Andrew Layman, chief executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said some time had elapsed since the chamber made representations in respect of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
“These representations reflected strong opposition to the establishment of a toll road in such a way that commuters would be seriously affected.

“While there is a need for the N2 to be upgraded to improve the link with the Eastern Cape, it is unsupportable that the cost should be borne by local people who use the road on a daily basis.”
The impact assessment pro-cess, he said, had been completed and permission granted for the road to be built – objections lodged by the chamber, mainly on the basis of the economic impact, had been overruled.
“The chamber is engaging with its members to prepare for (the public comment process) and, perhaps, contest the decision for the EIA approval. We do not have a new mandate yet, but it appears that the opinions of member companies, especially those in the south area who will be most directly affected, have not changed since the chamber lodged its previous objections.”

Wildlife and Environmental Society of SA conservation manager Chris Galliers said the organisation had just received a response from Molewa to requests for more information to validate her decision to authorise the highway and tolls, and would discuss the outcome at a later stage.

Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokes-man for Premier Zweli Mkhize, said the position of the KZN government had also not changed. ”(The premier) and his government are opposed to the tolling of roads as this will hamper socio-economic development,” he said.
The City of Cape Town has applied for an interim interdict to stop the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) from implementing proposed tolls on the N1 and N2. Mayor Patricia de Lille said poorer areas would be hardest hit by the proposed toll roads.

Sanral, in response to queries made by the Daily News, said that following the decision to approve the construction of the proposed project made by Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa, there would follow, among other things, the intent to toll process, which would provide the public with further opportunity to voice their views. It said the public were urged to make their views heard. “As with all the other steps in the project proposal, the intent to toll will be publicised in national and regional media for public knowledge.”
Sanral was not able to say when this process would begin.
Albi Modise, the chief director of communications of the Department of Environmental Affairs, confirmed that Molewa remained committed to her initial decision.

Source:   Daily News

Author:  Kamcilla Pillay

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Source : www.iol.co.za

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Source : www.iol.co.za

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Accordingly the complaint lodged by the Amadiba Crisis Committee with the Public Protector last week against the Minister for the long delay in announcing her decision has been withdrawn.

The Amadiba Crisis Committee and Sun International together lodged objections to the award of the mining rights in September 2008. A Special Task Team chaired by senior ANC MP Nkosi Patekile Holimisa found that the award of mining rights was in several respects in violation of legislated requirements.

The Minister has however left the door slightly ajar to allow the applicants a ninety day period in which to re-apply.

The attached documentation explains the Ministers decision.

Comment from the Amadiba Crisis Committee and the NGO Sustaining the Wild Coast which has supported them, will be forthcoming, but I offer the following comment in my professional capacity as the social worker who has been privileged to work with local residents for the past five years.

STATEMENT

The decision of Minister Shabangu closes a very long and frustrating chapter in the quest of the Amadiba residents for sustainable livelihoods.

To put it colloquially, a large and aggressive “dog” has been removed from the manger that it has occupied over the past three years, obstructing the local residents from pursing sustainable livelihood’s from nature and heritage based eco tourism. Although the ‘dog’ has been given the chance to reapply for control over the ‘manger’ it is now inconceivable that it would ever be able to take up occupation again, because over the next six months plans are afoot to revive the once celebrated community based eco-tourism initiative known as Amadiba Adventures.

With the COP 17 Talks taking place in six months time in Durban, together with the Wild Coast Sun Resort and other partners, the local residents will now ensure all available tourism accommodation on the Wild Coast is fully booked with international visitors who will be invited to celebrate an Avatar like victory of an indigenous people who cherish their natural environment and ancestral traditions. They declared the rich titanium deposits on the Wild Coast ‘unobtanium’ after they saw that film, and have gone one better than the NaVi warriors by using non-violent, constitutional means to oust the mineral addicted invaders.

The Amadiba Crisis Committee is now planning a huge celebration and plans to reconstitute themselves and the Amadiba Peace and Development Committee to facilitate healing and peace building in a community that was once a peaceful haven, but which has over the past five years seen constant tension and conflict.

While I welcome the Ministers decision I cannot understand how the Minister can conclude that the applicants took all reasonable steps to consult with the relevant parties. The Human Rights Commission found that consultation was woefully lacking as far back as 2007, and the only remedial ‘consultation’ process that I am aware of was when the BEE partner Xolco submitted forged and fraudulent names of some 3000 local residents claiming their free and informed consent. Minister Shabangu also has in her possession a long interview with a former Xolco member who resigned in protest together with two other directors after they realised that he had been co-opted into what he described a “corrupt scheme to sell the land of the people”.

Moreover it is worth noting that during the Local Government Elections ANC members from the mining affected area nominated candidates who were opposed to the mining to contest the elections. The voters followed suit by overwhelmingly electing the ANC candidates with their declared anti mining position, rather than the rash of independent candidates who suddenly appeared, backed by the pro-mining lobby.

I assume that Minister Shabangu was waiting for the elections before announcing her decisions, and hope that she is reassured that there can be no local political backlash. The Mbizana municipality is one of the poorest in the country and the local council needs support to make full use of the astounding natural and heritage resources at its disposal to promote jobs and development.

Notwithstanding these reservations, I wish to personally congratulate the Honourable Minister bringing some measure of closure. She has had to juggle a very hot potato which has not cooled down over the past two years since she assumed office.

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In a written reply to a parliamentary question, tabled on Monday, Shabangu declined to make public the findings of an earlier environmental impact assessment (EIA) into the plans of Transworld Energy Mineral Resources to mine the heavy mineral.

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Minister delays mine appeal decision

MINERAL Resources’ Minister Susan Shabangu has told Pondoland opponents of a titanium dune mining project that she needs another month to consider their appeal against the Xolobeni coastal dune mining project. Shabangu had been scheduled to announce this week her decision on the appeal by the Amadiba Crisis Committee, which is based on the alleged failure of the applicant mining company to properly consult on the project with either residents of the area or the king and queen of Pondoland.

ZWF COMMENT :: Mining Consultants & Environmentalists alike have expressed grave reservations that this finance stricken Australian mining company (see story below) would be able to meet any of its rehabilitation obligations of the mining strip of prime coastal habitat (see map above) – It is imperative that Minister Shabangu is made aware of this critical situation – please contact your MP to hammer home this message.

This is yet another worrying saga in the growing onslaught by surface strip mining which threatens numerous regions of Zululand (current & future) & South Africa, as well as regions to the North – The Aussie/Chinese threat is ever daunting !!

ASX:MRC Financial Status

Posted: 14 Apr 2011 12:31 AM PDT

THE Australian company given rights to strip-mine along the Wild Coast has reported heavy financial losses, and is facing legal battles that may cost it even more. Mineral Commodities, whose chairman is Joseph Caruso, 61, and managing director Mark Caruso, 45, posted a R48million loss last year. The Perth-based miner’s future hinges on two South African projects: the controversial Xolobeni on the Wild Coast and Tormin on the West Coast. These it hopes to finance from its 5.7 percent stake in London AIM- listed Allied Gold, which operates mines in Papua New Guinea.

The latest facts emerging about the company have increased criticism that the Department of Minerals and Energy did not check the company’s financial standing thoroughly enough when it awarded the licence to mine in an environmental hot-spot .
Apart from the financial check, the Department of Environment and Tourism (Deat) concluded its report on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) with: “The department has grave concerns with regard to the proposed mining developments in the area and objects to it.

“Several crucial aspects and specialist studies are lacking. From the documentation submitted, it is clear that the accepted and adopted planning and policy guidelines for the area have not been taken into consideration and several of the legislative requirements have not been met.
“No time frames or schedules are included to indicate whether they will be adhered to.
“Deat has not received the application for the listed activities in terms of the EIA regulations under the National Environmental Management Act.

“This alone is an almost fatal flaw in the public process to be followed.”
In addition to the Deat’s rejection of the EIA , the SA Human Rights Commission alleged that the required community support for the controversial project had been obtained “Mafia-style”.

source : www.wccoa.co.za

Media Release Issued by Kibao Communications On behalf of Amadiba Crisis Committee

Posted: 29 Mar 2011 11:42 PM PDT

Issued by Kibao Communications
On behalf of Amadiba Crisis Committee
Further info:

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu has failed to make a decision on the appeal against the mining right granted to Australian junior mining company Mineral Resources Commodities into mine the dunes at Xolobeni on the Wild Coast. She was due to speak on the controversial project on March 25, over two and a half years after the Amadiba Community threatened to take the Minister to Court to stop the mining project that has since 2003 become an ever more menacing threat to the unique biodiversity of the Wild Coast and traditional way of life of the amaMpondo.

Speaking on behalf of the Amadiba Crisis Committee which appealed the decision to allow mining, Sinegugu Zakhulu said “We cannot imagine what is causing her indecision on the matter. The Human Rights Commission as far back in 2007 was critical of the mining proposal, and even a special task team of the Mineral Resources Board, which was chaired by Patakile Holomisa, found glaring shortcomings in the mining rights application, including evidence that the traditional leadership, which includes the Chief and the King of amaMpondo were never consulted. This is apart from all the problems the task team found, with the water permits that had not been applied for, and the overwhelmingly negative long term environmental and economic impacts.

This is totally unacceptable because it is not only the mining which is ‘on hold’ but the revival of eco-tourism that is on hold, with all its job
creation potential”.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WRITTEN REPLY TO QUESTION NO 3557

Posted: 28 Feb 2011 01:30 AM PST

Mr S B Farrow (DA) to ask the Minister of Transport:

(1) Whether the consultants who conducted the environmental impact assessment for the proposed N2 toll road through the Wild Coast considered the viability of upgrading the R61 as an alternative; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(2) whether an official in his department instructed them that a case should be made for why the R61 should not be upgraded as an alternative to the proposed N2 toll road; if not, how was this conclusion reached; if so, (a) to what degree was the independence of the EIA process compromised and (b) what are the further relevant details;

(3) whether the official who gave this instruction will be disciplined; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW4397E

For further information contact Val Payne (SWC) at webmaster@swc.org.za

Mineral Commodities, whose chairman is Joseph Caruso, 61, and managing director Mark Caruso, 45, posted a R48million loss last year.
The Perth-based miner’s future hinges on two South African projects: the controversial Xolobeni on the Wild Coast and Tormin on the West Coast.

These it hopes to finance from its 5.7 percent stake in London AIM- listed Allied Gold, which operates mines in Papua New Guinea.
The latest facts emerging about the company have increased criticism that the Department of Minerals and Energy did not check the company’s financial standing thoroughly enough when it awarded the licence to mine in an environmental hot-spot .
Apart from the financial check, the Department of Environment and Tourism (Deat) concluded its report on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) with: “The department has grave concerns with regard to the proposed mining developments in the area and objects to it.

“Several crucial aspects and specialist studies are lacking. From the documentation submitted, it is clear that the accepted and adopted planning and policy guidelines for the area have not been taken into consideration and several of the legislative requirements have not been met.
“No time frames or schedules are included to indicate whether they will be adhered to.
“Deat has not received the application for the listed activities in terms of the EIA regulations under the National Environmental Management Act.

“This alone is an almost fatal flaw in the public process to be followed.”
In addition to the Deat’s rejection of the EIA , the SA Human Rights Commission alleged that the required community support for the controversial project had been obtained “Mafia-style”.

source : www.wccoa.co.za