Parliament visit for mine in Umzumbe

South Coaster Michael Kholiswa Sithole, an advocate based in Cape Town but who grew up in Magog, has taken up the cudgels on behalf of his former home town.

Sithole submitted a petition with grievances affecting the community about SA-Lithium mine’s operations in the area to the Select Committee on Public Petitions and Executive Undertaking in Parliament in 2025.

In short, Sithole and some residents, claim that there was inadequate consultation, that graves remain at the site, residents are exposed to health risks, and houses are damaged by unabated blasting.

On submission of Sithole’s petition, the committee undertook a site investigation in September 2025.

It then compiled a report with observations and findings, as well as recommendations.

The report was made public in January and then adopted in February.

Various stakeholders met recently for a follow-up at Magog Primary.

The committee met with SA-Lithium, Sithole and community members to present timelines with regards to the implementation of the recommendations.

Committee chairman, Ofentse Mokae, recommended that the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and the South African Human Rights Commission, commission an independent compliance, environmental, and health impact audit.

Ian Harebottle, the director of SA-Lithium, said that the large majority of recommendations effectively ‘pass the ball’ over to other government departments to carry out their own independent evaluations and for the end results to be shared with government and made public as and when appropriate.

“We are in full support of the same as we are confident in our level of compliance,” he said.

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