Nicky Barker
The Campaign for St Lucia was reactivated at a meeting in Durban last Sunday, amid fears that Richards Bay Minerals may be reconsidering mining in the area.
In the early 1990s, the campaign co- ordinated the largest single petition ever compiled in this country, leading to the scrapping of plans to mine titanium.
Recent statements by African National Congress KwaZulu-Natal leader Jacob Zuma have indicated that individuals in the government might be reconsidering the mining option.
Earlier this month, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Pallo Jordan announced that an application to declare St Lucia a World Heritage Site had been withdrawn. Although the reasons appear to be technical, the announcement served to heighten environmentalists’ fears.
The mood at Sunday’s meeting was militant. Representative Wally Menne said: “It is unfair to expect a non-governmental organisation to battle on and on over an issue that has been made a government priority. It appears the government has not lived up to its end of the bargain, and now may be looking for an easy option.”
The government’s side was outlined by an independent review panel and an ANC commission. It was recommended the area be proclaimed a national park administered by an independent board, with an application for World Heritage Site status.
Land claims were to be given immediate priority. Of the approximately 16 500 land claims before the Land Claims Commission, only a handful have been finalised.
The review panel recommended the formation of an independent board to oversee the development of Lake St Lucia as a source of tourism income. This authority has yet to materialise.
In the interim, development projects worth about R100-million are waiting for the go- ahead. Some are threatening to invest their money elsewhere.