Minerals minister Gwede Mantashe was forced to postpone a planned meeting with the community of Qokolweni in Mthatha on Thursday after a "briefing" meeting between the minister, community leaders and a company mining granite deadlocked.
Mantashe spent more than five hours locked in a "hotly-contested meeting" behind closed doors with leaders of the people of Qokolweni and the mining company.
At the time of writing, the meeting was still ongoing and it was not clear what time it would finish.
Neither the minister nor the residents or the company could be reached for comment...