Villagers lock the gates of a Chinese-owned mine

Rebecca Selomo

Communities of Ga-Matlou, Ga-Lelaka, and Ga-Chokoe villages led by their herdsman under the Mapela Traditional Authority have locked the gates of a Chinese-owned Vanmag Mine on Friday, 17 May 2023. They are citing concerns that they are having with the mining operations on the plowing fields, grazing land, and graveyards owned by the villagers as led by the herdsman.

In the early hours of Friday morning, the herdsmen of the three mentioned villages accompanied by some members of the community approached the gates of Vanmag Mine with a big chain. A leader from Ga-Chokoe traditional council locked the gates, as he stated that he was securing the ploughing land and the land of their ancestors. This is until the Department of Minerals and Energy(DMRE) comes down and gives the people clarity on the operations of Vanmag Mine. When asked about the clarity they need from the DMRE, Ntona (herdsman) Lelaka of Ga-Lelaka Village said:

“We are worried about how the mine would disrupt our livelihood as villagers because as we speak now the community is puzzled about how the mine intends to exhume the graves of their departed family members.”

Thereafter they will occupy the land they used to produce and feed their livestock.” Ntona Lelaka further stated that they are also worried about the
environmental implications of extracting minerals, as they were never put into confidence by the mine, and neither did they see any documentation granting the mine environmental authorization to mine. After locking the gates, a large number of villages flooded the area and started to erect a
tent with chairs and toilets on site. Members of the South African Police Services also approached the site with many vehicles and camped on site. The village leadership says that their action was a result of extensive consultation with the villagers, who are immediate owners of the land and families led by their nationals.
They are also infuriated as they say that the mining company is now approaching individual households in the village to trick them into signing the land and graves to the mine, disregarding the village systems and order. The villages now intend to stay on site until the Regional Manager of the DMRE comes down to the community, to explain how the company was granted a Mining Licence as they wanted to mine a stone’s throw away from households
and that is not permitted by mining regulations.

What is desirable about these villages is the fact that they are united, and they are determined to guard against the divide-and-rule strategy often used by mining companies as seen in other mining communities of Mogalakwena. Mining companies also tend to manipulate poor communities into selling their land for nothing, because they have access to money. Mogalakwena communities must be educated on their rights, powers, and
responsibilities concerning mining companies intending to extract minerals from their villages. Traditional authorities must be provided with legal and environmental experts who will alert them on the potential impact and legal implications of mining. Hopefully the people of Mogalakwena in their majority can rightfully organize themselves with deliberate intentions to curb the social and environmental ills that come with mining.