CAM (Communities Against Mining) is opposed to the proposed mining application by West Wits amongst the suburbs of Roodepoort and Soweto in Gauteng.

UPDATE: 12 July 2021

COMMUNITIES AGAINST MINING (CAM) RESOLUTION

Interested and Affected Parties and Members of Communities Against Mining (“CAM”), affiliated organizations and residents of  affected and surrounding areas, have elected to appoint legal representatives to represent them in all negotiations, objections, litigation and administrative processes relating to existing and proposed mining development by West Wits (Pty) Ltd (“West Wits”), including but not limited to oppose the application for the mining right and associated authorisations, as well as to review the decisions by DMRE of the 23 June 2020 to grant environmental authorisation, and dismissal by the Minister of Foresty, Fisheries and Environment on the 26 March 2021 of appeals against the aforementioned authorisation, and  to undertake any other related legal action against West Wits, relevant state authorities and any other parties as may be reasonably necessary. I, the undersigned, hereby confirm that I am an Interested & Affected Party or CAM member and that I mandated and/or mandate Lawyers for Human Rights, to represent me in my capacity as a CAM member, and interested and affected party, in taking any reasonable steps necessary in relation to any of the aforesaid matters against West Wits on the date on which I became a member of CAM by signature on the CAM register and/or this mandate and, to the extent that is necessary, to ratify any actions already taken by Lawyers for Human Rights prior to my becoming a CAM member with regard to the above.

I, the undersigned, further confirm that CAM is authorised to depose to all court processes as necessary and required, on my behalf, and on behalf of CAM.

WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF MINING IN YOUR SUBURB OR COMMUNITY? 1)      Global best practice demands that all mines should have an exclusion/safety zone of at least 500 meters, and if blasting is involved, not less than 1500 meters. None of the currently proposed mining projects in Roodepoort honour this global best practice.

2)       When operational these opencast proposals will cover your property in toxic dust containing silica, arsenic, uranium, lead, cadmium, iron, copper and other toxic heavy metals and substances that could lead to respiratory problems (including Asthma and Lung Cancer), skin rashes, cancer, eye problems, bone and colon cancer, and children born with cerebral palsy.

3)      The opencast pits will act as drains and sinks for rain water even after they are closed adding to the ingress of water into the Central and Western voids. Once the underground tunnels of old mines fill up, there is a strong possibility of acid springs erupting all over the place. Go and visit the children’s park in Davidsonville and see examples of such toxic springs.

4)      Raising the water table and filling up the mined out void will increase the weight on the crust of the earth and acid water eating away at faults and impacting on dykes will increase earth tremors and cause your house walls to become damp and to crack, thereby lowering the value of your property and making it unsaleable.

5)      The open cast mining in close proximity will leave you with unbearable noise levels of trucks and heavy machinery’

6)      Given that there are 6 000 abandoned, derelict and ownerless mines in South Africa already, there is no guarantee that these unsightly opencast operations will actually be rehabilitated.

7)      We have witnessed that the current applicant has already commenced mining in Braamfischerville before the mining licence has been granted. We also note that despite assurance to the contrary they are blasting.

8)      In Braamfischerville locals are already complaining that none of them got jobs despite promises to the contrary during the consultation process.

9)      Locals in Braamfischerville are already complaining that their houses are being covered in dust and that they are cracking.

10)   The mining company applying for the licence have not given any satisfactory answers to any questions raised in public meetings, least of all have they explained how they intend dealing with increased traffic volumes of heavy mine ore carriers in populated urban areas, and the resultant increased traffic accidents and fatalities.

11)   The International Atomic Energy Agency has very specific regulatory guidelines for uranium mining and the transport and storing of uranium and radioactive waste. South Africa chaired the (IAEA) until December 2017 and the National Nuclear Regulator requires that such operations be properly fenced, signposted and secured. Despite such regulations there are hardly any mining companies in Gauteng who are compliant. The documents of the proposed mining operations are all but silent on such issues.

12)   The applicant for the mining licence claims that its operations will help to remove Zama Zamas. Firstly, the job of removing or controlling Zama Zamas is that of The Department of Mineral Resources and the police, not the operator of a mine. Secondly, in Braamfischerville Zama Zamas are happily continuing with their own operations right next to the operations of the applicant.

13)   The applicant in several community ‘consultations’ invited participants to its operations in Sol Plaatje. These operations do not have a mining licence, but are being conducted fraudulently with an environmental directive from the Department of Mineral Resources directed at Dino Properties and not to the applicant.

14)   Some of the senior managers in the company now applying for a licence were formerly with Mintails which is now under judicial management. Mintails did not rehabilitate its operations in Randfontein.

Communities Against Mining "CAM"    Contact the author of the petition