To register or request more information, contact Lufuno Matshathama of Joan Consulting 073 912 0800 or email info@joanprojects.co.za

DEADLINE : 29 APRIL 2026

A Lithium - KZN/10116 MR Section 102 Expansion– which requests approval to expand existing mine pit from 30 Ha to 151 Ha and the existing mining waste dump area from 16 Ha to 180 Ha. This expansion will go over the entire residential area of Magog. Note that this mine is only 3 km from Umzumbe Beach.

This in spite of being under parliamentary committee recommendations to get their operation more compliant?!?  How can that even be allowed?

Extract from https://pmg.org.za/tabled-committee-report/6469/

Recommendations 
Following extensive deliberations on the submissions made during the hearing on the petition, the Committee recommends as follows:

7.1   Independent Compliance and Environmental Audit - That the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMRE), in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), commission an independent compliance, environmental, and health impact audit within 60 days of the adoption of this report. The audit must assess licensing compliance, environmental degradation, air and water quality, and the health impact on residents, and its findings must be made public

7.2   Immediate Relief and Safety Measures - That the DMRE, working with the Department of Human Settlements and the Ugu District Municipality, conduct urgent structural assessments of damaged houses and facilitate temporary relocation or compensation for households facing safety risks within 60 days of the adoption of this report.

7.3   Accountability for Grave Violations - That the Committee refer the matter of grave destruction to the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Commission) for investigation, prosecution, and remedial action under relevant heritage and cultural rights legislation.

7.4   Restorative Justice and Compensation - That SA Lithium be directed to establish a Compensation and Restoration Fund to address property damage, medical expenses, and loss of water supply. This fund must be administered transparently under DMRE oversight, with independent auditing and community representation

7.5   Public Transparency and Progress Reporting - DMRE publishes quarterly progress reports on the implementation of all recommendations on both its website and the Parliamentary Monitoring Group platform, ensuring continuous public accountability.

7.6   Follow-up Parliamentary Oversight Visit - That the Committee undertake a follow-up oversight visit within six months of the adoption of this report to verify progress on resettlement, health interventions, and community compensation.

7.7   Legal and Policy Referral - That the report recommends the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and National Prosecuting Authority consider possible criminal or civil liability under environmental, heritage, and human rights legislation for any confirmed violations.

7.8   The Madlala Traditional Authority/ Tribal council and the SA-Lithium mine company in consultation with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and community members must establish a multidisciplinary Committee to oversee the following:

·         Occupational health and safety;

·         Environmental impact assessment;

·         Social facilitation and community profiling;

·         Cash Compensation for assets, including crops and structures;

·         Settlement profiling and enumeration;

·         Provision of a resettlement site and resettlement housing- A comprehensive business case is required demonstrating the community resettlement plan, time frames and phases. The business plan is to be communicated, workshopped, ratified for adoption by the community, and

·         Livelihood restoration programmes.

7.9   SA-Lithium mine company addresses the community concerns within the defined legal framework, addresses the concerns raised and take action to safeguard the well-being of the community. Engage with the community regarding its internal processes and work together to draft engagement terms of reference (to indicate, but not limited to, engagement criteria, engagement periods, meeting agenda, economic participation and profit sharing, procurement strategies, representation), ensuring it complies with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa -Section 32 guarantees access to information, which is crucial for indigenous communities in the context of mining operations on or near their land.

7.10 SA-Lithium mine company to ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks and fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with the affected community households. 

The intervention of the DMPR, Department of Employment and Labour, Department  of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, to act as a facilitators and exercise their oversight as regulators in this matter. By ensuring legislative compliance with constitutional principles and protecting customary rights.

7.11 The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Department of Employment and Labour, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Madlala Traditional Authority and SA-Lithium mine company are to appear before the Committee within 6 (six) months of the tabling of this report in the House and report to the Committee on the progress made in implementing recommendations 7.1 to 7.10 above.

Report to be considered.- ADOPTED MARCH 2026

AND NOW… THIS EXPANSION ????