PROHIBITION OF PROSPECTING OR MINING ON LAND SITUATED IN THE XOLOBENI AREA
Title: Prohibition or Restriction of Prospecting or Mining in terms of Section 49(1) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No 28 of 2002)
Government Gazette Notice: GN 781 in GG 41811 of 3 August 2018
Commencing date: Not yet specified
As a result of the social and political climate at Xolobeni and after reflecting on the significant social disintegration and highly volatile nature of the current situation in the area, the Minister of Mineral Resources published his intention to:
1. Firstly, declare a 24-month Moratorium on the Transworld Energy and Mineral Resources SA (Pty) Ltd.’s (TEM) application and the lodging of any further prospecting or mining applications in the area. The Moratorium is relevant to the TEM application and the prohibition of any further lodging or processing of any mining or prospecting applications on the approved mine area for the next 24 months, or until the Minister is satisfied that the community conflict and unrest has been resolved and that the application can continue; and
2. Secondly, that no further applications for prospecting or mining authorizations will be accepted on the following mining areas until the Moratorium is lifted.
The abovementioned Moratorium is applicable to the land situated in the Xolobeni area, known as mining blocks Mpahlane, Mnyameni, Kwanyana, Sikombe and Mtentu, within the Magisterial District of Bizana in the Eastern Cape Province.
Relevant stakeholders are invited to submit their written presentations to the Regional Manager within 21 days from the publication of this notice. The owners, occupiers or persons in control of the relevant land are also requested to furnish the Department of Mineral Resources with their particulars.
