Environmental Affairs decides to ‘talk to the people’ first.
THE national Department of Environmental Affairs is temporarily backing down from a sting operation against illegal sand mining that is ravaging the Wild Coast.
This was revealed by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa in Mthatha yesterday.
“We received complaints about the perceived crackdown ,” she said.
The minister was addressing the opening of the three-day sixth People and Parks Conference.
The blitz by the Green Scorpions and police followed a two-month Daily Dispatch investigation earlier this year, which revealed widespread illegal sand mining along the environmentally sensitive Wild Coast.
It was discovered that many people – from local communities to building suppliers and even large construction companies – were cashing in on the demand for sand used for building.
It also found that at least three construction companies had been using illegally mined sand to build schools and RDP homes in the Transkei.
Local communities were charging around R150 for an eight-ton load of sand, which is then sold for between R1200 and R2600.
“We decided after being approached that the national as well as provincial departments would have to come down to the area to engage with the communities,” Molewa said.
“We were informed that there are people who have been using the land there for agricultural purposes for years. So for now we won’t be impounding anyone until we have talked to the people.”
The decision comes a month after two trucks were impounded north of Mthatha River by departmental officials working with the police.
Molewa said the conference was aimed at integrating communities.
“Historically, the establishment of protected conservation areas came at a great cost to indigenous and local communities who were displaced and dispossessed ,” she said, adding that the programme was aimed at redressing that and ensuring future community participation in the management of these parks.
“Any form of redress cannot stop at land restitution alone; it must necessarily be complemented by measures to enable people to fully utilise the benefits of that same land.” — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
Action on sand mining halted
THE national Department of Environmental Affairs is temporarily backing down from a sting operation against illegal sand mining that is ravaging the Wild Coast.
This was revealed by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa in Mthatha yesterday.
“We received complaints about the perceived crackdown ,” she said.
The minister was addressing the opening of the three-day sixth People and Parks Conference.
The blitz by the Green Scorpions and police followed a two-month Daily Dispatch investigation earlier this year, which revealed widespread illegal sand mining along the environmentally sensitive Wild Coast.
It was discovered that many people – from local communities to building suppliers and even large construction companies – were cashing in on the demand for sand used for building.
It also found that at least three construction companies had been using illegally mined sand to build schools and RDP homes in the Transkei.
Local communities were charging around R150 for an eight-ton load of sand, which is then sold for between R1200 and R2600.
“We decided after being approached that the national as well as provincial departments would have to come down to the area to engage with the communities,” Molewa said.
“We were informed that there are people who have been using the land there for agricultural purposes for years. So for now we won’t be impounding anyone until we have talked to the people.”
The decision comes a month after two trucks were impounded north of Mthatha River by departmental officials working with the police.
Molewa said the conference was aimed at integrating communities.
“Historically, the establishment of protected conservation areas came at a great cost to indigenous and local communities who were displaced and dispossessed ,” she said, adding that the programme was aimed at redressing that and ensuring future community participation in the management of these parks.
“Any form of redress cannot stop at land restitution alone; it must necessarily be complemented by measures to enable people to fully utilise the benefits of that same land.” — sikhon@dispatch.co.za
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