by Leon Marshall. The Star. Edition 1 p.18. 31 July 2007
Environment minister’s portfolio needs to fight mineral and energies for place in government hierarchy
Environmentalists moved to the edge of their chairs and bit their fingernails when Marthinus van Schalkwyk succeeded Valli Moosa as minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
Everybody knew the new minister was a political opportunist. His appointment was reward for marching his motley band of Nationalists into the ANC camp. But did he have it in his broek, to paraphrase an Afrikaans saying, to stand up for nature when it came to the crunch in the cabinet? [Read more…]
Posted on July 31st, 2007 by admin
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July 18, 2007 Edition 1 The Mercury
JUST as South Africa’s far-sighted environmental protection laws are coming under fresh attack from developers and economic hardliners, the Constitutional Court seems to have ridden to the rescue. [Read more…]
Posted on July 18th, 2007 by admin
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by Val Payn
The Pondoland Centre of Endemism, though extremely small in geographic terms, is extremely wealthy in environmental terms. It extends from the Mtumvuna River at Port Edward, to the Kei River. Much of its environmental wealth is also highly ‘site specific’ i.e. the particular set of geographic circumstances of the region has resulted in high numbers of endemic species, generally contained in very small populations, making it ecology extremely sensitive to disruption. Although no extensive and comprehensive study has ever been done on the natural assets of the PCE, an area of 1880 square kilometers, a recent study of the flora of 4 sites in the area, namely Mkambati, Oribi Gorge, Umtamvuna Nature Reserve and Port St Johns revealed 2 253 species of which 196 where endemic. Of the endemics only 16 occur in all four of the above mentioned sites, indicating that each of the investigate sites contains its own specific endemics. The region has been very poorly scientifically surveyed, and new plant species continue to be discovered.
Typical landscape of riverine/ estuarine forest and grassland
For purposes of comparison, the Kruger National Park only contains 1 400 species as does the whole of the United Kingdom. [Read more…]
Posted on July 13th, 2007 by admin
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By: Christy van der Merwe Published: 13 Jul 07 - 0:00 - Mining Weekly
The Xolobeni mining right application has been accepted by the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME), and now Transworld Energy and Minerals (TEM), a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian mining junior Mineral Commodities (MRC), and their com-munity-based partners, Xolco, await the decision of the DME as to whether or not a mining licence will be granted for its proposed operation along the Wild Coast.
Because of the scenic location of the Xolobeni project area, which is situated between the Mtentu and Mzamba rivers in the Bizana district of the Eastern Cape, near Port Edward, the proposed mining activity is being met with resistance from a number of local community members, as well as environmental organisations, which feel that the fundamental principles of sustainable development would be violated given the current mining proposal. [Read more…]
Posted on July 13th, 2007 by admin
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Grassroots resistance could scuttle plans by an Australian company wanting to mine Transkei’s Wild Coast. Fred Kockott reports
Sunday Tribune: July 01, 2007 Edition 1
by Fred Kockott
Seated on beer crates around a cattle kraal on the Wild Coast, a small gathering of tribal elders, headmen and residents this week resolved that their communal land was not on offer for mining. [Read more…]
Posted on July 1st, 2007 by admin
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