February 09, 2010 Edition 1

Tony Carnie

THE decision on whether to allow sand-dune mining near Xolobeni on the Wild Coast has been put on hold again.

The Minerals and Mining Board was due to hear evidence for and against the mining application in Durban yesterday, but the meeting was postponed to a date still to be finalised.

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA president and MP, Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa, who was to chair the hearing and hear legal argument, said committee members had not had sufficient opportunity to study the substantial volume of documentation on the matter and a decision was taken to reconvene at a later date.

Journalists were refused entry to the meeting room yesterday and told the hearing was an internal meeting.

They were later advised that the meeting had been postponed.

The application to mine in the environmentally sensitive Xolobeni area, south of the Wild Coast Casino, had been made by the Australian-based company Transworld Energy, a local subsidiary company Mineral Resources (SA) and the shareholder group Xolobeni Empowerment Company.

The application was approved by the Minerals Department in 2008 but was put on hold shortly afterwards following appeals by a number of groups, including the Amadiba Crisis Committee.

The committee has complained that residents of the area were not consulted properly.

Posted on February 11th, 2010 by Louis
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Tony Carnie

A NEW round of hearings begins in Durban next week to debate controversial plans for dune mining at Xolobeni on the Wild Coast.

Part of the mining venture by an Australian company and local empowerment groups was approved in August 2008, but was put on hold after strong opposition from Xolobeni residents and traditional leaders, who said they had not been properly consulted.

The Legal Resources Centre, which is acting for members of the Amadiba crisis committee, also threatened to challenge the approval process in court.

Now legal advisers for the Mineral Resources Department have confirmed that supporters and opponents of the mining plan would be given the chance to air their views to a panel, which would make final representations to Minerals Minister Susan Shabangu.

The hearing would be held from February 8-10 at 333 Durban Bay House in Anton Lembede (Smith) Street.

It is understood that senior advocate Gilbert Marcus and Legal Resources Centre attorney Sarah Sephton would represent members of the Amadiba crisis committee.

The original mining proposal, by the Perth-based Transworld Energy group, involved removing heavy minerals from a 22km strip of coast immediately south of the Wild Coast Sun casino.

Although Xolobeni is in the Eastern Cape, members of the Amadiba crisis committee requested that hearings be held in Durban.

Posted on February 4th, 2010 by Louis
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(1) Whether the Independent Complaints Directorate are investigating the incident
that occurred on 17 September 2008 at a certain school (name furnished) where
members of the SA Police Service (SAPS) are alleged to have administered
corporal punishment to learners; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant
details;. Click here to read more

Posted on November 23rd, 2009 by Louis
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This Bateleurs newsletter covers the second quarter of 2009, and while missions got off to a slow start at the beginning of the year, the period from April to June saw The Bateleurs flying no less than fifteen missions, many of them to conserve and protect South Africa’s natural and beautiful places, such as the Wild Coast, pictured above.  This trend has continued into the third quarter, but we are always on the lookout for more missions. Click here to read more

Posted on October 9th, 2009 by Louis
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NatureLife International December 2008 Newsletter

Posted on December 17th, 2008 by Louis
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‘Only after the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.’

Cree Indian Prophecy.

PIETERMARTIZBURG MEETING.

The meeting held by SWC steering committee in Pietermaritzburg provided valuable
insights into the complexity of the task facing SWC, [Read more...]

Posted on March 1st, 2007 by admin
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