Stakeholders meeting engagement with Pan African Resources project for Soweto Cluster Tailings Reclamation

Tshidi sebogodi

By: Tshidi Sebogodi 

The stakeholders of the Thulani Doornkop area in Ward 129 and 50 were complaining about mine tailing dumps in early 1998, because when they arrived in Snakepark in 1991, it was still better than how the situation is now. Before Thulani Snakepark was established, it was an open space for farming and the DRD mine.

 On the 11th of July 2025, as residents and all stakeholders, we had a meeting with Pan African Resources to engage local stakeholders regarding Mogale Tailings Retreatment (Pty)Ltd. The Soweto Cluster Tailings Reclamation project was proposed. They came to address concerns about prior engagement gaps and clarify opportunities for collaboration and benefit sharing. MTR, a subsidiary of Pan African Resources Plc, intends to reclaim tailings across regions C and D of the COJ and Mogale City. Community members who are named Zamazama voiced out disappointment over limited transparency and delayed consultation, particularly the appointment of Digby Wells for environmental scoping without sufficient local dialogue.

Community members were telling Pan African Resources that every time you call a meeting as if you’re working and giving us your registers to sign, at the end of the day, you don’t come back to give us feedback or a way forward about the mine tailing dumps.

One of the team from PAR by the name of Sonwabo responded to that by giving us an email address and said we must send proposals and follow the proper procedures done by all companies. All stakeholders must fight issues of the mine tailing dumps, as long as it will benefit the community. Members also say proposals must demonstrate local job creation and sustainability.

There was a lady named Phyllis. Her concern was the security company that was working at the tailing site, then Xolani responded by saying it’s appointed internal security by their company as they put danger signs at the mine tailing dump side.

Community members and stakeholders agreed to proceed or have a meeting with Digby Wells environmental consultation, conditional on improved communication.