Community members march for mining rights

Community members of Baroka Ba Nkwana from Atok village in the Sekhukhune area marched to the Department of Mineral Resources’s offices in Polokwane on Monday to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
The community wants Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane to grant mineral rights to the Samancor Chrome Ltd which, according them, has prospected and followed all mineral regulations at their farms Winterveld, Jagdlust and Zeekoegat.
According to sources the department refused Samancor Chrome Ltd’s application for mining rights in September. “The reason for the refusal was that the company had failed to comply with section 39(5) read with Regulation 50(f) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (Act 28 of 2002) as amended by Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2008 (Act 49 of 2008), in that proof of consultation with interested and affected parties together with results of public participation were never submitted,” the source explained.
Leader of the Community, Malope Lesufi said they want the minister to process the appeal lodged by Samancor Chrome Ltd in order to unlock developments and job opportunities for the community.
The minister must implement the Mineral Petroleum Resources Development Act in the entire Sekhukhune mining sector. We want the department to appoint Samancor because we believe that, through Samancor, both parties will be able to fast track job opportunities, skills development, alleviate poverty, unemployment and inequality while developing mineral resources in the best interest of the community,” Lesufi said.
At the time of going to press no comment from the Department of Mineral Resources could be sourced.

Story and photos: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert@mailbox.co.za

Featured photo: Community Members of Baroka Ba Nkoana make their message clear.