Petition against open cast mining in Trankei

http://www.hibiscuscoastseconds.co.za/help-stop-mining-of-the-wild-coast/

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Investors_of_Mineral_commodities_LTD_MRC_Stop_forced_mining_on_South_Africas_Wild_Coast/


I hope most know what no1 and his cronies have in plan for the Transkei, aside from offshore drilling and selling offshore stocks under the table to china. They have been planning open cast mining of titanium from the coastal dunes for years. This culminated in the former khoza king marching to parliament 2 years or so ago and threatening civil war. He has been removed from office, for various reasons, and the australian consortium on behalf of the chinese are pushing to get at the minerals once and for all. This will be an absolute disaster for the locals, who will loose their land, homes, gardens, graves etc.. and will be an absolute crime to the fish stocks. Just read up about the aussie mining and its current negative effects on the Great Barrier Reef to give you an idea.

A_view_of_the_hunter_valley_open_cast_coal_%20mine.jpg


opencast-mine.jpg


This is the kind of thing that they have planned for the transkei. Please help preserve this piece of coastline for future generations and prevent the corrupt pillicks in charge from destroying it now for their own benefit.
 
If no-one is commenting, I hope that at least a few are adding their signatures to the list. Anyone reckon it is any coincidence that this is spoken little of in the news? Whereas it this been an pending issue for years, independent holdings are not so independent any more and the shareholders of the parent company are going for the wild coast and so you hear little in the press. Activists trying to make people aware on the ground in the kei, have been apparently murdered and all is being kept pretty hush. The situation there is of poverty and the locals do not own any of the land, the state owns all the tribal land and the chiefs are kept as legal caretakers, this status quo and the corrupt mafia-like system is kept to ensure the guarantee of the rural vote and to keep power for the those in power to do as they will with the mineral resources etc.. That is the short and curlies of it.

The people staying in these areas have no voice, please help the locals by lending yours.
 

abriedem

New member
I want to ask every one reading this post to seriously consider signing this petition. I know it will create jobs where it is seriously needed,but Mining with explosives contaminates the ground water and you will end up having drinking water that is not to standard for human consumption. The government will not assist you in future to rectify the problem. The current situation on the Wit Waters Rand (Western Gauteng ) is proof of that. It will be devastating if we allow our Natural Forests to be decimated by outsiders to line their pockets.
It will be very informative if somebody can explain to the forum what mining methods will be used. According to the photos that I saw it will be hard rock mining. For this to happen a lot of over burden has to be removed and stacked somewhere else. This will mean plants and trees that are hundreds of years old will be destroyed.

Please consider the future of our kids and grand kids.

Abrie
 
Open pit mining of the coastal dune belt is planned as far as I know.. :(  Titanium deposits in black sands under the dunes/hills.
22kms of wild coast (for now, more later) completely stuffed up for the future with who knows how much sea stuffed from possible dumped tailings sediment. Where do they plan on putting the tailings from 22kms of dunes worth of sand mining I wonder? My guess is to use the seawater for mining and ore processing and dump/pump the tailings in the sea but that is my guess. These mining companies have no shame and apparently this Australian company is just a front for the Chinese companies who have been trying to get at those sands for ages.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/01/-sp-great-barrier-reef-and-coal-mine-could-kill-it

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1887917/rubber_stamping_the_destruction_of_the_great_barrier_reef.html

I would not trust the auzzies when it comes to mining OUR wild coast.

Also youtube "the coconut revolution" to see an eye opening documentary on Riotinto mining on the Island of bougainville and what transpired.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coconut_Revolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDpvxQe_Jhg

If those of you out there have not seen this documentary you should. This shows what the mining companies are capable of in terms of the unashamed destruction they can sow in sacred and pristine wildernesses. It also shows to what lengths one may have to resort to to remove them and it shows what is possible with a little bit of ingenuity and problem solving and a lot of necessity. I do not see the ninja-turtle at large, aka thief-in-charge, stepping in to save these communities and our natural heritage..it comes down to those on the ground, us.

Is anyone involved in the universities to reach the student mass ? It will be then quick to muster the rest of the support. If you have not spent time in the transkei, you should, some places on that coast are "God's" own country and along with the places along the southern cape coast, overberg, peninsula and west coast are deeply burnt into our collective psyche. The common ancestor strandlopers roamed, settled and followed a migration along this coast for an age before the rest of us and it still resonates deeply with all our souls when we are surrounded by the mountains, various inherent shades and colours and adjacent wild sea. I have spent a lot of time along these coasts and never quite understood the eerie feeling and the rejuvenation I feel when just soak the presence of these places up until I read and essay with this explanation . It is a crime that we humans are not doing enough to conserve our original coastline, the coast of all of our ancestors..
 

Pylstert

Sealiner
This has been ongoing for years and years, the mining on the wild coast. There are many groups involved in objecting against it. I am not sure the government recognises online petitions though so you will probably have to object using the formal channels if there is still an open EIA process.
 
This petition is to present to the company in Australia that is pushing to mine there and not to present to a state organ. They are apparently mining as a front for the chinese and I do not see government recognising any objections through formal channels in the Eastern Cape nor allowing any EIA's that interfere with mining. For example just look at the fracking process that has been pushed on the karoo and look at zuma/gupta's coal mines on the borders of national parks and enviromentally sensitive nature reserves. This is the wild west, corruption rules and we need to explore every avenue outside of the formal channels as the formal channels have been purposely broken down as they interfere with the thiefdom.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2013/11/03/state-ignores-illegal-zuma-gupta-mining1

"Idwala has yet to submit a conservation management plan for the grave site, according to Jenna Lavin from the South African Heritage Resources Agency."

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2015/04/22/eskom-s-tsotsi-bent-the-rules-to-favour-gupta-mines

"Companies supplying coal to Eskom must meet strict criteria relating to coal quality, and comply with water and environmental licensing conditions.

But the Gupta mines appear to be allowed to flout these."

If this fails... Well the last xhosa king was threatening civil war over this before zuma desposed of him. The people do not own land, the local government holds the titles and the chiefs are used to keep them in line. You have all the rights under the sun with our great constitution but as soon as minerals are involved those all fall away and we have none and the state holds all the cards. Citizens are practically powerless when it comes to minerals, especially if EIA's are bulldozed through, flatly ignored or not even bothered about and those governing are profiting from the extraction of the minerals. I hope that this can be solved civilly, but if it cannot then I hope the locals take up arms and defend what is theirs. The mining company has already taken up arms against them.
 

Pylstert

Sealiner
There has already been an EIA processes and I think even an SEA regarding this mine. They have reduced the area where they can mine. You can't start a mine without an EIA.
 
And in the real world where money talks and zuma is king..all you need is an envelope of happiness and a handshake. Don't believe it if you don't want to.. Gupta and his chinese mates believe it very much, this is africa. To think that those in charge of our State are still concerned about following procedures and all that jazz is a little naive..no offense intended.
 

Pylstert

Sealiner
Halibut, there are many environmental groups that have been in court and working their butts off on trying to stop this mine following every which way avenue, there is a long history about it, now Avaaz suddenly jumps on the bandwagon with one of their famous petitions. Sorry I have been around the block with EIAs and developments, an AVAAZ petition is not going to stop it.

The one positive that has happened is that the mined area has been reduced by a 1/3 and it wasn't because of an AVAAZ petition.
 
Someone created the petition, not avaaz. Someone who could have done nothing and it is creating more awareness which is good in my opinion. A few thousand signatures against the mining action can only surely help the cause? I agree though with you in that this can only be stopped in the courts..

On that note there has been good news this week with important precedent being set in regards to administration of the "tribal lands" and giving it back to the people who stay on the land, from the state who currently owns it. That is where it all ends. And with the constitution one day being amended to give South African's rights to minerals for the first time in our history. I can then legally pan for gold ;), until then I guess I'm an outlaw in that regard. Minerals should be the property of those that own the land and claim, of course only if passing independant and unbiased EIA's and if the community at large want mining to happen. Land ownership should not be withheld or manipulated for mineral, financial or political gain.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Setbacks-for-traditional-leaders-20150827

Setbacks for the cadre clan and the chiefs and huge precedent setting wins for the people!

On another note in the news, and this is why I try to create awareness. People need to read between the lines and stop the planned rape of our beautiful country anyhow they can.

www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Gupta-plane-shows-executives-arrogance-EFF-20150827

The gupta's that own the coal mines causing the destruction, without eia's spoken about briefly earlier. Ja ols news but in new news:

www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Amakhosi-must-drive-mining-initiatives-on-tribal-land-King-Zwelithini-20150826

Read between the lines, what does "good" king want to mine..coal and iron, which is a slump and not currently profitable..Must be for kickbacks then deductively I reckon but I see where they are trying to go. Driving the mining processes through the chiefs, caretakers of the land owned by the state..And the people living there will also have to go to court and get petitions made..
 

DocPhil

Senior Member
Same thing happening here with coal seam gas. Public outcry but when the politicians see the money involved they forget all about public opinion.
Same story everywhere in the world.
 
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