It is set to be a battle of wills, but for now residents of Xolobeni in the Eastern Cape are calling the shots to keep minister of mineral resources Gwede Mantashe at arm’s length.
This comes after Mantashe wrote a letter to the residents’ lawyer, Richard Spoor, inviting him and his clients, the Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC), to a mining and economic development meeting in Xolobeni on January 16.
But despite residents saying they did not want the minister there, Mantashe said he was going ahead with the meeting. “If we allow this to happen, it’s going to be a trend across the country.”
ACC leader Nonhle Mbuthuma said they won’t allow Mantashe to return to their land.
“Don’t come, minister Mantashe, we are saying that. We don’t want Mantashe’s third coming to our community…He asked to meet our lawyers in advance and as explained several times, the mining minister will not be welcomed by the community. [The department of mineral resources (DMR)] should stop the campaign for mining in Xolobeni. Those in the ANC who need to worry, can worry,” said Mbuthuma.
She said Mantashe had created the chaos last September which led to Spoor’s arrest.
He was charged with disobeying a police officer’s instruction, pointing a finger at an officer, inciting public violence, and common assault after marching to and protesting outside a meeting headed by Mantashe. He was released on a warning and is expected back in court on January 17.
“On November 22, the Pretoria High Court ruled that our community has the right to say no to mining. Communities that have suffered from colonialism and apartheid must give ‘full and informed’ consent before DMR can approve mining on their land,” she said.
Mantashe said he won’t be banned by “some structure” in a community. “We have a meeting there next week and all the invited stakeholders will be there. We can’t be banned by a structure, no, that meeting is going ahead next week and I will see you there.”
In a letter Mantashe wrote on December 20 to Spoor about the ministerial community consultation meeting on mining and economic development, he said he wanted the Amadiba Crisis Committee to be part of the meeting.
Mbuthuma said human rights organisations should tell Mantashe not to return to their area. “We appeal to all concerned about land and human rights to tell Mantashe to stop his ‘Third Coming’.”
The mining issue started more than 10 years ago in the area when a subsidiary of the Australian mining company Mineral Commodities (MRC) – Transworld Energy and Minerals (TEM) – applied for open-cast mining on a 22km long stretch on the beaches.
Many households were to be affected by the mining, according to Mbuthuma, because graves were to be exhumed and relocated.
In April 2018, the committee went to the Pretoria High Court to try to halt any mining in their area. They argued that Xolobeni residents had to give consent rather than “merely be consulted” before a mining licence is issued in their area. The court ruled in their favour, ordering the DMR to “obtain full consent from the community before it issues a mining licence”.
At the time, then DMR minister Mosebenzi Zwane announced an 18-month moratorium on mining in the area.
In court papers, Mantashe said the state was the custodian of the country’s mineral resources.
After judge Annali Basson’s judgment, the DMR said Mantashe remained committed to return to Xolobeni, to continue with engagements with the community in order to ensure finality in the matter of mining in the area. – Times Select..