MOGALE CITY MINING INDUSTRY COMMUNITY INTERVENTION 

 

1 Year after the Uprising of the community of Mogale City against the Zama Zamas and Illegal Mining Industry, again this Mining Community is facing exploitation and injustices of arrogant Foreign Capitalism. 

In the Previous week the community of Kagiso once again demonstrated against a Mining Operation which has evidently ignored and ademantly refused to comply or even fulfill the least of the demands which were requested by the various affected communities in the Public Engagements leading to their application being granted a license from the Directorate of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to commece operations.

Mogale Gold ( PTY) LTD a subsidiary business of Pan African Resource (a London based company listed in the London Stock Exchange) undertook the processes of buying the Mining rights of the mine land portion belonging to Mintials Mines, a notorious Mining company which was in the process of liquidation and infamously 'stole' R500 Billion from the DMRE of money that was meant to Rehabilitate and Cleanup the dumps that were created by years of their Mining operations and has for generations affected the community of Mogale City and the West Rand Region as a whole. As lawfully required the acquiring of Mining rights include the participation of the immediate affected communities through Public Participations which intale various Presentations of the mining activities set to take place with the operations by the Mining company, how it can benefit the immediate communities through legislative provisions such as the Social and Labour Plan (SLP) and the communities inputs based on the unique needs and interventions that such provisions can be used to address the Socio-economic Upliftment of these societies. 

Mogale Gold/Pan African through the consultation of Digby Wells Enviromental, held a series of Public Engagements in the previous year (From mid 2022) specifically within the affected Wards of their target portion of operation, namely Ward 6,Ward 19, Ward 13, Ward 14 and Ward 26 of Mogale City Local Municipality. After the massive demonstration 2022 of a need for the local Mining Industry in Mogale City to take a positive direction instead of the malicious crimes perpetrated on the community through this very industry by the residents of Mogale, the community once again attended and raised their demands and concerns mostly around the subject of the incoming Mining company making sure that they employ local communities, give growth and Economical opportunities to local SMMEs and assisting in addressing Social issues such as Substance abuse. 

However it became evident to the communities which had participated in the Public Engagements that Digby Wells Enviromental and their client Mogale Gold / Pan African were only collecting attendance Database to file for their application while disregarding any and every request of the community, including those that they had committed to the Public in these Engagements, when knowledge became that Mogale Gold had already begun operations and the site was active from as soon as they acquired the licensing right to mine from DMRE.

Mogale Gold had begun operating on site with majority if not all of the Staff Members from outside provinces and Foreign Nationals. The Procured businesses on site are unknown companies from outside of Mogale City of which we believe are mostly white owned businesses.

From this background and knowledge, the community of Mogale City took to the Mining Site in subject on 25 July 2023, on the day the Mining Company had planned to host a Soil Turning Ceremony for their investors and elite public, to demonstrate their grief and unsatisfaction with the injustices by Mogale Gold in failing to adhere to their promises and commitments of the Public Participations.

On arrival at the site the community members were met with armed resistance from the Hired security instructed by management of the Mining Plant and later called the SAPS to also beef up their armed resistance against an unarmed community only requesting to engage with the mine and establish the basis of their operations while denying the community it's lawful right to benefit from these operations that directly affect them Environmentally and Health wise. Following various incurrences of disagreements and verbal disputes among the community and the Site Management and Security, sparked by the lethal theats that was displayed from the Mine Site, the matter was intervened by Mogale City Councilors (Including the MMC of Economic Development Services) who had arrived as invitees to the Soil Turning Event.

The community are the rightful constituencies of Councilors thus they resorted in mitigating this issue neutrally in representation of their constituents which was perverted by the Management of Mogale Gold as Councilors instigating the demonstration.

Due to the resistance, no resolution was made and the Site Management and Security resorted to also deny the Councilors and the broader Mogale City Administration access into a Mining Plants situated on the land of Mogale City. This propelled the intervention of the Executive Mayor and the Municipality Manager, in which the operations of Mogale Gold were paused with immediate effect for 2-3 weeks pending the formal and administrative resolving of the matter.

However in response to the developments that had taken place, despite their agreement with the Municipality to have resolution consultation within the hault period through their community Liasons representation, Mogale Gold has resorted to displaying their capitalist nature and use the Law through their financial abundance.

Mogale Gold / Pan African, filled a court interdict 2 days after the agreement meeting, with the Johannesburg High court against the community. The interdict was filled against 32 respondents including the Executive Mayor of Mogale City, the MMC of LED, Councilors who tried to intervene in the issue mostly consisting of Councilors of immediately affected Wards, Kagiso & Krugersdorp SAPS and 19 community members they had sited as the leaders of the demonstration by the Management of Mogale Gold in site during the events, particularly the Community Liasons Officer. In the interdict the Mogale Gold claims that the demonstration was the orchestration of and instigated by the Mogale City Officials mentioned on the interdict including the Mayor.

This is yet another strategy used by these big corporations in using the law and Courts to disgruntle and weaken our poor communities in fighting for their rightful benefits with the common view that we do not have the financial muscle they posses.

Currently these 19 forefront leaders and Representatives of the community of Mogale City that was present on site on 25 July 2023, are facing a court interdict they have to oppose by Tuesday 01 August 2023 at the Johannesburg High Court. 

Legal representation has been sought and requires them R120 000.00 to Represent all of them under one united word that at the and of the battle the Community of Mogale City Will rightfully reap the benefits of the soil they grew up enhailing and suffering from. 

Pan African Resource through their subsidiary company Mogale Gold and Mogale Tailings Treatment are using the power of their riches to inflict more poverty on our already poor community while raking in billions from the resources they extract from the South African land in Mogale City, as they are aware that failure to oppose this urgent interdict will grant them the power to resume to operations  regardless of committing to a meeting with Mogale City Local Municipality during the hault period and all the relevant Stakeholders in order to resolve this matter and find a Fair Way-Forward between the Mining Company / Site Operations and the much affected community of Mogale City.  

We are Calling out to the Community of Mogale City, West Rand, Mzansi and the World as this is not an isolated case but an international issue, to support in assuring that Not Again should a Foreign Capitalist Mining Company come exploit the grounds of our beloved home bare and leave us in poverty. 

Show your Support to the Community of Mogale City by signing this petition. 

 

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM IN OUR LIFETIME!