FOLLOW-UP STORY : GA-MATLOU, GA-LELAKA AND GA-CHOKOE (MALECHO) COMMUNITIES IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH VANMAG MINE AS A RESULTS OF THE MINE TRYING TO INTERDICT COMMUNITIES.
Rebecca Selomo
Rebecca Selomo
Mokopane
Mogalakwena Local Municipality
Limpopo Province
20/06/24
A Chinese owned Vanmag Mine, served the leadership of MALECHO communities with court papers to appear at Polokwane High Court. The mission is to interdict them from protesting in front of the gates of the mine, however that has led them to the negotiation table with communities.
The mine is exploring one critical mineral called Vanadium, and another mineral called Magnatitie. The MALECHO communities have embarked on a mass action to fight for their ploughing fields, graves and against any other injustice committed by the mine. The mass action involved closing the gates of the mine as immediate land owners, pending meaningful negotiations from 17 May 2024. The community indeed camped outside the gate, erected a tent and toilets with determination to fight for their land.
As they were camping at the gate on the 24th May, the community received an application of a court interdict from the Polokwane High Court by the mine. The mine was applying to remove the community from the gate amongst others. The Court was set to hear the matter on the 28th May 2024, and legal representatives of the mine requested the legal representative of the communities to start negotiations outside court. The court gave the two parties an opportunity to discuss out of court until the 13th June 2024,
A representative of the Lelaka Headman, Mr Modikana Lelaka said “We have been trying to on many occasions to reach out to the mine and state our concerns but the mine chose to put a blind eye on us and ignore the traditional leadership of the MALECHO VILLAGES.” He further mentioned that the three villages have hope in the unfolding processes that the ploughing fields and graves of the villages will be given justice and the communities will live in harmony with one another like they did before the mining operations arrived in the village.
The two parties are concluding their negotiations and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will be signed with undertakings that have the best interest of both parties. Upon signing the MOU, the two parties will be given 14 days to prepare before the implementation of the MOU.
