Mining Minister's powers to be trimmed

The Cape Argus reports that briefing the Provincial Standing Committee on Community Development last week, Lize McCourt, of the Department of Environment and Tourism, said the National Environmental Management Amendment Bill will, among other things, improve provisions for co-operative governance. The biggest chunk of amendments is in Chapter 5 of the Bill, which deals with integrated environmental management and is the enabling chapter for environmental authorisations. McCourt said while Ministers had agreed that the Minister of Minerals and Energy retain the mandate as a designated competent authority to implement systems related to mining, and they had suggested that the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism should be made the appeal authority in the mining-environmental management process. Full Cape Argus report (subscription needed) National Environmental Management Amendment Bill

This will come as a relief to many - not least those opposed to further mining rights being granted indiscriminately to the Australian company, Mineral Commodities, who last week was given permission by the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) to mine a portion of the Wild Coast. A report in The Times notes that Mineral Commodities (MRC) appears to be taking strain financially, with most of its mining ventures collapsing in red ink and litigation. The MRC, whose chairperson is Joseph Caruso (61), and MD Mark Caruso (45), posted a R48m loss last year. The Perth-based junior miner's future hinges on two SA projects: the controversial Xolobeni on the Wild Coast and Tormin on the West Coast. These, it hopes to finance from its 5.7% stake in London AIM-listed Allied Gold. The Department of Environment and Tourism concluded its report on the environmental impact assessment that MRC commissioned from consultants Groundwater Consulting Services saying: 'The Department has grave concerns with regard to the proposed mining developments in the area and objects to it'. However, besides ignoring the department's rejection of the environmental impact assessment, the DME ignored a report from the SA Human Rights Commission alleging the required community support was not genuine. MRC said that it has been notified that it had received the mining rights, and had not heard anything further from the department. Full report in The Times

Rich whites had caused the divisions over mining the dunes, according to Minerals and Energy Minister, Buyelwa Sonjica, who travelled to Xolobeni last week, to meet community leaders, local government, and black economic-empowerment (BEE) partners of the MRC. A Mining Weekly report says Sonjica visited the site and held meetings with local community members. DME spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said as far as the DME was concerned, the granting of the licence was a 'done deal', although the Minister was open to hear the views of all concerned. With regard to the remaining 70% of the Xolobeni project, which will be held under a prospecting right valid until 2010, Khumalo said the DME could not tell if and when the rights for those blocks will be granted, as MRC still had to meet certain obligations. A Sunday Tribune report quotes Sonjica saying, 'We are going to mine for people to get employment'. She said all environmental concerns raised about the mining were being addressed through the environmental management plan. Sonjica also suggested that divisions over mining in the community had been caused by 'rich whites' and attorney Richard Spoor. Full Mining Weekly report Full Sunday Tribune report