Chairperson, hon Ministers and Members of Parliament, I have to be brief due to the limited time allocated to me, so I will highlight two specific issues.
Programme 2 of Budget Vote No 28 focuses on the promotion of mine safety and health. The objective is to contribute to the reduction of mining- related deaths, injuries and ill health. I have a direct request to make of the Minister of Mining, that he take a serious look at this programme, because the increase in the number of mine-related fatalities has raised concerns about mine health and safety. However, I admit that some fatalities are directly related to illegal mining.
Programme 3 of this Budget Vote concerns mineral regulation. The focus is on administration of prospecting and mining rights, licensing and compliance with the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002, including mine environmental compliance. The department must be committed to reducing the government's environmental liability and to minimising the pollution impact of the mining sector. This programme must regulate the sector by encouraging compliance with sound environmental practices.
Graag wil ek dan nou vir 'n oomblik stilstaan by die toekenning van mynregte wat die voortbestaan van die Verlorenvallei en omgewing kan vernietig. Bongani Minerals het aansoek gedoen vir die mynregte vir die ontginning van tungsten in die Moutonshoekvallei, gele tussen Piketberg en Elandsbaai aan die Weskus. Dit is in die ontvangsgebied van die Verlorenvlei, wat as 'n Ramsargebied verklaar is. Dit is een van die grootste natuurlike vleilande aan die Weskus en een van enkele varswatervleilande in Suid-Afrika.
Die Krom Antoniesrivier is die voedingsbron van die Verlorenvlei en is die suiwerste skoon bron van water wat lei na die vlei. Die ironie is dat die oopgroefmyn van 200 meter diep by die oorsprong van die rivier bo in die vallei beplan word. Ernstige kommer bestaan dus oor die impak van die myn en gifstowwe wat vrygestel gaan word, aangesien soda-as gebruik word om wolfram uit die erts te verwyder en dit in die water gaan beland. Dit is nie net Moutonshoek wat geraak gaan word nie, maar die totale landbou aktiwiteite in die gebied, wat strek tot by Elandsbaai. Die risiko wat die beplande myn inhou vir besoedeling van die grond en bo-grondse water is groter as die voordele van die nuwe werksgeleenthede wat geskep gaan word.
Maksimum werksgeleenthede wat moontlik geskep kan word vir di myn, wat na verwagting slegs 'n 20 jaar leeftyd het, is aanvanklik slegs 300 in die aanvanklike konstruksieperiode en daarna 407 werksgeleenthede. In hierdie gebied vind intensiewe boerderyaktiwiteite plaas, waarin seisoentyd tot 1 000 werksgeleenthede geskep word en dit slegs in die Moutonshoekvallei. Dankie. [Tyd verstreke.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[I would now like to reflect for a moment on the granting of mining rights, which poses a threat to the continued existence of the Verlorenvlei Wetlands and its environment. Bongani Minerals has applied for the mining rights for the exploitation of tungsten in the Moutonshoek Valley, which is located between Piketberg and Elands Bay on the West Coast. This site lies in the catchment area of the Verlorenvlei Wetlands, which has been declared a Ramsar area. It is one of the largest natural wetlands on the West Coast, as well as one of the few freshwater wetlands in South Africa.
The Verlorenvlei Wetlands is mainly fed by the Krom Antonies River, the cleanest source of fresh water entering the wetlands. The irony is that the site of the proposed two-hundred-metre deep open-pit mine is located at the source of the river, right at the upper end of the valley.
So there are serious concerns about the impact of the mine and of the toxic waste that will be released, since soda ash will be used to extract the wolfram from the ore, and this is bound to end up in the water. And it is not only Moutonshoek that will be affected, but agricultural production throughout the whole region up to Elands Bay. The risk for pollution of the soil and surface-water of the proposed mine is greater than the advantages of job opportunities it will generate.
The mine has a projected lifespan of only twenty years; it may generate a maximum of 300 jobs during the initial construction period, and at most 407 jobs after that. But the area is also home to intensive farming, with as many as 1 000 seasonal jobs being created in the Moutonshoek Valley alone. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]