By Michael Hamlyn, I-Net Bridge
Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica eased aside comments from the environment department in favour of ’the national interest’ when making up her mind to grant the mining right application for the Xolobeni sand project. [Read more...]
Posted on October 28th, 2008 by Louis
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STATEMENT BY GARETH MORGAN MP
DA SPOKESPERSON ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
The Minister of Minerals and Energy, Buyelwa Sonjica, has ducked a reply to a DA parliamentary question on whether she made racial remarks to an audience in the Wild Coast on 15 August 2008. This was following her awarding of a provisional mining licence to mine in the Xolobeni area, a decision which has drawn mixed reaction from local communities. Speaking in isiXhosa, the Minister was reported in the Sunday Tribune (17 August 2008) to have said among other things that “rich whites” were dividing the community. She allegedly also launched into a verbal attack on human rights lawyer, Richard Spoor, who has been assisting local groups in opposing the mining licence. Following this event, Human Rights commissoner, Jody Kollapen, criticised the Minister for playing the race card.
The DA subsequently asked the Minister in parliament whether the comments attributed to her by the Sunday Tribune journalist where accurate, and whether she stood by these comments. The reply to the question is peculiar since it is written in the third person. Parliamentary questions are put directly to Ministers, and their responses are in the tradition of parliament directly attributable to them.
The reply noted that: a) “Mr. Fred Kockott’s [the journalist] article is allegedly a translation of what the Minister said in isiXhosa into English. In this regard it is not
possible to say with certainty whether the translation was accurate” and b) “The Minister can at this stage neither deny nor confirm the translation version by Mr. Kockott”.
Minister Sonjica knows what she said at the meeting in the Wild Coast as the words came out of her mouth. The DA asked the question to the Minister personally, and her Ministry ducked the answer by saying that the Minister’s alleged comments could not be confirmed. If the Minister made these comments she should own up to them. As a Minister she is answerable to the public. For this reason the DA will submit a follow-up question to the Minister to give her a further opportunity to reply. The official who drafts the replies to parliamentary questions would do well to just ask the Minister herself to confirm or deny whether she made these alleged racial remarks.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: GARETH MORGAN 0725283910
QUESTION BELOW:
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER
QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY
Question 1530:
1) Whether with reference to an article in the Sunday Tribune on 17th August 2008, entitled U Minister slams divisive whites”, the comments directly attributed to the Minister are accurate, if so, what are the relevant details, if not how did she reach this conclusion?
2) Whether the Minister stands by the comments she made at the actual event in Xolobeni on 15t August, is so, why if not, will she retract any comments?
Reply
a) Mr. Fred Kockott’s article is allegedly a translation of what the Minister said in Isixhosa into English. In this regard it is not possible to say with certainty whether the translation was accurate.
b) The Minister can at this stage neither deny nor confirm the translation version by Mr. Kockott.
Posted on October 27th, 2008 by Louis
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Click here to read the article
Posted on October 17th, 2008 by Louis
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ANALYSIS
13 October 2008
Posted to the web 13 October 2008
Johannesburg
AN APPEAL by Pondo villagers against Australian miner MRC’s licence to start strip mining the Wild Coast provides a test case of whether the new African National Congress (ANC) really cares if local communities benefit from mineral exploitation of their land. [Read more...]
Posted on October 13th, 2008 by Louis
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10/10 ECR News 06:31
Plans to mine the Xolobeni area along KZN’s Wild Coast have been put on hold, the decision came after the Minerals & Energy Minister visited the place & founded that there’s a much need for the consultation with the community first. Int. Bheki Khumalo: Dept.
1 min
10/10 SAfm Midday Live 12:19
Report : The World Wildlife Fund is once again challenging government on yet another mining projects in South Africa. This time it’s the Xolobeni Project Area of the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape after government announced that mining rights would be granted to Australian company Mineral Resource Commodities.
Int: Manager: Ecosystems Partnership, World Wildlife Fund SA
3 mins
10/10 RSG Spektrum 13:21
Topic – Mineral resources Commodities
INT: Mitsi van der Merwe – SABC
Report on further controversy regarding the proposed titanium mining activities on the Wild Coast by the Australian company Mineral Resources Commodities. It is alleged that children protesting against the mine were whipped by Police.
4 mins
Posted on October 13th, 2008 by Louis
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Click here to view the awards PDF.
Posted on October 9th, 2008 by Louis
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2008/10/08
POLICE in Transkei are being investigated for allegedly beating up schoolchildren opposed to the planned titanium mining on the Wild Coast. [Read more...]
Posted on October 9th, 2008 by Louis
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