“Matter of facts to eNCA”

Amadiba Crisis Committee | Press Statement | 1 October 2018

In order to put a misleading report on the “Xolobeni Mineral Sands Project” by eNCA in perspective, the Amadiba Crisis Committee issued the following press statement:

“Maybe journalists at eNCA have no experience from propaganda and deception. Maybe they cannot smell danger when they are being used.

Matter of facts:

1. We know the woman speaking for mining in this 26 September news program “A Community Torn Apart”, but under another name. She works as a maiden in Mr David Zamile Qunya’s house. She takes care of Mr Qunya’s old mother. The video is from the kitchen in Mr Qunya’s house. Mr Qunya’s mother sits beside the woman, to the right in the picture.
    
2. Mr Qunya is mining director of the Australian mining company MRC. He is the right hand man of MRC in South Africa. He is a director at MRC’s controversial mine in Tormin in Western Cape [attachment] and he is employed to push the “Xolobeni Mining Project”.
    
3. Mr Qunya signs the affidavits to Court of MRC’s subsidiary Transworld Energy and Mineral Resources (TEM). TEM is the formal mining applicant for the “Xolobeni Mining Project”.
    
4. Unsuspecting journalists bought the story “the divided community”. They were led by the MRC director to speak to his domestic worker.
    
5. In the news video, Mr Qunya complains about a failed tourism project in Amadiba. He was the CEO of Amadiba Adventures that started in 1998. He crashed tourism in Amadiba when he was secretly recruited by MRC in 2003. The sabotage of the EU supported project culminated with the burning down of the offices in 2005. A case about mismanagement of funds was opened in Mthatha High Court, but all documentation had disappeared in the fire.
    
6. Tourism is not gone on Amadiba coast. The Mtentu lodge is famous and usually fully booked. Some 2000-3000 tourists per year visit our area. They are guided by local tourist guides. Our eco-tourism project is developing in the area. You are welcome!
    
7. The Mtentu lodge is owned by Amadiba Coastal Community Development Trust (ACCODA). ACCODA is the community trust that is officially recognised as partner by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism, EC Department of Land and EC Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism.
    
8. The mining lobby was expelled from the board of ACCODA at a big AGM held at Komkhulu in February 2013.
    
9. ACCODA was not invited by DMR and ANC to their 23 September propaganda meeting.
    
10. All the other trusts in DMR’s media release after 23 September are formed by mining lobbyists, by MRC or by its BEE partner XOLCO. They are not officially recognised and we know  nothing about them or their activities.
     
11. After 23 September, Minister Mantashe started to speak about the Right to say No to mining.
     
12. He must then withdraw DMR’s opposition to this in Court and support the request for a Declaratory Order by the Pretoria High Court that we have the Right to Say NO. The request was made by Umgungundlovu Traditional Authority, Amadiba Crisis Committee and 127 heads of households and local leaders on the Amadiba coast.
     
13. An important reason behind law breaking, destruction and violation of human rights in South African mining is that DMR sees itself as a promoter, not a regulator of mining.
     
14.  That this is DMR’s view on its mandate was spelled out in the statement after 23 September meeting that mentioned all the MRC and Xolco trusts with unknown activities.”
     

Amadiba Crisis Committee

Spokeswoman: Nonhle Mbuthuma 076 359 2982 Chair: Sibusisio Mqadi 063 496 4074

Attorney opinion of what happened on 23 September and the Right to SAY NO Court case pending judgement in Pretoria High Court:

Richard Spoor 083 627 1722 and Johan Lorenzen 079 654 5038 (Richard Spoor Inc.); Henk Smith (Henk Smith & Associates) 083 266 1770; Claire Martins (Legal Resources Centre) 082 4701187.