A new battle to an old war awaits those opposing the application for an opencast coal mine in the Onderberg near this holiday town on the southern border of the Kruger National Park (KNP).
An application to mine 8 700 hectares on the border of Marloth Park has resurfaced and it has angered many residents and stakeholders in the region. The mine will run along the Coopersdal Road as well as both sides of the N4 towards Marloth Park, Komatipoort and the Lebombo Border, as well as the Tenbosch Road.
After studying the new application, the legal representative of the local landowners and the Marloth Park Ratepayers Association (MPRA), Richard Spoor, stated this application from Manzolwandle Investments must be once again treated as a completely new one. The new consultants for the coal mine application are Myezo Environmental Management Services.
Cindy Benson of the MPRA informed Lowvelder that uncertainties with the latest application report, as was the case with the previous one in 2020, are already starting to become evident.
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“They have applied once again this year for a mining right of 8 700 hectares, but it is very suspicious as it is dated 2020 under Manzolwandle, yet they now operate as Tenbosch Mining and have applied before through a different name as Ngweti Collieries,” said Benson.
According to her, previous consultants had advised Manzolwandle in 2019 that the planned operation was too close to the KNP and other game reserve related operations to be environmentally suitable.
The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) formally refused the mining application of Manzolwande Investments before in a letter dated October 28, 2020. The formal objection came from instructions that had been formed by a combination of organisations, including the Marloth Park Property Owners Association (MPPOA), MPRA and affected individuals.
The MPRA, MPPOA, Southern African Agri Initiative, AfriForum, Ngwenya Lodge, the water and irrigation board, and other individual parties are forming their resistance against the application. The MPRA have acted on this attempt of a revival and asked Spoor to write to the DMR and the new consultants to request a copy of the mining rights application and all supporting documents.
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Benson advised that all those opposing the application should now register as interested and affected parties to combat the upcoming situation. She cautioned that no one should be fooled by the fact that it is a much smaller affected area for the mine to be developed this time around. Benson requested that all affected parties assist yet again in opposing this new development.
If people want to apply as an interested and affected party, they can send their request per email to mpra.cindy@gmail.com.
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