Mantashe’s Xolobeni visit turns violent

Political parties, civil rights groups and environmental activists have accused mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe of trying to bully the Xolobeni community in the ongoing mining battle.

This follows the minister’s visit to the area last Wednesday which turned violent when police fired stun grenades to disperse anti-mining Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC) members.

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Spokesman Nonhle Mbuthuma said the ACC would not back down despite the ‘bullying tactics’ used by those in power.

“We don’t want mining and it ends there.”

Ms Mbuthuma also shared what transpired before stun grenades were fired and police forcefully removed community members from the tent where a meeting with the minister was held.

“A man who pretended to be from the ACC told the minister that the ACC was divided and we were being coerced by white people to say we don’t want mining. After the man finished, Mr Mantashe called off the meeting and refused to let the real ACC members speak.”

This is when the meeting was disrupted and police stepped in.

According to Ms Mbuthuma, the man who lives some 20km from the Xolobeni area, had used a fake name.

DA Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga said this was no longer a battle between the Xolobeni community and the mining giants but between the community and the government.

“We cannot allow the government to bulldoze our people into agreeing to the mining of titanium because we feel they need jobs and development against their own will; the government cannot dictate to people in their own land.”

The Young Communist League South Africa (YCLSA) said it had been disappointed by the ‘tiptoeing’ of government on land tenure rights of communities.

Spokesman, Molaodi Wa Sekake said for the department of mineral resources to tiptoe and conduct an ‘independent survey’ while communities over the years had staked their social, economic and cultural claims over land, smacked of hypocrisy.

“Claims made by the minister that, if mining goes ahead it must be ‘sustainable and coexist with tourism, agriculture and other economic development initiatives’ as was reported in the media, expediently overlooks the devastating impact of extractivist mining activities.”

Mr Sekake added that ‘capitalists did not care about environmental and human rights and only cared about profit-making’.

“We must expose and tackle politicians and traditional leaders in cahoots with mining companies against the interests of communities head-on. For the longest time poor communities have suffered at the hands of their supposed leaders who do not hesitate to side with exploiters. Those who choose to be politically expedient on this and many other matters badly affecting communities must do so on their own accord.”

However mineral resources director general Advocate Thabo Mokoena disputed claims that the department had disrespected the courts and the community.

Adv Mokoena confirmed that an independent survey will be carried out by the mineral resources department to determine if mining should go ahead or not.

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