Abalimi abasanda kubuyelwa wumhlaba bashaya amakhala ngemayini ehlongozwayo endaweni. UMOKGADI MOGY MASHAKO uyabika

EMVA kweminyaka ulindile, umphakathi waseMakhasaneni, KwaZulu-Natali, uthole amatayitela nezinsizakusebenza zokulima zenani elingaphezu kukaR1 billion. Kepha laba balimi sebenovalo lokuthi izinhlelo zabo zokukhula kwezolimo zingase ziphazanyiswe wukuthi kuhlongozwa umsebenzi wemayini endaweni.

UNgqongqoshe wezoLimo nokuThuthukisa iziNdawo zaseMakhaya uNkk uThoko Didiza usanda kunika lo mphakathi amatayitela omhlaba obuyiselwe kubantu abawu-40 ababefake izicelo zomhlaba ongaphezu kukaR1bn.

Lo mphakathi wafaka izicelo ngo-1995 ngokubambisana neSouth African Farmers Development Agency (iSAFDA) kanti usukwazile ukuqhubeka nokukhiqiza izihlahla, umoba nokotapeya. Owayehamba phambili kulolu hlelo oludonsile wumholi womphakathi waseMakhasaneni, eMelmoth, uMnu uMbhekiseni Mavuso, othi nakuba kubajabulisa asebekuzuzile kodwa bakhathazeke kakhulu ngezinhlelo zeJindal Africa efuna ukwakha izimayini endaweni.

“Sijabule kakhulu ngokwenziwe wungqongqoshe osizwile isicelo sethu, wasinika amatayitele, yiwo kanye lo mhlaba ebesiwuvikela kwimayini,” kusho yena.

Isigodi saseMakhasaneni, ngaphansi kobukhosi baseNtembeni, kade saqala ukuphumela obala ngokungahambisani nemayini. Kusukela ngo-2011 ngenkathi izakhamuzi zikhala ngokuthi akuxoxiswananga nazo ngezinhlelo zemayini emhlabeni wazo.

“Kukhona okufanele sikwenzele isizukulwane esizayo, njengoba lo mhlaba sawushiyelwa wobabamkhulu, nathi kufanele siwushiyele isizukulwane esilandelayo. Intuthuko kufanele iqhamuke emphakathini, hhayi e-India. Izinhlelo zentuthuko kumele kube ngezomphakathini,” kusho uMavuso.

Ekhuluma kwi-Africa Mining Indaba eKapa emasontweni ambalwa edlule,  uMengameli uCyril Ramaphosa uthe uhulumeni usezizwile izicelo zemboni ezimele abafisa ukuvunyelwa ukuthi “basebenze ngamalahle, i-iron ore ne-manganese.

“Kumele silungise ukubambezeleka kwamalungelo agunyaza ukuthi kusetshenzwe futhi kuhlolwe okumbiwa phansi ukuze lolu hlelo luqhubeke kahle,” kusho umengameli.

URamaphosa wengeze ngokuthi imboni yezimayini ngeke ithuthuke ezweni ngaphandle kokuphucula izimo zokusebenza nenhlalo yezisebenzi zasezimayini nemiphakathi izimayini ezakhe kuyona.

Ngokombiko i-Comments and Responses Report: Melmoth Iron Ore Project of 2022, iJindal “isisesigabeni sokubheka ukuthi umphumela kwezemvelo uzoba yini kanti umbiko ngaloku uzokhishelwa umphakathi maduze ukuze uwubuyekeze”.

Izinhlelo zokuba nemayini zeJindal sezihlukanise phakathi imiphakathi ewu-29 eyakhele iMelmoth, okuyiyona ethintekayo. Umsebenzi wama ngo-2016 ngenxa yezinxushunxushu ngesikhathi kuboniswana ngokuthi amathuba enzuzo abhekiwe ayencipha.

“Ngo-2016 amanani e-iron ore ehla kakhulu, okwakusho ukuthi lo msebenzi ngeke usangenisa imali. Eminyakeni emibili edlule, amanani e-iron ore asephinde anyuka, nokungakho lo msebenzi usubhekwa futhi.”

Umbiko uveze ukuthi iJindal ayikayitholi imvume yokumbiwa phansi “ngakho asikho isiqiniseko sokuthi izoba khona imayini.” Uma umNyango wokuMbiwa Phansi namaNdla uyinika iJindal imvume yokuba nemayini, kuzothatha cishe iminyaka emihlanu ngaphambi kokuthi imayini iqale ukusebenza.

UMavuso uthemba ukuthi abemayini bazophumela obala ngako konke emphakathini. “Ngifuna abemayini babuyele emphakathini bazozwa imibono neziphakamiso zawo uma zikhona ukuze yonke into yenzeke ngendlela imiphakathi efuna ngayo. Sengiqala nokucabanga ukuthi impilo yami kungenzeka ibe sengozini ngoba ngizwa lawo mahemuhemu. Ngo-2013 ngahamba ngayocasha ngisizwa yizinhlangano ezifana neLand and Accountability Research Centre neJustice and Peace.”

UDkt uMarilyn Govender weSAFDA uthe uyawazi umphumela omuhle olethwa yimayini emnothweni. Nokho, uthe ezolimo nemayini akukwazi ukusondelana ngoba ezolimo zizophazanyiswa yimayini.

“Okushiwoyo wukuthi ezolimo azikwazi ukuncishiswa yimayini ngoba yiyona nto umphakathi wezolimo eMelmoth oziphilisa ngayo,” kusho yena.

UDkt uGovender wengeze ngokuthi uma izoba khona indawo ezoklanyelwa imayini, kuyofanele kuxoxwe ngokuthi imiphakathi ihlomule ngamasheya ibe ngabanye babanikazi bemayini.

“Akukwazi ukuthi kungaba wukubanika imisebenzi engatheni emayini, loko akwanele. Kufanele bahlomule ngale ndlela entsha yokungenisa imali,” kusho yena.

UMnu uNqobile Dludla obeyingxenye yentsha evakashele imayini yaKwaSomkhele, eMtubatuba, ngosizo lwe-Oxfam uthe akasiboni isidingo sokuthi imayini izoshintsha ukubambisana okuhle kwemiphakathi ezilimelayo.

“Bengingakaze ngiyibone imayini phambilini. Nokho emva kokubona imayini yaKwaSomkhele, ngicabanga ukuthi asiyidingi imayini yeJindal endaweni yethu,” kusho yena.

UDludla ubalule nokuthi ayikho intuthuko ezindaweni ezakhele imayini, wengeza ngokuthi ayikho into ehehayo ngezethembiso zemayini.

• Lolu daba luqale lwashicilelwa ku: www.mukurukurumedia.co.za