A DECISION by the High Court of South Africa that judged communities and residents had to first give their consent before mining rights could be awarded was “a concern”, said Eyewitness News (EWN), an online publication, citing mines minister, Gwede Mantashe.
The court ruled on November 21 that the mines minister could not issue a mining right in Xolobeni in the Eastern Cape province without the consent of communities and residents. The ruling comes after years of a tug of war between the government, mining companies and communities in the area, said EWN.
“It’s treated like a curse, rather than a blessing,” said Mantashe of the country’s mining sector. “It is not treated as wealth, it is treated more from the negatives. A polluter, these days it’s the deprivation and all those things. That worries me a great deal.”
South Africa was endowed with minerals naturally and should not be prevented from tapping into resources. “We either look into sustaining and preserving mining, or take a clear decision to ban mining in this country and allow those minerals to lie on the ground,” said Mantashe.
