SWC ~ Sustaining the Wild Coast ~ » 2007

Wild coast mining gambles with future of Wild Coast poor

WILD COAST MINING – FOREIGN MINING COMPANY GAMBLES WITH THE FUTURE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S RURAL POOR.

For from providing further clarity on the proposed mining on the Wild coast, a recent focus group meeting held at Port Edward between SWC and GCS, the consultants undertaking the ‘Xolobeni mining’ EIA, has raised more questions than ever about the legitimacy of the mining process.

The meeting revealed a huge lack of detail in the planning domain, making it exceedingly difficult for the public get a clear idea of exactly what the project entailed, or of any impacts it might have.

‘It is hugely worrying that a foreign mining company is gambling with the livelihoods and future of numerous rural communities and one of South Africa’s most pristine natural resource treasures, [Read more...]

Posted on September 27th, 2007 by valpayn
Filed under: Current Issues, Press Releases | 2 Comments »

Wild Coast not for grabs

ILLEGAL COTTAGES RULING SHOWS WILD COAST IS NOT FOR GRABS.

12 September 2007

Sustaining the Wild Coast (SWC) welcomes the recent Supreme Court of Appeal judgment that upholds the order of demolition of illegal cottages built along the Wild Coast.

SWC is of the opinion that the judgment helps provide legal clarity to what was a ‘grey area’ in the legislation governing that region. That is that the Environmental Conservation Decree No 9 of 1992, legislated under the rule of then Transkei leader General Bantu Holomisa as a conservation measure for the Wild Coast, still has legal status [Read more...]

Posted on September 23rd, 2007 by valpayn
Filed under: Current Issues, Press Releases | No Comments »

communities have questions about mining proposal

Big money at stake in dunes

Sunday Tribune report – 9 Sept 2007

Photo: INLSA

September 09, 2007 Edition 3

Fred Kockott and Smilo Gobingca

DIRECTORS of Transkei’s controversial black economic empowerment company, Xolco, believe they could rake in huge sums of money – possibly up to R145.6 million a year – from planned heavy minerals mining on the Transkei’s Wild Coast.

But they have yet to decide what profits will flow back to people who have traditional land rights over proposed mining areas.

People who are directly affected by the mining proposals have no legal share in the planned mining operation extending along a 22km stretch of coastline below Port Edward – a prime eco-tourism route and potential food basket for the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal. [Read more...]

Posted on September 10th, 2007 by valpayn
Filed under: Newspaper and Media | 2 Comments »