Mining not acceptable to Marloth Park and area
"Victory for the environment, victory for the local community."
MARLOTH PARK – Standing together as interested and affected parties against a iron-ore prospecting license project, worked for local residents.
The Department of Mineral Resources’ geoscience desk informed the Marloth Park Property Owners’ Association (MPPOA) that part of this application had been declined.
The applicant, K2013040873 South Africa (Pty) Ltd, does not have to cancel the entire application, the area between the Kruger National Park (KNP) and the N4 have been excluded from this application.
Lowvelder reported on January 13 on this application and the plea by MPPOA for all residents to register as interested and affected parties.
The prospecting right application on the farm Tenbosch 162 JU, was accepted by the Mpumalanga regional office of the Department of Mineral Resources, but the mining company had to consult with all the affected and/or interested parties as part of the agreement.
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority (MTPA) also opposed this mining prospect.
The acting general manager of biodiversity and conservation, Mr Brian Morris of the agency, listed three points as motivation for opposing this application:
1. The proposed prospecting site included a protected area, the KNP, according to the MTPA’s Biodiversity Sector Plan (MBSP).
2. Proposed portions for prospecting are within the 10 kilometres of the park’s buffer zone.
3. The proposed prospecting site is within an ecological support area important subcatchment, the Crocodile River, which will also make it illegal to mine there.
A jubilant chairman of MPPOA, Mr Tony Hayman, exclaimed, “Victory for the environment, victory for the local community.”
Although residents of Marloth Park, Ngwenya Lodge, Lion Spruit and other farming communities can breathe a sigh of relief, the prospecting right application has apparently not been lifted on the southern sections of the Tenbosch Farm, south of the N4.
During a conversation with a farmer of Strydomblok, Mr Jakkals Steyn, Lowvelder learnt that he did not even know about the iron-ore prospecting application.
The project that Steyn is fighting against at this moment is a prospecting application to mine coal in the area.
