Division in a local royal family has been revealed as the main reason behind a stalled 21,000ha project which will uproot more than 300 families, exhume ancestral graves and endanger millions of rand worth of fruit farms in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
A stakeholder engagement was convened by Jindal Africa’s Melmoth Iron Ore Project at the Bon Hotel in Empangeni on Monday.
The summit was part of the mining giant's efforts to provide stakeholders with information about the project, facilitating discussions on community perceptions and concerns such as resettlement and its implications for graves and addressing other challenges that may affect the proposed mining project.
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 there are those who 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.
It emerged that the Tembeni royal family — who have the power to veto the project — are divided about the mine. This has been cited as the main reason behind the stalling of the mine’s operation.
“The main problem is division within the royal family,” said family member Prince Fani Zulu.
“All the problems Jindal is experiencing emanate from that. If there are meetings regarding the mine and you are seen leading those meetings, your life is threatened. Some of us who are in favour of the mine are hated by family members. For me, I’ll appreciate that we first end the division within the royal family so we can speak with one united voice,” he said.
The community was split depending which faction of the royal family they supported.
Another family member, Prince Mandla Zulu, shared the same sentiments and urged other royal families in the district to come on board and assist as the project will develop the whole province.
Mandla said if people from Matshansundu — where the mining will take place — are not convinced of the benefits there won’t be mining.
Those within the royal family opposing the mine had influenced communities against it.
“What the princes and princesses are doing is wrong. They say they don’t want the mine while they are working and earning. They don’t want other people to get salaries and jobs. People in the area are unemployed and the situation is bad. Our children are educated and can't find jobs. There is an opportunity to uplift the community, the province and the country, but a handful of people are against that.”
Mandla said the main challenge was to engage the landowners — the residents — and convince them to see the future of the mine and how it will benefit them.
Members of the royal family also revealed the division has led to some pulling firearms against others.
The family suggested a delegation from King Misuzulu KaZwelithi to intervene in the Tembeni family feud.
Melmoth SAPS station commander Col F Msibi confirmed reports of firearms being drawn over the issue.
Msibi said the impasse posed potential danger to the community and urged them to call police during meetings.
A district manager for the co-operative governance and traditional affairs department Mbuso Sikhakhane said there was also division in the department.
Department officials need to sit down and iron out their differences before they meet the traditional leadership to resolve their issues.
Sikhakhane said they would engage other traditional leaders and royal families to come on board to help ease the division within the Tembeni royal family.
Ngqabutho Madida of the South African Heritage Resources Agency said the law protects ancestors’ graves.
The mining company should engage in a process for those graves to be relocated.
The KwaZulu-Natal Amafa and Research Institute should be given a report before issuing a permit for graves to be exhumed, relocated or damaged, he said.
Jindal’s Patrick Donlan said they submitted a report to the institute, which they are studying.
Donlan said the mine must meet the rules and regulations of the international organisations, including the World Bank.
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.
“That report will go to the board of Jindal and [it] will then deliberate as to if they are ready to make a final investment decision. 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,” said Donlan.
The company has spent more than R300m on the project over the past 12 years.
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