De Beers disputes mine claim

A Cape fishing village has lodged a land claim for a portion of De Beers' famous Namaqualand diamond mine - and is now threatening to stop the sale of the mine until the claim is settled.

The community of Hondeklipbaai - a town named after a wind-battered rock that's said to look like a dog - are awaiting a final decision on their claim for a chunk of a mine that still contains nine million carats, according to De Beers' estimates.

The company this week confirmed the claim on five of its farms around the mining town of Koingnaas on the West Coast, but said it had filed a formal dispute.

It is negotiating with potential buyers and says it has received several "binding offers".

But Hondeklipbaai community spokesman Dawid Markus said the land claimants, numbering around 40 families, want their claim to be resolved before any sale.

"You can't sell a house that is not yours," Markus said. "We are saying that De Beers must first sort out the problems in their house before they sell to a third party. They can't go and sell the land if we are having a claim there."

He insisted the matter must first go to the Land Claims Court, adding that De Beers appeared to be circumventing court processes.

But De Beers spokesman Tom Tweedy said the company was waiting for the court to provide it with documents relating to the claim. "To date, this information has not been forthcoming, with the result that De Beers has not been placed in a position to properly evaluate the claim," he said.

"De Beers, accordingly, has placed on record with the Land Claims Commission that it disputes the merits of the claim."

He said potential bidders for the mine had been made aware of the claim.