AfriForum has agreed to support the anti coal mining group known as Save Our Limpopo Valley Environment (Solve) in their efforts to prevent large-scale coal mining, as planned by mining company, Coal of Africa.
Johan Fourie, who was elected to join AfriForum Makhado’s executive committee, takes charge of the environment portfolio.
AfriForum Makhado and Solve chairperson, Wally Schultz, said Fourie had been involved in the fight to fend off Coal of Africa from the very beginning and is also deputy chairperson of Solve.
“He is tasked with collating the necessary information relating to the scarcity of water in the Limpopo valley and proving that large-scale coal mining will simply deplete what little water the district has.
“AfriForum head office will use this information to decide on what course of action they can take to help protect our productive farming and tourism industries.
Schultz said their ultimate goal was to have government declare the entire valley a “no-go” area for all future mining activity. “Solve, with AfriForum’s help, plans to oppose Coal of Africa’s application for a water use licence,” Schultz said.
No comment had been received from Coal of Africa by the time of going print, however, last year Coal of Africa media relations officer, Jane Kamau, was quoted as saying: “This commentary about the lack of water is historical in nature and therefore does not include Coal of Africa’s future actions. Coal of Africa has committed to participating in a collaborative process to develop a regional study which will look at the cumulative impacts of mining, agriculture and other activities on the area.”
