Mineral Resource Commodities Limited, the Australian based Mining Company which recently gained a new order Prospecting Right in October 2005 to mine for Titanium along the Wild Coast has released a press statement announcing that it has signed a Heads of Agreement with Ehlobo Heavy Minerals.

Ehlobo Heavy Minerals will pay MRC R10 million in instalments to acquire the 50.5% interest. Ehlobo Heavy Minerals is a fully compliant BEE company. Ehlobo Heavy Minerals board and management include Dr Alistair Ruiters, the former Director General of the Department of Trade and Industry for South Africa and Mr Rafique Bagus former special Advisor to  the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alec Erwin.

While this merger may be a milestone for Mineral Resource Commodities says Cathy Kay, campaign co-ordinator for the Save the Wild Coast Campaign, the company is still subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment. The over-arching principles of the National Environmental Management Act apply, says Kay. Furthermore section 24(1) of the Act states that the potential impact on the environment, socio-economic conditions and the cultural heritage must be considered and assessed prior to the mining activity taking place.

Mineral Resource Commodities will not be able to rush in and start mining says Kay as currently one of the most significant archaeological deposits have been discovered along the 22 kilometre coastal strip that Mineral Resource Commodities wish to mine. The extremely rare artefacts that have been discovered, date back 300,000 years and have been identified to the Sangoan era.

Professor Cathy Kuman from the University of the Witwatersrand Department of Archaeology has been granted an immediate 5 year excavating permit by Mr Solayman Ebrahim of the SA Heritage Resource Agency .

This is great news for the Campaign says Kay. We have always said that this is a unique and very special area. We sincerely hope that the Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan will place his full support behind this project. More often than not, in the past, ethnic cultural heritage was put on the back burner by the previous government. This is now an ideal opportunity to excavate these sites, create a museum and cultural display around this magnificent archaeological find. It should become part of a greater Pondoland Park while creating sustainable employment and a sense of pride and place in a previously neglected area.

Minister van Schalkwyk has stated that this archaeological find along the mining path could put the area on a par with South Africa’s top cultural heritage sites with enormous implications for eco-tourism.

In 2003/2004 the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the Department of Mineral and Energy entered into a joint investigation into tourism versus mining in this
sensitive stretch of the wild coast. A copy of this report was denied to Cathy Kay by Mr LeBeau LaBuschagne, Assistant Director, of the Dept Mineral and Energy on the premise that the document is still classified and has not been released.

This is an unacceptable statement, says Kay. The public has a right to access this document, considering that public funds were spent to research the options. The Campaign will have to implement the Public Access to Information Act to gain access to this documentation.

One thing that is very clear in this matter, is that due process will have to be followed by the mining company. Secondly, that no foreign company or investor has the right to destroy the cultural heritage of southern Africa for a short term economic gain.

ENDS/………………………

Contacts

LeBeau Labuschagne – Mineral and Policy Promotion DME Tel 012 317 8300
Cell 082 453 6760
Prof Cathy Kuman –Wits University Tel 011 717 6047 Cell 083 588 5057
Cathy Seevers Archaeologist -  031 563 8659 Cell 082 757 5145
Mark Caruso – Managing Director Mineral Resource Commodities Australia-
Tel 0961 8 9353 4890
Cathy Kay SWC Tel 039 687 7657 Cell 072 610 3361