Tunatazama - Community Monitors

Engagement Community Elders of Tshamahanzi, Kgubudi and Kopano Formation Committee.

Margret Molomo

23 June 2024

Ga-kgubudi village

Mokopane

Limpopo Province

Mogalakwena municipality

 

In Mokopane, at Ga Kgubudi village, on 22nd June 2024 the elders requested to have a meeting with Kopano formation committee leaders. The aim was to complain about the problems they are facing with Ivanplats mine.

Elders from Tshamahanzi village complained about their traditional leaders who took their ploughing fields to pave a way for the mine, to install the steel poles in their ploughing fields and for Eskom power line to the mine to have electricity. Government officials from Land reform in Limpopo Province were called to come to the venue to address the matter but it was all in vain.

The other elders that owned livestock complained that their cattle were grazing inside the fence of the mine and are dying because they drink polluted water that comes from the mine. One community leader from Tshamahanzi village, Mr Joseph, complained to the mine and demanded compensation for his cattle. He was asked how much is his compensation for the loss of his cattle/livestock. He said they must get experts that deal with such kind of problems, to can tell how much the mine should pay for their loss and ever since then, the mine has never responded.

The other elders complained about their ancestral graves that were relocated secretly without their consent, and that they only discovered that when they went to visit their graves to perform rituals. When they asked the mine where they buried the remains of their families they were told that there was no grave site.

An elder from Ga Kgubudi complained that there are some activities of opening a big hole and waste rocks from the mine, that shows that the mine wants to build a tailing storage dam. This is to control polluted water from the mine in their ploughing fields. We agreed to meet on 24 June 2024 for a site inspection of their ploughing fields. During the meeting, the elders requested Kopano formation committee leaders to help them to open cases against the mine as some of them cannot write or read. We agreed to meet on 28 June 2024 to go to Mahwelereng police station to help the elders to open cases against the mine.

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