PRESS RELEASE - MARANDA MINING COMPANY

This week, the SanWild Wildlife Trust, a registered animal welfare NGO hit back at the Maranda Mining Company to ensure the long term welfare and survival of a large number rescued wild animal species; amongst them highly endangered animals such as leopards, cheetahs, African wild dog and elephants by lodging an urgent court application to deal with the various issues that were not brought before the Supreme Court in the appeal hearing. 

Earlier this year SanWild lost the appeal court hearing in which Maranda Mining Company applied for an interdict to gain access to the sanctuary to start their mining operations.  At the time the Supreme Court only dealt with the issue of access to the property.  

In 2006 a mining permit was issued by the Department of Minerals and Energy to the Maranda Mining Company to mine gold, silver, copper pyrite and associated products in the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary in Limpopo Province.   

The SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary has gained international recognition for their conservation, wild animal rescue and successful rehabilitation projects and has been featured in numerous conservation orientated television productions locally and internationally.  Currently it is the only rescue, rehabilitation and sanctuary facility in South Africa for large mammals and predators. 

Very recently SanWild was invited to join the Wildlife Land Trust; a prestige’s initiative that has resulted in an international program covering 150 properties in 8 countries and amounting to more than 1.8 million acres of protected land. The Wildlife Land Trust, in association with the Humane Society International (USA) is committed to working with the owners of the respective properties to protect and conserve its critical biological heritage.  The broad range of wildlife and habitats protected by SanWild is of immense importance to the long-term conservation of biological diversity in South Africa and this importance is fully recognized through membership of the Wildlife Land Trust. 

In the new legal application served on the Maranda Mining Company, the Minister of Mineral Resources, the Director General of the Department of Minerals and Energy and the Regional Manager of Department of Mining in Polokwane, the SanWild Wildlife Trust request an urgent interdict from the High Court to halt all mining operations in the sanctuary pending the outcome and finalization of a number of issues not raised in the Supreme Court;  

  1. That the renewal of Maranda’s mining permit was void because it had already expired prior to the date of renewal.
  2. Directing the Department of Minerals and Energy to finalise the internal appeal that was lodged on 8th April 2008 against the granting of mining permit. Should this appeal be dismissed the Supreme Court is asked to review the decisions to dismiss the internal appeal.
  3. Directing the Department of Minerals and Energy to rule on the internal appeal against the renewal of the mining permit.  If appeal is dismissed the Supreme Court is asked to review the decision to dismiss the internal appeal.

The SanWild Wildlife Trust said that it was regrettable it has become necessary to ask the Supreme Court to compel the Department of Minerals and Energy to rule on three outstanding internal appeals, but that they no option as two of the internal appeals had already been lodged more than a year ago but to date the Department of Minerals and Energy have failed to rule on the lodged appeals.   

Louise Joubert, founder trustee of the SanWild Wildlife Trust said that due process was not followed when the permit was issued and that SanWild as the land occupier and interested and affected party was not consulted by the Maranda Mining Company or the Department of Minerals and Energy.  All attempts by SanWild to address the issue with the Regional Manager of Department of Mining in Polokwane failed. 

SanWild further claims that the Maranda Mining Company has repeatedly acted outside the approved EMP (Environmental Management Plan) submitted to obtain a mining permit by amongst others cutting down numerous trees in the sanctuary not listed in their EMP and by preparing to fence an area exceeding the 1.5 hectares stipulated on their mining permit.   

The SanWild Wildlife Trust indicated that they will do what is necessary to protect their constitutional and environmental rights.  It is SanWild’s opinion the permit would not have been issued had all the relevant facts on the ground been revealed to the Department of Minerals and Energy when the permit application and EMP was submitted for consideration. 

ISSUED BY THE SANWILD WILDLIFE TRUST

10TH SEPTEMBER 2009 

CONTACT DETAILS:

Louise Joubert

Email: louise@sanwild.org

Tel: 0833103882

Office hours: 015-3187900/1

Websites: www.sanwild.org & www.sanwild.com