Jubilee South Africa
National Office
Press Statement
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.