Wild Coast mining bid renewed

CELEBRATIONS for the Wild Coast anti-mining lobby might have been premature when mineral resources minister, Susan Shabangu, withdrew the Wild Coast Xolobeni Mining rights in 2011.

The Proposed Xolobeni Mineral Sands Project is back on the cards.

Transworld Energy and Minerals (TEM), a South African subsidiary of the Australian mining company, Mineral Commodities, has renewed its bid to exploit the rich heavy mineral reserves along an almost pristine 22km stretch of Wild Coast shoreline. The project area, Xolobeni, is situated about 30km south off Port Edward, adjacent to Mkambati Nature Reserve. It is the home of the Amadiba Tribal Authority, the traditional landowners who have local authority vested with them.

Environmentalists and many Xolobeni residents, who have formed the Amadiba Crisis Committee, have bitterly opposed the mining project for at least 10 years. Although the Xolobeni sands harbour rich mineral resources, the anti-mining lobby has always maintained eco-tourism would be a much more lucrative and sustainable option for the area.

Although some prospecting was undertaken as early as 2001, TEM obtained prospecting rights for the Xolobeni area in November 2005. The company was granted mining rights for the Kwanyana Block, one of five in the proposed development area, in July 2009. There were many objections to this and, two years later, the mining right was revoked.

Now TEM has reapplied for Xolobeni mining rights. Sarah Sephton of the Legal Resources Centre, the legal firm acting for the Amadiba Crisis Committee, said she and the committee were very disappointed.

“The community has stood together and has indicated unequivocally that it rejects any approach to mine its land. The application will be strongly resisted,” she said.

The proposed development will involve the mining and processing of heavy minerals for export. As well as mining infrastructure, the development will require supporting infrastructure like internal roads, power lines and water abstraction and distribution systems.

A new environmental impact assessment (EIA) process has begun and a scoping report prepared. The environmental consultancy, Pieter Badenhorst Professional Services, has begun the public participation process, making the scoping report available at Port Edward library, at the website pbpscon.co.za and at a number of venues in the Eastern Cape. It will be available for public review and comment until April 18.

Meetings will be held at Xolobeni Pre-school in the Amadiba area on April 8, from 8am to 11am, at the Mgungundlovu Subtribal Authority on April 8 from 1pm to 4pm, at Mthayise Junior Secondary School on April 9 from 8am to 11am, at the Amadiba Tribal Authority on April 9 from 1pm to 4pm and at the Bizana Youth Centre on April 10 from 10am to 1pm. The scoping report is available for public scrutiny at all these places.

If you wish to register as an interested or affected party contact the environmental consultancy (reference EC10025), supplying your name and contact details, preferred method of contact and information about your interest in the matter. Pieter Badenhorst Professional Services can be reached at Box 1058, Wellington, 7654, at 082 7763422 or at Xolobeni+6009@key360.co.za.