JOHANNESBURG, November 30 (ANA) – The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) said on Wednesday it had convened a task team in a bid to solve the mining impasse in what it has dubbed “the Xolobeni situation” in the Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape.
This comes after Xholobeni community stakeholders accused the DMR of “bulldozing a process” and promoting a mining license application which they stand against.
A project by Transworld, a subsidiary of the Australian corporation Mineral Commodities, proposed to mine titanium in Xolobeni where it estimated that the land had reserves amounting to 348.7 million tonnes of ore grading five percent titanium.
The community of Xolobeni has been vehemently opposed mining in their land.
The situation became untenable earlier this year when one of their leaders and chairperson of the Amadiba Crisis Committee, Bazooka Radebe, was assassinated by hitmen who pretended to be police officers.
The DMR said it had established a Xolobeni Task Team to focus on ensuring peace and stability to the community.
It said it did so after several meetings and engagements with the Xolobeni community, traditional leaders and the Amadiba Crisis Committee on issues pertaining to the Xolobeni mining conflict and disputes.
The Task Team includes the South African Police Service, local traditional leaders and the local municipality.
DMR said issues deliberated at the meeting held last week included the 18 month moratorium for the Xolobeni Mining Project which was declared by the Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane in September.
Other issues included a report on processes followed by the police with regard to cases lodged and investigations following the violence that erupted in the community.
“During this task team meeting, the Amadiba Crisis Committee unfortunately walked out of the meeting refusing to return even after several attempts by the Chairperson of the Committee,” DMR said in a statement.
“The Department, in this regard, notes with concern a statement issued by the ACC that the DMR is “pushing for Xolobeni mining at Wild Coast Sun meeting.”
The DMR said it would continue to engage with all stakeholders and pleaded with them to support the function of the task team, saying that would bring peace and stability in Xolobeni.
– African News Agency (ANA)
(Image: mariag4g.blogspot.co.za/)
