/ 31 October 2011

Colliery back in business

Colliery Back In Business

Die-hard environmentalists and conservationists lobbying against mining development in protected areas must get ready for a fierce battle.

Future mining in South Africa will increasingly venture into conservation-­sensitive areas. This is according to Coal of Africa chief executive John Wallington, who announced on October 19 that the minister of water and environmental affairs, Edna Molewa, had lifted the suspension of Vele Colliery’s integrated water-use licence.

The lifting of the suspension allows Coal of Africa to complete the remaining construction at Vele mine in Limpopo and start operating fully. The mine, which will create about 500 jobs during the initial phase of operation, will mobilise contractors and re-employ staff immediately. “We are now well placed to produce the first coking coal in the first quarter of next year,” said Wallington. “This will ramp up to the company’s initial target of one million tonnes a year.”

The Save Mapungubwe Coalition, comprising seven non-governmental organisations, said the minister’s decision was “contrary to the ordinary procedure stipulated in the National Water Act”. The coalition’s spokesperson, Hayley Komen, said the discretion to lift the suspension should be exercised only in extraordinary circumstances, which they believed did not exist in this case. She said the purpose of the suspension was to enable the South African Water Tribunal to make considered and independent decisions without the risk of the resource being depleted or polluted before a decision was made.

The coalition fears that Molewa’s decision will enable other companies to apply to have the suspension of their licences rescinded. But the spokesperson for the water affairs department, Linda Page, said Coal of Africa had pleaded with Molewa to be allowed to continue mining because the appeal against the suspension might take a long time. Lengthy suspension would have had a negative effect on mining operations, revenue and workers, she said.

Page said the coalition’s concerns were covered by the licence conditions and it would be involved in the monitoring of water resources during mining operations. The coalition submitted an appeal againstthe granting of Coal of Africa’s water-use licence to the Water Tribunal on July 28. This led to the automatic suspension of the company’s integrated water-use licence.

Coal of Africa submitted a petition to the minister on August 8, requesting that the suspension be lifted in accordance with section 148 (2) (b) of the National Water Act. The NGO filed further representations in relation to the company’s petition on September 7. In spite of vehement opposition as well as a barrage of bad publicity, Wallington maintains that the Vele operation poses no threat to the Mapungubwe heritage.

Coal of Africa, which has a primary listing on the Australian Stock Exchange and listings on the JSE and the London Stock Exchange, will not mine within the Mapungubwe National Park, its buffer zone or any core areas. The company said it recognises the area’s uniqueness and aims to manage the colliery in an environmentally sustainable manner. A buffer zone was specifically created to preserve the integrity of the site.

Since Vele will be an underground mine, its activities will not be visible from the historical site, even when mining takes place at the closest point to it in 35 years’ time. Wallington said the company expected to succeed in mining sustainably in Limpopo, which has clearly stated that mining is a desired cornerstone economic activity. “For us, conservation is a natural resource,” he said.

The Vele property has the potential to be a significant producer of coking coal and in so doing will create jobs and generate economic activity for the province and the country. The company said it had rigorously engaged all stakeholders. It maintains that effective communication between Coal of Africa and the various stakeholders will enhance and develop a common understanding of issues relating to the co-existence of the Vele colliery within this area.

Importantly, collaboration between the mine and specific stakeholders would ensure that the environmental management programme was implemented and other regulatory requirements were met. This would ensure that it developed and operated the mine responsibly.

Coal of Africa believed that the development of this region’s mineral wealth is in the interests of a broad range of stakeholders. The company said it was committed to doing so responsibly and to leaving a sustainable legacy, well after mining ceased. As part of this commitment, Coal of Africa, the department of environmental affairs and South African National Parks signed a memorandum of agreement about the Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site in September.

The agreement seeks to ensure the conservation and integrity of the globally significant natural and cultural heritage site and to maintain and strengthen co-operation between the three parties. Although communities near the mine are reportedly excited about the opportunities the mine presents, the Save Mapungubwe Coalition, which includes the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists, said it will not rest in its efforts to oppose mining in the area.

Ancient site has Unesco stamp
One thousand years ago Mapungubwe was the centre of the largest kingdom in the subcontinent, where a highly sophisticated people traded gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt. It thrived as a trading centre between 1220 to 1300. The Iron Age site, discovered in 1932 but hidden from public attention until only recently, was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 2003.

Internationally, there are 812 World Heritage sites,in 137 countries. Africa has 65 sites and South Africa seven. Mapungubwe was declared a national heritage site by the South African Heritage Resources Agency in 2001, one of the first two sites to be declared under the 1999 National Heritage Resources Act, which replaced the National Monuments Act. Mapungubwe is an area of open savannah at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers. It abuts the borders of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian newspaper as an advertorial supplement