‘Progress' lands on the doorstep of rural communities as residents blast lithium mine

Daily Maverick

2 days ago

'Mining activity will certainly have an impact on an otherwise tranquil farming environment, but such impacts are a consequence of progress,' SA Lithium consultant Thys Blom remarked rather glibly last year, when several residents and landowners objected to the establishment of a new lithium mine near Umzumbe on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.
'Tranquillity' and 'progress' are both loaded, relative terms, shaped by the perceptions of the various parties who stand to win or lose from a particular situation.
For Thys Blom, a Port Shepstone development planning consultant hired by the new SA Lithium group, the benefits of the new Highbury mine at Umzumbe are numerous and manifest, including a R2.4-billion capital investment into the local economy; the creation of hundreds of new jobs in an impoverished rural area; mining royalties for the fiscus; the upgrading of district road networks and the production of lithium-ion batteries as part of the global transition towards electric vehicles and renewable energy.
SA Lithium director Ian Harebottle asserts that the company has already created more than 800 direct or indirect jobs for local residents (though Blom presented a significantly lower estimate in his official development motivation to the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality last year: stating that the project would lead to an estimated 100 new jobs in the first year, rising to just over 300 jobs by the 20th year of mining).
Yet, whatever the numbers turn out to be, unemployment rates in the surrounding rural area are undoubtedly high, creating the ingredients for potential division and conflict as residents compete for jobs, haulage contracts and other opportunities: while also contemplating who really benefits and loses from living in the shadow of an open-cast mining pit and crushing plant for the next 25 years.
Evacuations, blasting and dust
For the residents of eChibini, Magog and Umsinsini, 'progress' is likely to include regular blasting noise and clouds of dust, while those living closest to the mine are also required to evacuate their homes periodically during blasting operations. (Satellite images show several homes less than 300m from the mine)
There are also fears that scores of families may lose their current homes and land as mining expands further over the 1,200ha mining site. However, SA Lithium director Harebottle denies that any residents will lose land.
According to community sources, directly affected families were previously supplied with fruit and fried chicken takeaway meals by mine management during such blast evacuations. Now they get an 'inconvenience allowance' for having to shelter periodically at a local crèche during these operations.
Several residents contacted by Daily Maverick were reluctant to discuss their concerns on the record, citing concerns about increased tension and uncertainty in a rural community with a high rate of unemployment.
A 42-year-old resident of eChibini (name withheld) said she and several neighbours renting homes in the area were living in a state of uncertainty.
'I have no idea what is going to happen because some people have gone and others are staying. I know of four families who are moving out, but there is no clear communication, at least with me.
'So, with all that is happening around us, I think that moving out is best, because we don't own this land. It has come to the point where some of us don't seem to have a choice.
'It's not like we want to leave our homes or the graves of our families behind – but no one is coming to help us. There may be minerals here that can be used, but we would also just like to be treated as human beings.'
In the interim, she said, her family and several neighbours were required to evacuate their homes and move to a shelter point roughly once a week due to blasting.
'In the beginning, people stayed there for two to three hours at a time, but now that has reduced to about an hour.'
Initially, evacuated residents were also supplied with KFC meals and other snacks, she said, but this had changed more recently, with affected families now receiving a R1,200 monthly payment.
Harebottle reiterates his position that no one will lose land, stating: 'Regular formal interactions with all affected communities in the area of the project are ongoing and in full compliance with all legal requirements and all national guidelines. Claims to the contrary are outlandish and defamatory,' he said in response to questions from Daily Maverick.
However, a copy of the company's social and labour plan has not been published and was not included in the voluminous bundle of public documents provided by SA Lithium during a municipal zoning application last year.
Heavy truck traffic
Aside from the impacts of blasting operations, noise, dust or rock-crushing, the influence of the mine also extends eastwards to the Fairview Mission area due to the projected increase in heavy truck traffic along a densely populated district road.
According to a traffic impact assessment commissioned by SA Lithium consultants, an average of 222 trucks will travel between Fairview and Durban's export harbour daily once the mine is fully developed.
That equates to roughly one truck every seven minutes.
In a written objection sent to the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality last July, a resident summed up her concerns like this: 'We value our homes, we come back to them for peace and relaxation, which has been taken away from us. (At) 2am in the morning trucks drive over our heads while we are sleeping at night, shine their thousand lights in your window 7 days a week.
'In terms of the license, we must endure this for the next 20 years. The volume (of trucks) we see now is nothing compared to what is still to come. … Is this fair to us?'
Gcwensa Attorneys wrote to the Department of Mineral Resources on 20 July 2023 to record that members of the Fairview Economic Development Committee objected to the mining and prospecting operations by SA Lithium/Afli Exploration, which they claimed had begun without consultation or consent.
'The continued operation of this mine presents a myriad of problems for the Fairview community in terms of safety, environmental and health issues of this community.'
At two subsequent meetings of the Fairview Landowners Association in September 2023, residents also raised concerns about the safety of children walking to school, with so many heavy trucks on the road.
In response, Harebottle said haulage trucks contracted to SA Lithium were restricted to a speed limit of 30km/h on this section of road and any exceedances should be reported.
The landowners reiterated that they had neither been consulted nor given an opportunity to engage with SA Lithium before mining operations began, further emphasising that Fairview did not fall under the authority of the KwaMadlala traditional authority.
Rezoning, public consultation issues
On June 25 last year, another Fairview resident complained to the municipality that proposals to rezone farming land to mining had not been advertised properly.
She became aware of the proposal by accident, noting that it had not been advertised at local community halls or tuck shops. Nor did it refer to the proximity of Fairview to the new mine.
This gave her the impression that the municipality was 'not aware of the existence of Fairview Mission, or it was a deliberate attempt to completely disregard the residents'.
A letter from a Fairview family on the same date raised similar concerns about the apparent failure to consult residents of this area about the impact of a new mine on their doorsteps.
'This leaves us as the community exposed and oblivious to the social, financial, environmental, as well as the health impact this mining activity will have on us and our children… This mining activity just keeps edging closer and closer to the occupied land, where there are schools, homes and graveyards, which has resulted in several people being put in a position where they have to leave their homes and where some are now living in houses that have structural … damage due to blasting that is taking place on their back doors.'
Linda Cele, a Durban electrical engineer who grew up near Fairview Mission and still owns a family farm close to the Highbury mine, told Daily Maverick that residents found it difficult to engage in public participation meetings or to access information they needed to protect their interests.
Noting that several residents in the area grew sugar cane and other crops, along with rearing livestock, Cele said one of his main objectives was to ensure that mining did not lead to long-term environmental pollution or degradation of the land and water around Fairview.
'Sometimes it feels like we are totally on our own. At the end of the day, we don't want to be left with a wasteland when the mining ends.'
Closer to the coastline, there are concerns about impacts on the Umzumbe River estuary and local beaches due to water extraction and potential pollution from the mine.
Paddy Norman, a resident of Sea Park and representative of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, believes the society's objection to the municipal rezoning of the Highbury land was disregarded entirely.
'Woefully inadequate' boxes ticked
'As far as I can see, they (SA Lithium/Afli) ticked all the official boxes, but the boxes were woefully inadequate,' argues Norman, a retired geologist and mining engineer.
Norman wrote to the municipality, suggesting that SA Lithium had adopted a 'foot in the door' approach, with the intention of subsequently extending the affected area with greatly increased negative impacts on the local communities.
Because the rezoning application had been submitted after mining operations began on a large scale, the mine appeared to be operating illegally, he alleged in a submission last year.
Geremy Cliff, chair of the Umzumbe Beach Ratepayers Association, said a public meeting on July 5 last year was the first opportunity for many interested and affected parties to discuss the operation, 'long after SA Lithium was granted a licence to mine'.
'This is a serious flaw in the public consultation process. At the meeting, and in subsequent email correspondence, the neighbouring Fairview community clearly has some major issues to deal with, in the form of the noise and dust disturbance by the heavy vehicles transporting the lithium extract, seemingly at all hours of the day (not just Monday to Friday 08.00-17.00), as well as the impact of the detonations on their homes.
'Ian Harebottle from SA Lithium stated that there had been extensive consultation with the community but this was strongly disputed by those from the community present at the meeting. This issue cannot be swept aside, as a mere technicality, especially given the fact that SA Lithium does not have a website to share information with the public on a regular basis.'
River water pollution and extraction fears
His association was also concerned about the potential impact on the Umzumbe River and estuary from pollution or the extraction of river water for mining operations.
According to Cliff, Harebottle told the meeting that Ugu municipality water was too expensive to be used by the mine and that borehole volumes were limited, so most of the water would come from the river.
'This may be acceptable when there is lots of rain, but in times of drought I fear the mine will not reduce its uptake and the ecological viability of the estuary will suffer greatly.'
Cliff also raised concern about apparent discrepancies between the mine water use figures supplied by Harebottle at the public meeting (initially 5m3 daily, rising to 15m3 daily) and the volumes provided in the company's water use licence application (around 1,000m3 per day).
Traffic impact reaction
In response to the concerns of objectors, the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality has stated that a traffic impact study had recommended that the mining company should build new 'internal service roads' to accommodate additional heavy vehicle traffic and that it should also spray roads with water to reduce dust levels.
The municipality's law enforcement superintendent further stated that 'everything is under control' and there was no objection to the mine from a traffic perspective.
Regarding criticism of the public consultation process, the municipality said: 'Due to the overwhelming amount of objections received during public participation, a public hearing was held on 5 July 2024 with all the interested parties where an engagement with (Harebottle) was conducted.'
It further said that: 'The application was duly advertised (South Coast Herald on 24 May 2024) and copies of notices forwarded to adjacent landowners, and persons who may in the opinion of the Municipality have an interest in the application, as prescribed by the Ray Nkonyeni Municipal Planning and Land Use Management Bylaw.'
Regarding concerns about water use and potential pollution, the municipality said it had been assured by the mining company that 'No harmful chemicals will be used, no slimes dams will be created and no potable water will be required, with maximum reticulation and minimal water losses.'
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SA Lithium responds
SA Lithium spokesperson Ian Harebottle has rejected suggestions that the company took any 'short cuts' or acted illegally in developing the mine.
'All key departments were kept fully updated and informed throughout the extremely long and arduous (approval) process.'
Asked to explain why the company began to develop the mine before a water use licence application (Wula) and the municipal rezoning were approved, he said:
'While some duplicity (sic) exists between government departments – in this instance Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and local municipalities) who were engaged simultaneously, absolutely no short cuts were taken.'
(However, during the rezoning application, Plankonsult's Thys Blom acknowledged that mine development began before the rezoning approval, stating that: 'The applicant (SA Lithium) was under the impression that obtaining environmental authorisation and issuing of a mining licence provided sufficient authorisation for commencement of the mining operation. As soon as the applicant became aware that authorisation for rezoning of the land was also required, it appointed Plankonsult to prepare and lodge the appropriate application.' Blom further argued that water use licence application approval was not required for a rezoning application.)
Asked to confirm the date on which the water licence was issued, Harebottle said: 'A Wula for the project was accepted in 2024 and an approved Water Use Licence was subsequently granted, remains valid and is fully complied with.'
Asked to confirm the date when mining commenced at Highbury, Harebottle said: 'Project development under the terms of the prospecting right commenced mid-2023. Development completion and commencement of operations is targeted for end 2025.'
Asked how many tons of lithium ore had been extracted at Highbury so far, Harebottle did not provide any figures, stating: 'Project development has allowed low grade spodumene ore to be extracted. A processing plant is still under construction.'
On how neighbouring communities might benefit from lithium mining at Highbury, he said: 'Unemployment in the region of the project was estimated at 50%. The project has created more than 800 direct and indirect jobs. There are no known job losses in any sectors. Local businesses, including; transport, logistics, civil engineering, building, catering, hospitality and tourist services report increased activity. Preference is given to local contractors for all project services. Direct and indirect training and employment of community members is always prioritised.'
Asked whether some residents had been advised that they had to move out, he said: 'Under no circumstances have any households been '… notified this week that they will shortly be required to move out of their homes …' and no community land or resources has been or will be 'lost'.'
On why some residents had to vacate their homes during blasting, he said 'Standard practice and national guidelines require evacuation of certain neighboring communities during blasting for safety purposes. Evacuations are occasional and usually last for no more than one hour. Timing is usually decided in consultation with our neighbours who then receive proper notifications in advance of blasting, and they are appropriately compensated for any inconvenience. Affected neighbours have always been both supportive and cooperative.
'The project team maintains excellent relations with all adjoining communities and their elected leaders. Formal and informal interactions across all spectrums of the community are attended regularly.'
Asked whether SA Lithium had a financial relationship with the Atlas Lithium Corporation in the United States, he said: 'There is no relationship.'
On Cliff's concerns around the volumes of water required by the mine, Blom told the Ray Nkonyeni municipality that the volumes applied for in the water use licence application referred to maximum volumes, rather the actual volume likely to be used. He said SA Lithium hoped to minimise river water abstraction and the company was now 'reasonably confident that its targeted volumes provided during the meeting will be correct'.
Commenting on the impacts of blasting on neighbouring residents, Blom said the company was required by national guidelines to take responsibility for any potential damage to homes within a 500m blast radius. Two local contractors had been employed to repair any damage within this zone.
Regarding potential pollution from the mine, Blom said that no harmful chemicals were used in the lithium separation process at Highbury. DM