Petition to block R30bn KZN iron ore mine gains momentum

An online petition to stop a proposed open cast iron ore mine at Entembeni, near Melmoth in the north of the KwaZulu-Natal, is gaining momentum, with more than 5,000 signatures since it was started on Thursday. 

The petition, which was instituted by the Entembeni Crisis Forum, is run on Change.org. 

The forum was formed by the community which is opposing Jindal Africa’s Melmoth iron ore project. The 21,000-ha project, which is already facing challenges, will uproot more than 300 families, exhume ancestral graves and endanger millions of rand worth of fruit farms in northern KZN.

The Indian industrial powerhouse first set its sights on the hills of Entembeni, between Melmoth and Eshowe, in 2011 for a R30bn magnetite iron ore mine.

Though some support the mine, residents and the farming community say the mine will deplete their source of water from the Goedertrouw Dam and leave dust on their crops.

The forum said Makhasaneni, in Melmoth, is placed on lush fields of green and is known for being a key producer of fruit and nuts like bananas, avocados, citrus fruit and macadamia nuts. 

It said the pictures on the petition do not come close to doing their beautiful home justice.

“Jindal, like all mining projects, is waving the promise of development at us in exchange for the land we live on and eat from, but we can see past this bait. Besides all the existing examples of mining towns around the country that are poverty-stricken, living in inhumane conditions because of the negative impact of mining, such as living in cracked homes, breathing polluted air, and drinking polluted water,” said the forum. 

It said it opposes the mine because the environmental harm to the landscape, water, and air is immeasurable. It said it witnessed the impact in 2017 when the mine’s prospecting in the community resulted in the death of livestock and community farming crops and contaminated water.

It said the mine claims it will only move 350 households, but looking at their mining map, it appears they will move about 3,000. 

“About the point above, that means over 3,000 graves will be exhumed and moved. We have seen this in areas such as Somkhele in Newcastle, where graves were exhumed and the dead buried in unmarked graves. This not only tampers with our spiritual identity but is also a gross disrespect for humanity and our connection to the land.

“Households, women’s groups, and commercial farmers stand to lose their crops from the impacts of mining. Goerdertrouw Dam — the main dam from which we get water — serves five municipalities, which at present only get water once a week as we battle water shortages. Adding a mine to the equation will make the community unlivable because we will have no water, knowing how much water is used by mines per minute.”

Last week residents took to the street and blocked the R66 road which connects rural towns such as Pongola, Vryheid, Eshowe, Nongoma and Ulundi as they demanded the company leave the area and stop their intention to mine.

The forum said businesses that stand to benefit from the promise of development have been threatening its members in the hope they will fold. It said they have to flee their homes because of the mine’s divisive tactics on people desperate for money.

According to Jindal, a consensual study was done in 2011 and a scoping study in 2012, while a pre-feasibility study was also done. 

The next phase was a bankable feasibility study that had just been completed and the final report was being prepared.

It said the report will go to the board of Jindal and [it] will then deliberate on whether it is ready to make a final investment decision. 

Jindal said the reports will then go to the international organisation. 

The social and environmental impacts assessments are just about complete and will be submitted by the end of September, added Jindal.

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