Mining in or Close to Protected Areas

[RogerFraser]

Good that it is getting more and more coverage

[Flutterby]

[Lisbeth]

Excellent!

I have so many unanswered questions. It is very difficult to understand how it is possible that a mine in that area has got the green light

[Richprins]

All sorts of things happen, Lis. I still wonder how there is coal suddenly discovered in this area after 200 years!

[Lisbeth]

Carte Blance looking into Marloth mining crisis

02.08.2019

The renowned investigators are looking into the proposed mining.

MARLOTH PARK – Cindy Benson from the Marloth Park Ratepayers Association gave a detailed account of the team’s visit on her Facebook page.

“Derek Watts of Carte Blanche flew back this evening and the camera crew leave tomorrow morning. It was a very tiring two days as I had to take them to shoot at all the different areas.



“The open cast mine site, the proposed railway siding, all the crop farms, the KNP Crocodile Bridge entrance just to mention a few sites. I had to also take them to the different ‘specialists’ and ‘experts’ for an interview. eg.

“A mining expert, an ecologist, a farmer, Ngwenya Lodge director, a lodge owner.

“The actually shooting was very time-consuming in all different terrains and scenarios. The Carte Blanche team now still need to interview the mining company and the consulting company.



“As soon as they give me the airing date, I will share it with all of you.

“On behalf of Marloth Park, and all interested and affected parties, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Carte Blanche and all the “experts” for their time and valuable input. Great awareness will be created as to this mine, and I’m sure a lot of eyes will be opened,” Benson concluded.

[RogerFraser]

FYI-Marloth park mining story to be aired during this Sundays program on MNET .

[RogerFraser]

https://corridorgazette.co.za/297894/cr ... zT_T2J_esQ

Criminal charges against environmental company
Criminal charges against the environmental consultants responsible for an impact study on the proposed opencast mining activities between Marloth Park and Komatipoort were laid by AfriForum this week, due to apparent shoddy workmanship and ignorance of the correct legal procedures.

Fighting the good battle against a proposed opencast mine between Marloth and Komati are Cindy Benson and Roy Plath on the right, together with SABC's Fokus news investigation team Karin d'Orville and cameraman Byron Taylor.

MARLOTH PARK – Cindy Benson, of the Marloth Park Ratepayers Association, said she joined an SABC news team in their search for the final proposal documentation for public scrutiny, which was supposed to be available at the town library at Komatipoort.

Only some draft material concerning the studies and assessments were available, which is not correct procedure, according to environmental legislation.

Benson said the amount of plagiarism in these documents is shocking. It was in the light of this AfriForum came to Komatipoort to lay criminal charges against Singo Consultancy. Singo Consultancy was tasked to develop a proper environmental impact study for Manzolwandle Investments, the mining company hoping to open up this coal and anthracite mine on 18 000 hectares bordering the Kruger National Park.

The SABC 2 Fokus team, television director and journalist Karin d’Orville and cameraman Byron Taylor, spent most of last week in the Onderberg investigating the possibilities of a new opencast mine between Marloth Park and Komatipoort

Assisted by Benson, interviews and talks were arranged with most of the local role players opposing or otherwise involved in this development.

These were, among others, attorney Richard Spoor, Cyril Ripinga, spokesman for the Nkomazi Municipality, Roy Plath of the adjacent Umbhaba Banana Farm, members of the management of the nearby Ngwenya Lodge, Linda Grimbeek of Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, and Denis Goffinet, the chairman of the Marloth Park Property Owners Association.



An interview was also arranged in a meeting with Philip Mkhatshwa and Elliot Ngwenya, two directors of the mining company Manzolwandle Investments.
Many scenes and shots were also taken of the environment now threatened by this development, the bush village of Marloth, the Crocodile River bordering the Kruger National Park, and the many highly production-intensive farming operations in the vicinity.

On its webpage, Singo Consulting is described as a private independent research, consultancy and advisory company based in eMalahleni. It was established in 2008. Since then this company has grown rapidly, and it is making itself known within the length and breadth of South Africa. “We take pride in the outstanding quality of our services driven by our core values, which are; due diligence, integrity, and honestly (independency).” (sic)

Singo Consulting was formed as an independent consulting company focused to create opportunities for the mining and environmental industry. The core business is providing geological, environmental and hydrological solutions to the industry.

Singo Consulting claims to offer a wide range of cost-effective, high-quality geo-environmental services to meet businesses’ needs.

[Richprins]

Aha! A rubber-stamp company!

[Lisbeth]

There was no representative from SANParks

[Peter Betts]

There was no representative from SANParks

Not part of their juristiction