NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NUMBER 150
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23 April 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NUMBER 09)
150. Mrs E C van Lingen (DA-EC) to ask the Minister of Mineral
Resources:
(1) How many (a) mines are operating in and (b) new companies are
currently applying for operating licences in the Greater
Sekhukune District Municipality in Limpopo;
(2) (a) what minerals are being mined by each of these mines, (b) by
which mining companies, (c) how many are (i) South African and
(ii) foreign companies and (d) which of these mines are
operating on (i) their own land and (ii) communal land;
(3) whether she has been informed of any problems in the Greater
Sekhukhune District Municipality that involves the communities,
the mines and the kgosis; if not, what is the position in this
regard; if so, (a) what steps will be taken to rectify this
matter and (b) what are the further relevant details;
(4) what role is the local municipality playing regarding (a) these
relationships, (b) economic development and (c) infrastructure
development between the mines, the municipality and the
communities? CW181E
Response
1) (a) 33 operating mines
(b) 181 companies are currently applying for operating licences.
2) (a) All the companies are mining for Platinum Group Metals and
Chrome
(b) See Annexure âAâ attached hereto.
(C)(i) Almost all the Companies are registered in terms of
the Company Act of South Africa.
(d) Almost all the Companies are operating on communal and
state lands.
3) The Minister has been informed of the problems in the Greater
Sekhukhune and has already
met with both the parties (communities, mines and kgosis) during
March 2010. All the parties
have agreed to work together to resolve their differences. The
Minister will facilitate
engagements between the parties through the Provincial Task Team
chaired by the Limpopo
Regional Manager.
4) The Minister is not in a position to respond on behalf of the local
municipality, save to say that
municipality is responsible for the compilation and implementation
of IDP projects and that the
municipality is part of the Provincial Task Team
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