Proposed tungsten mine fiercely opposed

Local farmers, some of whom produce export fruit and breed horses, are fiercely opposed to the mine, which they say will put the entire Moutonshoek Valley in jeopardy. They employ 500 permanent and 1 000 seasonal workers. The mine, planned to be the size of Phalaborwa, will employ about 300 workers, of whom only 20% have to be local. Bongani Minerals has applied to the Department of Minerals and Energy for the mining of tungsten and molybdenum ore on farms in the valley about 24km north-west of Piketberg. The company, whose directors are Trevor Pikwane and Johannes van der Walt, applied for and was granted a prospecting licence by Minerals and Energy in April 2007, although the application was opposed by the local community, by CapeNature and the Department of Agriculture. Local landowners instituted legal action against the department after it had granted Bongani Minerals a prospecting licence, but the licence lapsed before the case of judicial review could come to court. Full Cape Times report (subscription needed)