Has Anglo American, the transnational miner, run short of ideas over its continuing remodeling, a process that has been underway for more than a decade? Its latest move may be a sideways one, in the appointment of Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll as chairman of 80% subsidiary Anglo Platinum, and the promotion to deputy chairman of Anglo Platinum one Valli Moosa, a somewhat controversial South African politician.

See http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page67?oid=107532&sn=Detail&pid=92730.

Anglo Platinum employee accused of disrupting community meeting

The Bench Marks Foundation has expressed its concern suggesting that an employee of Anglo Platinum was instrumental in preventing a meeting of the relocated Magobading community from taking place last weekend.

The community meeting was to have happened on Saturday 22 May, in order to implement an agreement that Anglo Platinum entered into with the relocated Magobading community on the 18th February 2010.  However, the meeting was prevented from happening by a group of angry young people from surrounding villages. It is alleged that the young people were organised by an employee of Anglo Platinum, Mr Trinity Mthiyana.

Bench Marks Foundation Executive Director, John Capel, says: “During the course of the past two months, Anglo Platinum has signed an historic agreement in France emanating from the meeting of the 18th February, committing itself to talking to the community and meeting its demands. We are very concerned at reports of intimidation of the community, some of whom were threatened with injury and even death. This kind of intimidation undermines the legitimate work of the community. We therefore call on Anglo Platinum to make every effort to ensure that none of its employees are involved in any way in such disruptive and intimidatory behaviour.”

The Foundation notes that Magobading is a relocated community, and that Anglo Platinum has promised to compensate it in various ways.  This includes promises to renovate halls and homes of community members.

The community has also called for an independent fund to be set up to provide resources to capacitate the community in various ways, including job creation.

Capel added that the Foundation will be talking to its national and international allies to assess the way forward. A meeting with COSATU, SACC the NGO Coalition of Limpopo will be held soon to mobilize support for the community. In addition, a complaint has been opened up with the South African Police Forces in Limpopo against those responsible for the threats against the community.

However, he added that many in the community are worried about a backlash against them and are living in fear of their lives. There are also allegations that a hit list has been drawn up by community leaders preferred by Anglo Platinum.

“The SA Human Rights Commission has already ruled against the way Anglo Platinum engages with communities, but Anglo Platinum insists on a policy of ‘divide-and-rule’ that further exacerbates tensions that can lead to people being killed,” Capel warned.

For more information, contact John Capel
+27 (0)11 832 1743
+27 (0)82 874 2650

Outside the AGM, War on Want staged a protest – see report and photo at http://www.waronwant.org/news/events/previous-events/16883-war-on-war-protests-against-anglo-shame. For the information handed to shareholders as they entered the meeting, see the end of this report.

Report on the Anglo American AGM, 22 April 2010

Introduction

This was the first AGM chaired by Sir John Parker, who became Chairman of the company in September 2009.

The presentations given by Sir John Parker and Chief Executive Officer Cynthia Carroll are reproduced in full at http://www.angloamerican.co.uk/aa/media/releases/2010pr/agm2010/agm2010.pdf.

Below are some extracts from their speeches, with comments.

Sir John Parker was obviously worried about the impact of protests against the company’s joint venture with Northern Dynasty around Bristol Bay, Alaska, from Indigenous communities and commercial and sport fishing organisations. A critical article had appeared in British newspaper The Observer the previous Sunday (See http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/apr/18/anglo-american-alaska-salmon-protest) and a large advertisement criticising the project in the Financial Times the morning of the AGM. (However, a delegation from Alaska had been unable to travel to London because of the eruption of the volcano in Iceland which had led to flight cancellations, and in fact only one Indigenous representative from Alaska, already in Europe before the eruption, had been able to come to the AGM.) Sir John Parker finished his opening remarks with the following comment.

“Finally, to any visitors from Alaska… … Your concerns involve a very early-stage project in which Anglo American has an interest. I’m sure there will be questions that you will wish to pose, but I would like to say now that, although I have not yet had the chance personally to visit the project, I do understand the concerns and interests that the Pebble project arouses and appreciate the different points of view presented. We have made it clear that the project will work on the basis of world class scientific and engineering skills and that we will use inclusive and innovative stakeholder engagement. Our bottom line remains that, if the project cannot be designed in a way that provides the proper protections for Alaska’s fisheries and wildlife, or to the livelihoods of Alaskan communities, then it shouldn’t be built. It is on that basis that we will continue to evaluate the project in full compliance with the prescribed regulatory processes in Alaska and the United States.”

[NB Rio Tinto is a minority shareholder in Northern Dynasty Minerals.]

Cynthia Carroll boasted of success in cost-cutting, including cutting the company’s total work-force by 23,400, which will not be good news to those workers or their families.

She also said: “The strategic review also identified businesses no longer core to our future: we will divest our zinc assets, Scaw Metals, and phosphates and niobium businesses, together with Tarmac. …The target we set was $2 billion of savings by 2011. We are on track for that, and have in fact restated our target upwards. We will now deliver that $2 billion just from our core portfolio – so it doesn’t take into account any contribution from businesses to be divested. In 2009, we generated more than $1.6 billion of savings, ahead of expectations.”

But she also spoke of new investment: “We’ve provided strong support to the re-capitalisation of both Anglo Platinum and De Beers in recent months. … We will invest $4.2 billion in new projects this year, out of a total planned capital expenditure for 2010 of $6.0 billion. To mention just two of these: the Barro Alto project in Brazil will produce around 40,000 tonnes per year of nickel, starting in the first quarter of 2011. It’s on budget, and it’s on schedule. Life of mine production costs will be around $3.70 / lb, and that compares to today’s nickel price of close to $12 / lb. In Chile, the Los Bronces copper expansion project is also on track and on budget and will start production in the fourth quarter of 2011. It will produce 370,000 tonnes per year of copper at the outset, and the cost per pound will be 80 cents over the life of mine – compared to a current copper price of over $3.50 / lb.”

On worker safety, she said: “In 2009 we achieved a 55% reduction in fatalities compared to the start of 2007. And we reduced our lost time injury frequency rate by 52% over the same period. In the first quarter of 2010, fatalities were 67% lower than the same period last year. We shall work to reduce accidents still further and we are relentless in striving to achieve our goal of zero harm. This is a priority in Anglo American. …

She stated that the company is “committed to environmental stewardship and minimising the environmental impact of our operations. Our sustainable development agenda progressed on several fronts during the year. One of the key elements of our strategy is the management of water: we have to find ways of using water more effectively in the communities and catchment areas where we operate. Effective water management systems are now in place across all of our operations. … Last March, we launched the Anglo Environment Way (AEW). It sets out a consistent approach to responsible environmental management, supporting our vision for minimising harm to the environment by designing and operating all of our operations in an environmentally responsible manner.”

Finally, on worker health, she said: “As for health, we’ve been dedicated to the issue of fighting HIV and AIDS since the 1990s – over 80% of permanent workers in South Africa now regularly test for HIV each year – and in 2008 we extended our policy commitment to include the dependants of our employees.”

Commitment to the health of workers and their families is to be expected as a minimum rather than applauded as a particular gesture of good will on the part of the company. But the commitment does not appear to extend to the health of former workers who have developed silicosis or tuberculosis as a result of their work and as a result are no longer working for the company. This issue arose in the first of the questions on the annual report.

Silicosis and tuberculosis among former gold miners in South Africa

The first question was from former gold miner Alpheos Blom, from South Africa. Speaking through his interpreter, he presented the following statement.

“My name is Alpheos Blom. I arrived in London at 5am this morning. This is the first time I have been out of South Africa. It was my first trip on a plane. I am 48 years old. I am a former gold miner. I worked at Anglo’s President Steyn mine in the Free State for 17 years from 1984 to 2001. I worked as a loader and a loco driver. I loaded freshly blasted rocks onto a machine and drive them through the mines. I have a very serious form of silicosis called Massive Fibrosis. I also contracted TB because of this. I developed this disease because of breathing too much dust from the mine.

“Silicosis is an incurable lung disease. I feel breathless all the time, I get tired easily and am in pain.

“The gold mining industry knew that thousands of gold miners were contracting silicosis each year. They knew that there was too much dust. Myself and the other miners I worked with were never given masks despite asking. Instead we would make our own by stealing bandages, these obviously did not work. We should have been able to wash our overalls every night and use showers in order to reduce the amount of dust we inhaled. But although white miners were given access to onsite showers and change rooms black miners were not provided with either of these things.

“As a result of my bad health I am unable to work and yet I have received no help from Anglo American South Africa, a company you own and for which I worked for 17 years. I am one of thousands of former miners in the same situation. Black miners were exposed to much higher levels of dust and therefore have a much higher risk of contracting silicosis. It is estimated that 25% of black miners from President Steyn mine contracted silicosis; this percentage applies to black miners in other gold mines. The industry employed half a million South African miners. This might give you some idea of the scope of this disaster.

“Miners who have silicosis also have a much higher risk of contracting TB because their lungs are damaged. Many miners have returned to their homes in places such as Eastern Cape and Lesotho where there are no clinics to diagnose and treat silicosis. They become very sick and many have died. Communities in these areas have been devastated. The industry knew about this for decades but simply washed its hands of ex-miners.

“I am part of a group of former miners who are suing Anglo American South Africa for failing to advise its gold mines on how to protect miners against excessive dust exposure. If our claim is successful it could lead to thousands more people coming forward. This case could help my quality of life however I worry that I may die before it is over. I would like to see a compensation scheme put into place now for silicosis victims, I would also like to see your company put into place a system for monitoring silicosis and TB and treating it promptly. Will you help us?”

Sir John Parker thanked Alpheos’ interpreter, mistaking her for his wife and referring to her as “Mrs Blom”. He said that the company is very sympathetic to the plight of the former miners but that as there is a case against Anglo American South Africa the proper place for comment is in the court in South Africa. He said that Anglo American is working with unions, government and industry to find practical solutions to the problems former miners in rural areas find in accessing medical care.

Sir John Parker did not comment on why it was that so many decades have passed since the mining industry has been fully aware of these problems, without effectively addressing them, or why it is that a company able to pay its executives and managers so generously is unable to compensate the miners whose work has created its enormous wealth and whose health has been wrecked in the process.

Anglo American has lost its way

A Mr Franklin, who said that he had been a shareholder for 44 years, said that the company had lost its way, unable to pay a dividend to shareholders while other big mining companies had been able to do so. It had slipped from number two on the list of world mining companies to number four.

Anglo American’s withdrawal from the Philippines

Andy Whitmore, of LMN member group PIPLinks, congratulated the company on quitting the Kalayaan project in the Philippines, partly as a result of community resistance. But he said that the company still appeared to be proceeding with the Connor Apoyo Project, despite community opposition. Two Philippine representatives had attended the 2007 AGM to voice this opposition. The company had agreed to an open meeting with the community but nothing had happened since.

Sir John Parker said that criticism had indeed been voiced in previous AGMs, that the company was currently not involved in any exploration activity in the Philippines and that it was in the process of exiting all its projects there. He asked Hugh Elliott, International Government Relations Manager, to confirm this, and Hugh Elliott confirmed that the company was in the process of exiting all its projects there.

Free Prior Informed Consent of Indigenous Peoples

Andy Whitmore asked a further question about Indigenous rights. He welcomed the fact that company policy recognises the special status of Indigenous Peoples but pointed out that the bottom line established by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC). He offered to arrange a meeting between the company and representatives of Indigenous Peoples to discuss making FPIC operational. Sir John Parker thanked him for the “civil request” and invited him to speak to Hugh Elliott about it.

“The unacceptable face of capitalism”

A shareholder said that Anglo American represented the “unacceptable face of capitalism” because its CEO had received a significant bonus while shareholders had received no dividend. He noted that page 85 of the company’s annual report stated that Cynthia Carroll’s bonus had increased to £372,000 and her total compensation package had increased to £1.6 million. She was also able to keep her earnings as a non-executive director of BP. This, he said, was different from Legal and General [which in August 2009 was the second biggest investor in Anglo American], which had cut but not abolished its dividend, and where no executive had received a bonus in the past year. Sir John Parker defended Anglo American’s levels of executive pay as being necessary to retain the services of effective people. He said it was important to “reward executives on a proper basis”. The company was committed to restoring the dividend as soon as possible. The company had not asked shareholders for more money, as other companies had done, and which had enabled them to hand part of it back as a dividend.

Communities and workers around the world affected by Anglo American’s operations might perhaps take the view that if Anglo American is “the unacceptable face of capitalism” it may primarily be for reasons other than the current lack of a dividend for shareholders, or even the level of executive pay and bonuses.

Share buybacks

A representative of the UK Shareholders’ Association said that share buybacks had been illegal until 1987, with good reason. He criticised the company’s continuing willingness to use them. He also attacked the company’s expenditure on electronic voting devices at its AGMs while it served only water and fruit juice to shareholders after the meetings. It is interesting that, while shareholders had made no response to Alpheos Blom’s harrowing account of suffering as a worker, there was applause at the suggestion that shareholders should receive better drinks after company AGMs. Sir John Parker defended the use of electronic voting devices as an aid to transparency.

Metallurgical coal in Australia

Another shareholder asked if the company would buy the McArthur Coal Mine in Australia. Sir John Parker said at present it would not. He said that metallurgical coal is core to the company’s activities and that it would develop a number of other coal projects in Australia.

De Beers

The same shareholder asked whether De Beers would be made a non-core part of Anglo American’s operations. Sir John Parker replied that it would not.

Merger with Xstrata

The same shareholder referred to Xstrata’s proposed merger with Anglo American. Sir John Parker said that the board was very wary of big mergers, which were as likely to destroy value as to create it.

Commodity prices

Another shareholder suggested that volatile commodity prices were unhelpful. Sir John Parker agreed. Cynthia Carroll said commodity prices were being largely driven by Chinese demand, and gave a long talk noting that the company was very optimistic about prices in the short and mid-term.

Pebble Project, Alaska

Verner Wilson III, from Bristol Bay, Alaska, said that Bristol Bay is the world’s largest remaining wild salmon fishery. He thanked Cynthia Carroll for coming to visit Alaska. He said that Anglo American is partnering in the proposed Pebble Project in the headwaters of salmon streams feeding the bay. The fishery is worth about $400 million and there is tourism as well. Verner Wilson said that his people depend on the fishery for income, food and the maintenance of a tradition dating back seven thousand years. He said that his people have concerns about the project. Pebble has already violated water permits during exploration. It is a very risky project. The fact that the company has violated permits during the exploration phase means that people cannot trust the company’s assurances about the future. Verner said that his people would fight to protect this resource. The UK is the largest importer of canned wild salmon from Bristol Bay. Cynthia Carroll had made a promise last year that if local people did not want the project, the company would not go ahead with it. 80% of people in the area are opposed to the project and 100,000 Americans have signed a petition against it. The fight against it will be national. Verner urged Anglo American to divest from the project.

Sir John Parker said that he was sorry that rest of the Alaska delegation was unable to join Verner in London. He said that the Pebble project is a 50/50 partnership with Northern Dynasty Minerals. The partnership was formed in 2007 and is based in Anchorage, Alaska. The deposit is primarily copper, but other minerals are present. There is no operating mine. The project is at pre-permitting stage. It is not expected to apply for operating permits for some time. It is not located in a protected area (although, he said, from the statements of the project’s opponents one could be forgiven for believing that it was). It lies on state land designated by democratic processes for mineral exploration and development. Alaska has designated land for mining and there have been two referenda about it. There are 174 million acres of protected area in Alaska. Bristol Bay covers 40,000 square miles, and the Pebble project would cover one twentieth of one per cent of this. But it does, he said, lie on land on which there is no current industrial activity. The Chief Executive of the Pebble partnership understands the significance of water and salmon. So over the past six years Anglo American and Northern Dynasty have invested $130 million in environmental and social studies, building up the largest database of facts on any project in Alaska’s history. The permitting process will take three years and during this time local people will be able to check the facts and make their objections known, should they have any. It is not just a decision for Anglo American but also for the Alaskan authorities. The permitting process involves eleven different federal and state bodies. There is a huge process before a decision cane be made to mine or not to mine. People need to decide on facts, he said, not on rhetoric or misinformation. The Chief Executive John Shively is committed to working with local people, and not all local people are opposed to the project. Alaska has a huge and proud mining record. There are already three major mining operations in the state, and they have never had a major environmental incident. Anglo American is looking at the leaching risks of every tailings dam it owns across the world, and it has an excellent record. He said that both he and Cynthia Carroll intend to visit Alaska.

(See also the report in the Independent at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/anglo-american-confronted-by-alaskan-protest-1950489.html.)

Corporate governance

One shareholder questioned the independence of two “independent” directors, who had been on the board for fully nine years each, the maximum permitted by the combined code of corporate governance. Sir John Parker pointed out that they were both retiring at this AGM. The shareholder said that the combined code said that where there were departures from recommended practice, they should be explained in writing to the shareholders. Although this matter had been explained at AGMs, there was no explanation in the annual report. Sir John Parker agreed that this was the case.

Expenditure on the Pebble Project

Another shareholder questioned why, if there was not a strong chance of the Pebble Project going ahead, $130 million had been spent on preliminary studies and asked the value of the deposit. Sir John Parker assured him that the company believed that the value of the deposit justified the expenditure and noted that it was not unusual to spend significant sums in advance when several billions may be invested in a project. This was simply part of doing business.

The Cerrejon Coal Mine in Colombia

Richard Solly, from LMN member group Colombia Solidarity Campaign, said that he was concerned that Cerrejon Coal, in which Anglo American has a one-third share along with BHP Billiton and Xstrata, had developed a kind of institutional ‘rigor mortis’ with regard to community relocations. An Independent Panel of Inquiry into Cerrejon Coal’s operations had made a number of recommendations, accepted by the company, about the treatment of communities required to move as the mine expands. Company officials continually assured critics of the company’s good intentions, but community members continued to complain that the company was not negotiating with them in good faith. Planned meetings would be cancelled at short notice; some community members would be informed, others not, causing anger and divisions within the communities. Timetables for relocation would be published on the company’s website without consultation with the communities. There was disagreement about the quantity of land and the design of houses in the relocated settlements. Cerrejon Coal was not even fulfilling the basic requirements of the World Bank’s Operational Guidelines on Involuntary Relocation, which established that where small farming communities were relocated they should be provided with agricultural land of equal or greater value from that which they were being required to leave. What would Anglo American do to ensure that Cerrejon Coal lived up to its responsibilities to the communities facing relocation?

Sir John Parker noted that Richard had rightly referred to a third party investigation, which was commissioned partly because of the complaints that Richard had brought to the AGM. The third party panel had not found any evidence of direct abuses, but had made a number of recommendations to Anglo American as one-third shareholders in the project. The company had taken on board these points and would actively pursue the issues as it wanted to move forward on this as quickly as it can. As to more specific points he then linked up over the telephone with the operational manager responsible, speaking from the United States. The connection was a poor one, but as far as could be heard, he noted that the company shared the frustration at the slow pace of relocations. However, they were working as fast as they could while striving to maintain community relations. They had bolstered management to speed things up and to get it right on community relations. The obligations are being met in the main, and issues are either under discussion or in progress. Anglo American is committed to the process and working on relocations.

Richard responded that people were losing their livelihoods while these delays continued, including as a result of the recent impoundment and death of cattle within the mine lease area. Sir John Parker expressed concern about this matter.

Anglo Platinum in South Africa

Nick Hildyard of LMN member group The Cornerhouse said that it was right to stress the importance of good community relationships in developing growth, citing the Annual Report. He said that his question concerned Anglo Platinum in South Africa and that he understood that nine people in the community of Sekuruwe were in the process of suing Anglo Platinum, among others, challenging the alleged consent that was supposedly granted by the community for a lease agreement between Anglo Platinum and the Minister of Land & Rural Development for the Blinkwater Farm. This land was used for ploughing fields, grazing and burial sites for the Sekuruwe community and others. This is apparently the same land where graves were removed and reburied without proper consent. He said that he had been told that the South African Heritage Resources Agency is currently investigating the way graves were removed and the lack of remains in some of the new graves. Nick asked how the company, collectively, had allowed this conflict to spiral out of control in this way. How much confidence could people have that the company would get it right at Pebble Bay, as executives were claiming that they would? Rather than addressing the issues in this case, Anglo Platinum is suing the lawyer, Richard Spoor, who is representing communities in an attempt to get redress. This lawsuit, for defamation, is rooted in the company disputing some of the facts that Richard Spoor relies on. Will the company rely on lawsuits to attack those in Alaska with whom it disagrees on facts? Is it in the company’s best interests to have a three week, high profile lawsuit in South Africa in which the facts are disputed? Has the company heard of the McDonald’s libel lawsuit against campaigners in London?

At one stage, Sir John Parker invited Nick Hildyard to make his point more quickly, but Nick declined, saying that he preferred to go at his own pace.

Sir John Parker said that he would not comment on the defamation case. He said that if the company believes that someone has “engaged in defamatory behaviour” it is the company’s duty to tackle it. He said that resettlement is difficult and that the company is committed to correcting any mistakes it has made. He said that the vast majority of people whom Anglo Platinum needs to relocate have moved to new villages. Only 64 families out of over 900 have refused to move. The company is working with the South African authorities to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

Mary-Jane Morifi, responsible for Anglo Platinum’s community relations in South Africa, commented via a telephone link on the legal case brought by the Sekuruwe community. She spoke extremely rapidly, making accurate note-taking impossible. Anglo American has discontinued the practice of making transcripts of its AGMs available on its website, possibly because of the volume of criticism that it has attracted during those meetings. Readers are sadly thus deprived of the possibility of reading Anglo Platinum’s defence of its relocation programme and its response to the legal case brought by members of the Sekuruwe community. It is interesting to note that although Sir John Parker was unwilling to comment on two of the three legal cases on which he was directly asked to comment, the Anglo Platinum spokesperson was happy to comment at some length on the third such case.

Shareholders entering the meeting were handed the following information by activists from London Mining Network.

Anglo American plc

Responsibility
Reputation
Returns….

Reality

Anglo American’s wholly owned subsidiary Anglo American South Africa Ltd is being sued in South Africa by former gold miners suffering from silicosis, on the grounds that the company negligently advised its gold mines with respect to protection of miners against excessive dust exposure.

Silicosis is lung disease caused by dust. South African miners were exposed to high dust without respirators. Black miners were exposed to higher dust levels than white miners. Between 250,000 and  500,000 miners were employed in South African gold mines during the 20th century. During apartheid mines relied on “migrant labour” from South Africa (e.g. Eastern Cape and Free State), Lesotho and neighbouring states e.g. Botswana and Malawi. The test case claimants are from the Free State, Eastern Cape & Lesotho.

A 2008 study focused specifically on former miners from Lesotho who had worked at the President Steyn mine found a rate of silicosis of 24 percent. The rate of TB was also very high. This was consistent with previous studies on black gold miners, which found rates of around 25 percent. Experts estimate that tens of thousands of miners contracted silicosis in South African gold mines. Miners with silicosis also have a much increased risk of contracting TB for the rest of their lives. This additional risk has been recognised for decades. Silicosis can take from 10-30 years to develop after exposure. A large proportion of miners only develop silicosis and TB after they have left the mines and returned to their communities. Because of rudimentary or non-existent medical services in rural areas, ex-miners frequently contract silicosis and TB which is undiagnosed and untreated, resulting in serious lung damage and death in numerous cases. Ex-miners in Eastern Cape and Lesotho, for instance, have been decimated by dust-related lung disease from gold mining.

The industry has been well aware of this for many years but washes its hand of ex-miners, and makes no medical or financial provision for them. Anglo American was the largest gold mining group. Anglo American PLC was formed in 1999, whereupon it acquired the Anglo gold mining business formerly headed by Anglo American South Africa Ltd. The claim alleges that Anglo American South Africa Ltd negligently failed to advise the mines properly to take measures to protect miners against excessive dust exposure.

The primary object of the test cases is to establish the legal principles on which miners should be compensated for silicosis and silico-tuberculosis. A further objective is that the industry should establish a medical monitoring scheme to ensure that ex-miners are diagnosed and treated for TB speedily and effectively. This could be achieved by injection of resources into the existing state system.

If Anglo American plc is committed to corporate social responsibility, it should (a) establish a compensation scheme for silicosis victims; (b)co-operate in alleviating further suffering by ensuring that ex-miners are monitored for silicosis and TB and treated promptly.

Elsewhere in South Africa….

·    Anglo American is benefitting from ’sweetheart’ deals with power generator Eskom which threaten to cause hardship for low-income citizens. (1)
·    Despite the company’s efforts to reduce worker deaths, especially at its South African deep mines, it still has a high rate of work related fatalities. (2)
·    Communities in Limpopo are in conflict with Anglo American over its subsidiary Anglo Platinum’s programme of removal of villages for mine expansion. Conflicts include complaints over loss of agricultural livelihood through inadequate access to good quality farmland without creation of sufficient mining jobs to compensate, and allegations of desecration of ancestral graves. Lawyer Richard Spoor, who has represented some of the communities involved, is being sued for defamation by Anglo Platinum. (3)

Elsewhere in the world …

·    Anglo American has a 50% stake in the Pebble Mine copper gold and molybdenum project in Alaska, which is opposed by a coalition of Native communities and commercial and sports fishing organisations. (4)
·    Anglo American’s De Beers subsidiary has been criticised for the level of influence it has over government and economy in Botswana, its environmental record and its attitude to Indigenous Bushmen communities. (5)
·    Since 2000, Anglo American has been involved in the massive opencast Cerrejon coal mine in northern Colombia. Since early 2002, Anglo American has been a one-third owner of the mine (along with London-listed BHP Billiton and Xstrata). The mine has a history of forced relocation of communities. The current owners have pledged to address this legacy and improve the handling of involuntary relocations. But an agreement made in December 2008 with residents of one destroyed village, Tabaco, remains stalled, and negotiations with other communities facing relocation drag on while communities suffer loss of livelihood and complain of health problems caused by coal dust. Community leaders allege that the company is not even fulfilling the basic guidelines laid down by the World Bank and that its critics have received death threats from persons unknown. Workers at the mine complain that the Cerrejon Coal company avoids paying adequate social security contributions to compensate for the dangerous nature of their work and that subcontracted workers are denied basic union rights. (6)

For further information, contact:

London Mining Network: http://londonminingnetwork.org, LMN@gn.apc.org, 07929 023214

War on Want: http://www.waronwant.org, mailroom@waronwant.org, 020 7549 0555

Notes

(1) See http://londonminingnetwork.org/2010/04/black-and-white-unite-against-dirty-south-african-coal/.
(2) See http://londonminingnetwork.org/2010/01/miners%E2%80%99-efforts-fail-to-cut-death-toll/
(3) See http://londonminingnetwork.org/tag/anglo-platinum/
(4) See http://ourbristolbay.com/index.html
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2010/02/pebble-project-among-most-important-north-american-mining-opportunities/
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2009/10/major-us-conservation-group-joins-alaska-anti-mine-campaign/
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2009/10/class-ring-makers-join-boycott-against-pebble-mine/
(5) See http://londonminingnetwork.org/2010/02/benchmarks-report-on-de-beers/.
(6) See
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2010/01/union-contract-workers-continue-fight-for-work-rights-at-cerrejon-in-colombia/
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2009/10/community-representatives-in-london-to-challenge-world%E2%80%99s-biggest-mining-multinational/ (notes involvement of BHP Billiton, owner of another one-third of Cerrejon Coal, but applies equally to Anglo American)
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2009/07/colombia-attack-on-labour-rights-by-contracting-agency-for-el-cerrejon-mine/
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2009/01/colombia-seven-year-long-peoples-struggle-achieves-a-victory/

Smoke, mirrors and reality among major diversified miners
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page67?oid=99488&sn=Detail&pid=92730

Just how strong are the world’s biggest miners?
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page67?oid=99341&sn=Detail&pid=92730

See http://londonminingnetwork.org/2010/02/anglo-platinum-hands-off-richard-spoor/.

Jubilee Mokopane, Limpopo
South Africa
Press Statement
18 February 2010

LIMPOPO COMMUNITIES DEMONSTRATE AGAINST MINING WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT!

Note: All of the below activities in Limpopo are underway while Richard Spoor is tied up in court thanks to a defamation case against him filed by Anglo Platinum (a target of some of the actions listed below) and African Rainbow Minerals.

The community of Sekiming, supported by Jubilee Mokopane will be resorting to rolling mass action to stop Anglo Platinum and the Department of Basic Education from relocating the Seritarita High School to another village. The school is currently situated at Sekiming village which is considered to be most central and accessible by children and learners from all the neighbouring villages.

The school is close by and learners can walk to school so their parents do not have to incur costs for transportation. The community has been under siege by mining from Anglo Platinum as well as Lonmin (formerly London-Rhodesia Mining Company). In 2009, Sekiming successfully chased Lonmin’s prospecting rigs from their community.

If the school is relocated that would mean children would have to walk long distances and others may have to hire transportation – they do not have money for this. Transport is lacking in the area and their parents do not have extra money to cater for this extra cost.

On Monday 15 February, in the village of Sekiming, the community and Jubilee Mokopane were demonstrating, demanding that the councillor, Mr. Abram Kgaphola, stop the school from relocating. With this demonstration of not more than fifteen people the community highlighted their dissatisfaction with this plan to relocate the school. But they also agreed to embark on a number of peaceful pickets to plead with their councillor to intervene. He ignored the picket and did not meet the community.

On the 16 February 2010 another group of 15 community members from Matlou, Lelaka, Chokwe, Seema and Mashahleng staged a demonstration against the company Venmag. The workers were informed in advance of the demonstration and did report to work at all. Mr Lelaka, one of the community members, stated that if this kind of exploration is not stopped it would translate into further land loss by his community and more land dispossessions.

As if it is not enough to forcefully move and resettle the Ga Pila community from their ancestral land to a township called Sterkwater, the new Ga-Pila Township may face yet another removal of their community from the Sterkwater Farm. A notice has been placed that there will be prospecting for Lithium Ore by the state-owned mining company, Africa Exploration Mining and Finances.

Another demonstration took place at the Mapela Tribal Authority with several people from different communities on the 16th of February. These community members are protesting there because of the role of Kgoshigadi Langa in supporting Anglo Platinum’s operations while at the same time the community reports she has not properly engaged them.

The residents of these communities and Jubilee Mokopane say they that they are sick and tired of these big machines that are coming onto their land to do business without even asking for permission from the community. They said that they would continue to refuse to allow any machines on their land.

For more information, please contact Malesela Sekgala (Sekiming) 071 245 4788, Frans Pila (Sterkwater/Jubilee Mokopane)  071 344 3443 and Phillipos Dolo (Jubilee Mokopane) 073 789 2489.

Jubilee South Africa PRESS ALERT, Date: 12/2/2010
COMMUNITY TO PICKET ON 15 FEB AT PRETORIA HIGH COURT!
ANGLO PLATINUM: HANDS OFF RICHARD SPOOR!

Community members from Limpopo will picket outside the Pretoria High Court on Monday, 15 Feb 2010. The community members have recently filed a legal case challenging Anglo Platinum’s expansion onto their land. Within 2 weeks of the legal case filing, their attorney, human rights lawyer Richard Spoor was set to appear at trial due to a lawsuit against him by Anglo Platinum and Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Minerals.

Community members and their supporters see this as a way for Anglo to divert Richard Spoor’s time and resources away from their case toward this defamation case against him.

Community members are fed up! When the Sekuruwe community protested at their ploughing fields last week, one community leader was arrested in the midst of the South African Police Service forcefully pushing the community off the LAND THAT IS IN DISPUTE BY A CURRENTLY FILED LEGAL CASE. This expansion further onto their ploughing fields is threatening their food security, and the community members have vowed to boycott the Minister of Mining’s initiative to form a task team, in which these communities participate.

For More Information, Please Contact: Phillopos Dolo 073 789 2489, Brand Nthako 082 628 1362, or Anne Mayher 082 398 6882.

————————————–
Earlier press statement for background information

ANGLO PLATINUM BULLDOZES SEKURUWE COMMUNITY’S MEALIE FIELDS

Today the Sekuruwe community stood and watched as Anglo Platinum proceeded to bulldoze land the community used for ploughing fields.

This aggressive violation by the mining company is the latest development in a week of hostile action against the community on its remaining land, this after a year of systematic destruction of its most arable land.

One community elder said “Anglo Platinum has already destroyed everything where we ploughed. We had crops coming up already and they are now all destroyed.”

The community has repeatedly stated that they did NOT give consent for Anglo Platinum to use their land. Despite repeated requests and demands that Anglo Platinum stop working on their land until the dispute is settled, Anglo Platinum proceeded to destroy the community’s fields, and call the police to arrest anyone who attempts to go onto their land to protect their crops.

47 community members were arrested last year when the community tried to stop Anglo Platinum’s contractor, Phuti Funeral Homes, from removing graves on the same farm without the community’s consent.

The community intends to express their frustration by demonstrating at the site tomorrow, and they also plan to demand that the Minister of Mining intervene and stop Anglo Platinum from destroying their land.

The community members wonder when will government ever come to their aid as they watch their land, their water, and their ancestors be destroyed at the hands of Anglo Platinum.

For more information, please contact Mr. James Shiburi 072 478 3894

Anglo Platinum stopped from removing Seritarita School

In the Mapela region, Anglo Platinum is trying to forge ahead with its plans to relocate the Seritarita School, much against the wishes of the adjacent communities whose children attend the school and the communities around the relocation site some distance away.

Last week Anglo Platinum engaged a removal company to relocate the school’s furniture and other movable assets. Neither the School Principal nor the School Governing Body were aware of this attempt.

The community of Sekiming became aware of the situation and was successfully able to stop the removal. The community members reached agreement with Anglo Platinum to meet the next day. This meeting was attended by representatives from Sekiming, whose children attend the school, and from Mashahleng, Danisane, Matlou, Lelaka and Chokoe, in the area to which Anglo Platinum is attempting to relocate the school.

Anglo Platinum argued that the school needs to be removed before schools reopen for the new year, but the communities present clearly articulated that they had never agreed with the removal and that they remain steadfastly opposed to it. The removal has thus been stopped for now.

Yesterday, Jubilee Mokopane held a regional meeting including representatives from the Mapela area and adjacent areas in the Mokopane region at which it was agreed to give active support to the communities in their struggle to stop the removal.

For more information please contact: Mr. Phillipos Dolo 073 789 2489

George Dor +27 (0)11 648 7000 +27 (0)76 460 9620 george@mail.ngo.za

Unemployed people from Mapela and Mokopane in Limpopo province will march to Anglo Platinum PPL mine tomorrow to highlight the lack of employment in and around the mine.

Anglo Platinum and other mining companies use the promise of employment as a key element of their strategy to divide communities so as to minimise opposition to their planned mining operations. The mining operations then cause untold damage to communities, their environment, livelihoods and health, but the promise of jobs invariaby remains largely unfulfilled.

This is particularly the case at the PPL mine. It is an open cast mine causing extensive environmental destruction by means of capital-intensive production methods with low levels of employment.

There is a labour desk at the mine, but hundreds of people wait at the main gate every day in the hope of getting a job only to have their hopes dashed time and again. Occasionally some people are employed for a set time or by a company contracted by the mine for a specific task, but in the main people are not getting jobs.

Over the last few years, Anglo Platinum has been in the spotlight for removing the Motlhohlo communities to Armoede and Rooibokfontein to make way for the expansion of its operations, but a mere 50 people have been employed, 25 from each village.

The march will be from the tar road from Ga Molekane to the Anglo Platinum PPL Mine from 11h00 to 14h00. It will be a march of the unemployed with support from communities in the surrounding area, including traditional leaders from Hans, Ga Chaba, Ga Machikiri and Sterkwater.

For more information, contact:
Bennett Mabukela 076 020 9911, Saul Mabe 071 351 8370, Phillipos Dolo 073 789 2489.

George Dor +27 (0)11 648 7000 +27 (0)76 460 9620 george@mail.ngo.za

One community elder said “Anglo Platinum has already destroyed everything where we ploughed. We had crops coming up already and they are now all destroyed.”

The community has repeatedly stated that they did NOT give consent for Anglo Platinum to use their land. Despite repeated requests and demands that Anglo Platinum stop working on their land until the dispute is settled, Anglo Platinum proceeded to destroy the community’s fields, and call the police to arrest anyone who attempts to go onto their land to protect their crops.

47 community members were arrested last year when the community tried to stop Anglo Platinum’s contractor, Phuti Funeral Homes, from removing graves on the same farm without the community’s consent.

The community intends to express their frustration by demonstrating at the site tomorrow, and they also plan to demand that the Minister of Mining intervene and stop Anglo Platinum from destroying their land. The community members wonder when will government ever come to their aid as they watch their land, their water, and their ancestors be destroyed at the hands of Anglo Platinum.

For more information, please contact Mr. James Shiburi 072 478 3894

– George Dor Jubilee South Africa General Secretary george dor +27 (0)11 648 7000 +27 (0)76 460 9620 george@mail.ngo.za

In a related development, the community of Sekuruwe has since last week been opposing yet further encroachment by Anglo Platinum on their land by means of protest action and  intensifying their use of the land.

Ga Molekane, Ga Machikiri and Ga Mokaba pickets

On Sunday, in Ga Molekane, people picketed the houses of the Ward Councillor, members of the ANC, and members of the ward committee because of the lack of water, the poor condition of roads and the need for better houses. The water in the area has been severely contaminated by the Anglo Platinum mining operations and the air is heavily polluted by the slimes dump which is being expanded alongside the village. The picketers raised concerns that councillors no longer come to the community and when they do they are aggressive and bullying. According to an activist: “Communities are fed up and they are rising now.”

In Ga Machikiri, there were pickets at the Ward Councillor and a ward committee and ANC branch executive committee member. The pickets were to demonstrate people’s dissatisfaction at the impact of Anglo Platinum on their village. Their houses are cracking due to the mine’s blasting operations and the air is polluted. These problems will be exacerbated by the new shaft earmarked for Ga-Machikiri.

There were pickets in Ga Mokaba at members of the ward committee and the ANC branch executive committee. They expressed concern at the close link between the political leaders and the mine, the lack of accountability, corruption in tendering and the imposition of decisions on the community. Anglo Platinum wants to fence off the cemetry and is intending to open two shafts at Ga Mokaba and Sandsloot.

The pickets were organised in keeping with the Gatherings Act which allows for pickets of up to 15 people on a picket. According to Phillopos Dolo, Jubilee Mokopane Coordinator, “We are trying to indicate to these people that we are conscious about their failures to us as the constituency. If we take peaceful actions through pickets, marches, the world can hear us.”

Yet, the police have responded with arrests and the search for others, arriving at people’s houses late at night with three or four cars and 15 to 20 personnel. This is clearly unwarranted intimidation in violation of the right of all South Africans to protest.

Anglo Encroachment on Sekuruwe Land

The community of Sekuruwe has come out in numbers to protect their land from Anglo Platinum and Fraser Alexander in response to drilling and the digging of a furrow on their land. Over the past year, Anglo Platinum has fenced off Sekuruwe community land to expand the slimes dump alongside Ga Molekane. Now it has gone beyond the fence into adjacent community land.

Last Wednesday, the community initiated their protest action against this further encroachment. James Shiburi of the Sekuruwe Committee explained, “The community is angry at Anglo Platinum for repeatedly ignoring our wishes and our rights. We are still fighting for that side in the camp, now you are coming this side.”

More than 200 people protested until the company retreated behind the fence, “back into the camp”. The community is maintaining an ongoing presence at the site. They are using hand tools, forks and spades, to plough the land and plant their seeds. They have also sent new letters Anglo Platinum and government, stating that the company is not welcome on their land on their land, these in addition to repeated letters throughout the year.

For further information, contact:
Phillipos Dolo, Jubilee Mokopane Coordinator, 073 789 2489
James Shiburi, Sekuruwe, 072 478 3894
George Dor, Jubilee South Africa General Secretary, 076 460 9620,
george@mail.ngo.za

Issued by Jubilee South Africa, 24 September 2009

The Sekuruwe community in the Mapela area, north of Mokopane in Limpopo Province, has been taking action for the last three days to demand cooperation from the Sekuruwe Section 21 Company in the reexhumation and reburial of community graves desecrated by Anglo Platinum and its subcontractor, Phuti Funeral Homes. There has been a regular police presence at the village for the duration of the action. Today, police arrested a youth from the village.

On Tuesday, the entrance from the main road to the Sekuruwe village was blocked and no one could drive in or out. However, the community agreed that the Grade 12 learners should contiune to write their exams. The archaeologist reexhuming and reburying the graves indicated to the police that it was necessary for everyone to identify their graves. They agreed with the committee representing the community that the police would ask the Section 21 Company to come to a meeting to this end. The Section 21 Company has not cooperated and the community committee indicated that they will continue with their action until the situation is resolved.

The original gravesite is on Blinkwater Farm, belonging to the Sekuruwe community and leased earlier this year to Anglo Platinum despite protest from the community. Anglo Platinum is destroying the land in order to build a tailings dam to accommodate the waste from its mining operations.

Last year, graves were exhumed without the requisite technique resulting in damage to human remains. Graves older than 60 years were exhumed in violation of heritage regulations. Remains were reburied on land on the other side of the village. The Sekuruwe Section 21 Company, established by Anglo Platinum as its ally in the community, is alleged to have misrepresented the number of graves to be reburied so as to benefit financially. The community protested the exhumations and 47 people were arrested and charged. The case against them was subsequently dismissed.

The desecration of the graves resulted in skeletal remains being scattered across the original gravesite, the new graveyard and the police station. Due to sustained protests and the intervention of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), Anlgo Platinum was compelled to agree to the process of reexhumation of the remains and the apporpriate reburial of the reconstituted remains.

Community members reiterated that they are also going to continue fighting for their land, which they describe as the heritage of the people, the future for their children. They expressed dismay at the Government. The community has written letters to the President, the Premier’s Office, the Department of Minerals and Energy and many others to request them to come to the community to resolve the issues, but no one has responded. People from Government only came when they needed votes, promising to return, but never did.

In another development, charges against four members of the Ga Pila community, on the other side of the Anglo Platinum mine, were withdrawn yesterday. They were arrested and charged months after allegedly tampering with a fence at their own ploughing fields.

For further information, please contact: Mr. James Shiburi from Sekuruwe, 072 478 3894, or Phillipos Dolo, Jubilee Mokopane Coordinator, 073 789 2489.

George Dor, Jubilee South Africa General Secretary

Telephone: +27 (0)11 336 9190/4/5 h +27 (0)11 648 7000 f +27 (0)11 336 9196

Email: george@mail.ngo.za

They were accused of stoning a mine security vehicle employed by Anglo American’s subsidiary, Angloplat, as the company tried to blast near their homes last year.

The magistrate ruled that the women had “acted legitimately in a situation of sudden emergency and in defence of their lives and property.”

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=9386.

28 May 2009

RE-EXHUMED GRAVES REVEAL SOME FAMILY REMAINS WERE NOT REBURIED:
Original Removal of Graves Took Place in 2008 to Make Way for a Tailings Dam at ANGLO PLATINUM’s PPL MINE

SEKURUWE VILLAGE, NORTH OF MOKOPANE, LIMPOPO

Today a process of grave re-exhumation began that is overseen by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), under the supervision of Dr. Amanda Esterhuysen, an archaeologist at Wits University, who is on the council of SAHRA.

These graves – all over 60 years old -  were exhumed and reburied last year to make way for a tailings dam for Anglo Platinum’s PPL Mine north of Mokopane. Exhumation of graves over 60 years old require a permit and a monitored process that must be overseen by SAHRA. There were concerns about the original exhumation, which led to this process to correct any problems that might have occurred. This re-exhumation is being undertaken by qualified professionals for SAHRA.

During today’s re-exhumation by the authorities, one of the elders in the village – Mr. James Shiburi – witnessed the re-exhumation of a grave labelled with his grandfather’s name, Jim Shiburi. However, inside there was a coffin labeled with another person’s name and that coffin did not contain anything but plastic. The grave of Mr.Shiburi’s Grandmother, Mrs. Sana Shiburi was also exhumed – the coffin was labeled “Sara Shiburi” and contained some few pieces of clothes and pieces of bones, according to Mr. Shiburi. Another grave of a relative of Mr. Frans Lelaka was also re-exhumed today – in that grave there were only 3 long bones and about 10 bone fragments. These remains will all be examined and reported on by the authorities for full results.

More graves will be re-exhumed as part of this process, but there were many more graves exhumed last year and reburied for Anglo Platinum that were under 60 years old (these do not fall under SAHRA’s jurisdiction) – it is very possible that the other graves also do not contain the full remains of family members – or any remains at all. The implications are extremely appalling and it is an affront to the long history of the Bapedi and their culture, which places the highest respect to their ancestors.

The Sekuruwe community has said all along that they did not give their consent for these removals, and furthermore, they did not consent to Anglo Platinum’s use of their land where the graves are located. A court case is being prepared that will challenge the legality of the lease agreement signed by the former Minister of Land Affairs which allowed Anglo Platinum to build the tailings dam on the community’s land. Approximately 1000 individual mandates have been signed by Sekuruwe community members for their attorney to pursue this case. This lease agreement that led to these removals was facilitated by the undemocratic and unaccountable Section 21 Company that operates on behalf of Anglo Platinum.

At the time of the original exhumation last year, the community demonstrated in the hundreds, trying to block exhumation of their family members’ remains. The police were called to the scene, where they shot rubber bullets at community members and arrested 47 people who were held in jail.

For more information and comment, please contact Mr. James Shiburi (Sekuruwe) 072 478 3894 or Phillopos Dolo (Jubilee Mokopane Platinum Committee) 073 789 2489.

25 May 2009

47 MINING ACTIVISTS IN SEKIMING, LIMPOPO ON TRIAL TODAY IN MOKOPANE (25 May)

Community activists from Jubilee Sekiming, near Mokopane Limpopo are on trial today and tomorrow. These activists were targeted and arrested in a crackdown on the community’s resistance  to mining in their area as well as their resistance to the unrepresentative Section 21 companies that claim to represent the community. This community has forced out 12 out of 13 prospecting rigs from Lonmin that were placed there without their permission. The community is also fighting the removal of a school, Seritarita, that the Department of Education is attempting to move due to mine blasting by Anglo Platinum. The vast majority of community members do not want the school moved.

The number of arrests of community activists advocating for their rights around mining in Limpopo is now approaching 500 – these have all occurred since 2006. These arrests can have a critical impact of frightening and intimidating activists into submission – and this should not be tolerated. However, despite the fact that activists have been arrested in the villages of Sterkwater, Ga-Pila, Ga-Molekane, Mohlohlo, Sekuruwe, and Sekiming – the communities vow to fight on as the troubles they face at the hands of the mines have not improved.

For more information, comment, or to send messages of solidarity
(sms’s welcome and appreciated!), please contact: Phillopos Dolo
(Coordinator, Jubilee Mokopane Platinum Committee) 073 789 2489, David
Moja or Mr. Sehala at 079 607 8330 (Sekiming) , or Brand Nthako
(Jubilee NEC, in Johannesburg) 082 628 1362.

LANDOWNERS STRUGGLE AGAINST THE BAFOKENG AND IMPALA PLATINUM

Rooidekraal, Near Sun City, North West Province, South Africa
23 May 2009, Saturday 15:00

Landowners are marching to a prospecting site of Impala Platinum today, to give them notice to leave their land with immediate effect. They have not been consulted and they do not want any mining to take place. Despite this, a joint venture of Impala Platinum and the Royal Bafokeng have started prospecting on their land. The communities are planning rolling mass actions from today.

As stated by the landowners, “Our grandfathers bought the two pieces of land in Brits with the following registration number 823-92-197JQ referring to land at Ward Hex River (some refer to it as Twee Rivier) and Ysterfontein 45 beginning in 1907, and finishing paying for these portions of lands in 1912.” In 1923-1924 they were forcefully removed from these lands and resettled at Roodekraal Spruit.

History of Land Claims

With the new dispensation in 1994 people were encouraged to claim for the land were they were forcefully removed. On 11 June 1997 we lodged our first restitution land claim and this was followed by the second claim on 28 September 1998. We lodged as a individual claims and communal claims with title deeds and shares including minerals lying underground. Our claim was Gazetted in 1999. After the Gazetting was done and we were assisted by two people who confused us, as the Roodekraal Spruit community. They started to mention the different entities that communities can claim land under, including a Trust, Communal Property Association and a Closed Corporation. They told us we should choose the CPA without even training us on the different entities mentioned above.

With regard to Roodekraal Spruit where our forefathers were resettled, the government only allocated them 7469 Morgen 360 square without including the Ysterfontein hectare even though they were also forced out of Ysterfontein.

The agreement was for every 1 Morgen taken they would get 2.5 Morgen back at the new place where they were relocated, but they only received 1.5 Morgen for every 1 Morgen. They also promised three boreholes, but to no avail. In all the negotiations there were no Bafokeng tribe authorities or members, and that is why we are today surprised to hear that they have portion of our land. Most importantly we are against the Royal Bafokeng for also dispossessing us of our land.

We now find ourself having to go to the land claims court and even embark on rolling mass action to protect and defend our land.

It is against this backdrop that we are planing to hold a meeting on Saturday to inform all community members and to plan the way forward. We are inviting all media houses and Social Movements like Jubilee South Africa to also help us like they are helping those who are like us in Mokopane and Xolobeni – and many others that they are assisting.

Issued by Mr. Jaconiah Mafoko (079 854 8917) and Mr. Sello Ditsela (072 222 0955) of Roodekraal Spruit

For more information please also feel free to contact Jubilee South Africa’s Brand Nthako at 082 628 1362.