Bleak harvest for farmers under threat of mining
| Landowners in Mpumalanga say coal takes precedence over agriculture in government eyes
ON the outskirts of Ermelo, a small farming town in Mpumalanga, Rouxtjie le Roux’s farm boasts thousands of sheep reared for wool and meat, cattle and, of course, fields of maize and soya beans.
Le Roux offers breakfast. But the meal is not the wholesome fare one would expect from a farmer — he offers contaminated water, a chunk of coal, an empty plate and a R100 note.
“This is what I will have to offer you in the near future. We are sitting here with a scramble for coal mining. Our water sources are contaminated. Our crops are polluted by mine dust. Our complaints to government have fallen on deaf ears. Tell me, can you eat the breakfast I offer you?” Le Roux, 65, asks.
Like other farmers, Le Roux is increasingly worried about the way in which coal companies are scrambling to mine in the province that was once the breadbasket of South Africa, and about the impact on the water supply.
The drought ravaging the country is not helping, but farmers believe that natural disasters such as drought could have been mitigated had it not been for mining. Most of the local water is unfit for human consumption largely due to acid pits lying open, says Le Roux.
Mining companies “come with promises of jobs and the government readily takes land away from farmers and gives it to the mines”, says Cecilia Beukes, who has lived in Ermelo all her life.
“The fact of the matter is that when the mine arrives it will employ just about three people — a tea girl, a gate guard and a cleaner.
“The rest will be people they come with from their other operations elsewhere. This will be at the expense of about 10 families who have been staying on the farm for many years. They will now be forced to move elsewhere, near the towns, in search of employment prospects.
“Of course there will be no skills transfer. When the mine arrives, local people will have no skills to operate earth-moving equipment and trucks. They will therefore bring their own people. What local people will get is more noise, dust and deterioration of the infrastructure.
“They will mine for five to eight years and run away with the loot, leaving behind untold stories of human suffering and environmental degradation.”
“Hit and run” mining is becoming a pressing problem in the province.
“They will mine as cheaply [as they can],” says farmer Johannes Kloppers. “This means they will be extracting the coal on the surface. They will then plead poverty and apply for a temporary closure once they see the coal will be a little more expensive to extract. [Then] they will be starting another operation across the road.”
Promises to rehabilitate water sources are not kept, says Beukes.
Coal mining in the area is affecting Chrissiesmeer, South Africa’s largest wetland, covering 6 200ha.
Part of this water system is the critical Tevrede wetland, source of the Vaal, iMpuluse/Usuthu, Olifants and Komati rivers that supply many parts of the country.
Pierre du Hain, a Belgian who farms near the Tevrede wetland, is frustrated. When he started in 2001 with an agreement to supply Woolworths, he dreamt of a vibrant milk and cheese operation. He had the support of the Department of Trade and Industry.
He now fears he might lose his farm since a company called Black Gold Coal Estates expressed interest in mining near Chrissiesmeer, the village between Ermelo and Carolina.
“Nobody contacts me from the [department] any more. All my attempts to get in touch have drawn a blank. When I presented my business plan to them, I made it clear that if my farming operations are successful, I will assist other people who need the skills. I am now only left with the Mpumalanga Protection Group to contest the mining right,” Du Hain says.
He stopped operations in 2004 as all the neighbouring farmers told him that once mines have targeted an area, the government gives them carte blanche.
“If they decide to destroy the country . . . We are not strong enough to stop them. But they should take such a decision quickly so that one carries on with one’s life, even if it means leaving the country.”
The departments of mineral resources and water and sanitation did not respond to requests for comment.