It is set to be 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 don’t want the minister there, Mantashe told Times Select 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 is not 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...