/ 11 March 2007

Richtersveld opposes De Beers-Alexkor merger

The Richtersveld community is taking legal action against a merger between De Beers Namaqualand and Alexkor, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Saturday.

The Communal Property Association is to meet with Minister of Public Enterprises Alec Erwin on Monday to discuss the merger, announced by President Thabo Mbeki in his State of the Nation address.

The community wants to force the companies to give them access to the agreement documents, the report said.

The community said they would make use of a four-year-old interdict preventing Alexkor from entering any profitable agreement without their consent.

They were forcefully removed from diamond-rich Alexander Bay when diamonds were first discovered.

In 2006, the Richtersveld community and the state entered into a R90-million agreement, which included shares in Alexkor, and the return of the 85 000ha of land.

Despite the agreement, community members said their land was under threat again. — Sapa