Tunatazama - Community Monitors

Three new mines granted mining licenses in Lephalale

Community Alerts/Francina Nkosi/Lephalale-Limpopo/28 July 2017

Three new mines are given license

Sekoko coal mine

Waterberg coal mine

Kongoni coal mine

They are all Australian resources including Boikarabelo Coal mine based at Steenbokpan. All this mines surrounds the community of Leseding and Waterberg was declared a high priority area. Surprisingly Lephalale Municipality came with the program of upgrading Leseding Location then the mines realised that they need to relocate the community of Leseding to another place. They have searched for the open space to relocate the community but sadly 90% of land in Lephalale is owned by EXXARO coal mine. EXXARO refused to sell land to its competitors.

COAL is still the government’s preferred source of energy, despite the huge negative impacts on the environment and people’s health. I’m wondering where these mines will get water because Mokolo River is dry. By Francina Nkosi