Press Statement
To all Media Editors, Journalists and News Outlets
RE: MACUA Denounces Glencore’s Rhovan Vanadium Mine for refusing to engage and consult with local community from whose land they extract wealth.
Mining Affected Communities United in Action(MACUA), strongly condemns Glencore’s Rhovan Vanadium Mine for its blatant disregard of, and failure to consult the residents of Bethanie, located outside Brits in the North West province of South Africa.
In a recent statement issued by Glencore’s Rhovan Vanadium Mine, the company claims to have significantly benefited the community since its establishment. However, the stark reality on the ground paints a completely different picture. The residents of Bethanie continue to endure abject poverty, with unemployment rates soaring. Glencore’s Rhovan Vanadium Mine has consistently failed to consult the community on it legally obligated Social and Labour Plan (SLP) commitments, and have instead colluded with small groups of stakeholders and political groups, to the detriment of the greater community.
The mine is currently operating illegally as it has not yet consulted the community on what the Social and Labour Plans(SLP) should focus on, and the DMRE has not approved its SLP, thus leaving the mine to operate illegally. According to the Mineral Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), a Mining Licences can only be granted on the basis of an approved SLP.
The community have been trying to engage the mine for more than two years, and has consistently pointed out that the projects that the mine claims to have provided for the community, are either not functioning or are not benefiting the community in the way that the community wishes to be developed.
In essence the community correctly points out that people who do not stay in their villages have decided what is good for them. The community has roundly rejected this colonial basskap and have demanded that there can be Nothing about them without them.
The desperate situation has driven the residents to stage a three week long protest outside the gates of Glencore’s Rhovan Vanadium Mine, demanding that their long-standing grievances be acknowledged and addressed. This display of discontent underscores the community’s frustration with mining companies that prioritize profits over their social responsibilities and their discontent with a DMRE that allows illegal mining to flourish under their noses.
MACUA urgently calls upon the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, under Minister Gwede Mantashe, to intervene swiftly.
In this season of electoral promises, the minister and his party have made bold claims about how they value the people and how they put people first, but here, in the stark reality of daylight, they are exposed for their collusion that keeps millions of South Africans in poverty while mining companies like Glencore extract our wealth only to export the profits to foreign investors.
It is imperative that the grievances of the residents of Bethanie are not only heard but also resolved in a just and timely manner.
Furthermore, MACUA vehemently condemns the excessive use of force by the South African Police Services against the residents of Bethanie. Such heavy-handed tactics only serve to further suppress legitimate concerns and perpetuate injustice.
It Is high time political parties stop ignoring the voices of mining affected communities and we call on those who win election to Parliament to urgently prioritise the amendment of the MPRDA to ensure a more just mining regime and that mining companies operating in South Africa uphold their legal and moral obligations and contribute meaningfully to the well-being of affected communities.
MACUA remains resolute in its commitment to advocating for the rights and welfare of mining-affected communities across the country.
For media inquiries, please contact: Magnificent Mndebele
Cell: 064 785 9746