mining or any mining company. Poverty is so high in this area.”

MSR brought workers from the Xolobeni area to Tormin and had “chased away” local workers at the mine when they attempted to unionise, she added.

“The people are hungry. Why must we be kept outside the gate?

“MSR doesn’t even recognise us. They should have said ‘let us talk’. We are not going to stop fighting until then. MSR, come to us and listen. And until then, close your gates and go back to Australia,” Cloete said to loud applause.

Mantashe explained that he and his delegation were visiting Tormin to check the mine’s compliance with environmental, social and labour plans, transformation and health and safety imperatives as stipulated in national legislation and the Mining Charter.

Responding to complaints about Tormin workers not being allowed to unionise, he said this was a constitutional right. “You don’t need anyone’s permission to form and join a union.”

He chastised MSR for not promoting local people into management positions, saying: “They can’t only have their top management from Australia. – Republished from Groundup.org.za