Another mine wants to cash in on Soutpansberg's riches

Mining companies appear to be determined to get their hands on the Soutpansberg’s rich mineral resources.

The most recent company to set its sights on the northern part of the Limpopo valley is Smarty (South Africa) Mineral Investment (Pty) Ltd. This Sandton-based company acquired prospecting rights in 2016 on seven farms near Musina where they found a viable copper deposit.

According to the company, their exploration work over the past two years has proven to them that sufficient ore reserves exist to support a large open-cast mine, hence their eagerness to apply for a mining-right licence.

This process is already well on its way. Part of the application requires the company to get environmental authorisation before they can proceed. A draft environmental impact assessment (EIA) report was released last week by Smarty Investment’s appointed environmental consultant, Golder Associates Africa (Pty) Ltd.

According to this document, the proposed mining area will stretch over Ward 2 and 6 of Musina. This includes the south-eastern outskirts of the Nancefield informal settlement outside Musina, and the north-western border of Musina’s residential areas. If the mine becomes a reality, this will mean that a limitation will exist on the boundaries for the town to expand and grow in the future.

Sharing close borders with the site is the Musina Nature Reserve (located immediately south), the Maremani Nature Reserve (to the north) and the Soutpansberg Important Bird Area (which is approximately 30km south of the prospective mine). The proposed copper mining project is located on a water divide. Two non-perennial streams are running through the site. One joins the Sand River and the other the Limpopo River. 

Apart from the high risk of contamination of these streams, the mine will be using an estimated 13 473 m³ per day, of which 6 768 m³/day will be raw water. The rest will represent groundwater inflow into the opencast pits and runoff channelled from the dirty areas to the pollution-control dam.

The “moderate to high significance on the groundwater” seems to be only a minor hurdle for Smarty Investments, who continually places the emphasis on the many economic and social benefits mining will hold for the town of Musina. “Smarty’s prospecting programme and subsequent feasibility studies have demonstrated that a viable mining operation can be established that would provide significant benefits to the local economy and about 600 employment opportunities for at least 15 years,” quotes the prospective mine’s EIA.

The report further claims that the mine will deliver approximately 20 000 tons of copper per year. To unearth this copper, this will necessitate an open-cast mine as well as the construction of a crushing plant and components for screening, flotation and/or heap leaching.

The report is still open for public comment until 5 February. In Musina, a copy of the report can be found at the offices of the local municipality (contact person Mr Masindi Makaulule at Tel 015 534 6124) or the Musina Tourism Information Centre (contact person Mr Itani Dzebu at Tel 015 534 3500). Electronic copies of the report can also be requested from Golder Associates Africa by writing an email to [email protected].

Date:19 January 2018

By: Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

Read: 1328