In their statement the Entembeni Crisis Forum (ECF) notes that the Indian company Jindal has applied for a new mining right on community land near Melmoth in Northern KwaZula Natal (KZN) province. For 20 years the community has resisted mining because Jindal and its previous company Sungu-Sungu, did not ask the local villagers for their consent. In August 2023, ECF filed an objection with 6,800 signatures, supported by NGOs AIDC, ARD, BMF, LAMOSA, and AFRA. Jindal promised to respond but didn’t.
On 17 May 2024, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) told ECF that Jindal had withdrawn its first application (10108MR) for six community farms, totaling 20,000 hectares. Jindal has now reapplied (10130MR) for 26,000 hectares, including the original community farms and over 60 private and communal farms in the Nkwalini valley, east of the Goedetrouw dam.
Jindal hired TCIR for a new environmental assessment after the old one by SLR and Zutari was found flawed. In February, the DMRE rejected Jindal’s environmental permit due to concerns about water and air quality and biodiversity.
The new draft report suggests moving two schools and 100 village houses with a budget of R250M, but says “no involuntary relocation is foreseen.” The ECF urges everyone to stay informed and will continue educating villages about their rights and Jindal’s responsibilities.
read the entire statement from ECF below:
