JOHANNESBURG, February (ANA) - Lawyers for Human Rights said on Monday a hearing at the Pretoria High Court in which four communities affected by mining are challenging a charter published by mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane last year would proceed despite the chamber of mines, which represents producers, suspending its own case.
The Chamber of Mines said on Sunday it had agreed, after talks with new President Cyril Ramaphosa's office, to postpone its court application against the department of mineral resources (DMR) over the charter, which was due to be heard from February 19-21.
But on Monday rights lawyers said the communities of Sefikile, Lesethleng, Babina Phuthi Ba Ga-Makola and Kgatlu, located in the Northwest and Limpopo provinces, which host mining operations on their land, affecting thousands of residents, had not been consulted on the suspension.
“It is unfortunate that this agreement between the Chamber and the government appears to extend the pattern of exclusion that prompted our clients to intervene in this matter in the first place”, said Michael Clements, head of the Environmental Rights Programme at Lawyers for Human Rights.
“The court allowed this intervention on the basis that our clients and the other community co-applicants have a direct interest in this matter, and so it is up to the court to determine if the case can be postponed".
The rights lawyers will ask the court to order the minister and his department to begin a fresh, properly consultative process to develop and implement a new Mining Charter that reflects the rights and interests of mining-affected communities.
The case is set down for 10 am at the Pretoria High Court.
- African News Agency (ANA)
