Aurora founders face immediate prosecution

Elise Tempelhoff | Wed, 19 May 2010 17:55

[miningmx.com] -- ZONDWA Mandela and Khulubuse Zuma, founders of Aurora Empowerment Systems, can be prosecuted “immediately” for allowing mine water from the firm's Grootvlei mine to pollute the Blesbokspruit.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said in Parliament that when a mine violates its licence conditions it can be charged “immediately” – without any warning.

Sonjica said in reply to a question from South Africa's Democratic Allliance party, the country's official opposition, that she knew black empowerment group Aurora was allowing unpurified mine water containing heavy metals and salts to be discharged into the Blesbokspruit from Grootvlei.

DA water affairs spokesman Gareth Morgan said that the minister has known for several months that the mine was not complying with its licence conditions and that she must act now.

Sonjica told Morgan that the Blue Scorpions (her department’s law enforcers) had been to the mine three times already to take water samples for tests.

Water Affairs deputy director Marius Keet told Beeld, an Afrikaans medium newspaper, earlier this week that the directors of Aurora were supposed to have given “reasons” on Monday already why they were allowing the Blesbokspruit to be polluted. The directors were given a pre-order and later an order (directive) about the water pollution.

According to Sonjica, it’s not necessary to give reasons (in directives) in the case of mines, and they can be prosecuted immediately if they allow pollution.

Sonjica also admitted that the mine water is threatening the survival of the Marievale bird sanctuary.

Morgan said it’s clear that Sonjica and her department aren’t serious about prosecuting Aurora’s directors.

However, he is not going to let the matter rest there and will ensure that the National Water Act is applied.

Keet was not available for comment yesterday.