Worries over Kgalagadi diamond prospecting activities

Zolani Kraai | Wednesday January 15, 2014 16:38

He said his office is not consulted by prospectors, though he may receive savingrams from the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Affairs (MMERWA) about prospecting activities. “We often receive savingrams from MMERWA informing us of the activities. It would be just to note and file the correspondences,” said Letina. He said that unless there is an instruction from the ministry to facilitate consultation with the communities, then his hands are tied. He said sometimes, the savingrams only entail who has been awarded the licence to prospect and nothing else. He said his officers have never been invited to attend meetings convened by prospecting companies in the district. “These people never invite us to their meetings not even the leadership of the district,” he said.

Kgalagadi residents have complained that they are never consulted by government or mining companies over prospecting activities in the district. However, the Director of Mines, Gabotshwarege Tshekiso has said there is no requirement for consultation with the people or the landboard before licences for exploration are issued. “However, expectations in terms of good practice are that the holders of prospecting licences consult with owners of properties upon which they are going to conduct prospecting activities,” he explained. He said that prospecting licence holders are expected to hire locally as much as possible. Efforts to get a comment from the Kgalagadi Landboard proved futile as officials were said to be held up in meetings.

Tsabong North councillor, Mock Ntau, has said that though they were once briefed about explorations in the region, they have never met representatives from the companies involved.

“Officials from the MMERWA once sought a slot during the full council meeting to brief us about possibilities of prospecting in the Tsabong area. They actually came to inform us that they are prospecting and as such I don’t think I would be honest to say they consulted thoroughly,” Ntau said. He dismissed the briefing by the ministry officials, saying it did not assist them with any information. “We have to be well informed and knowledgeable with the exploration and prospecting technicalities and prospecting policies, and we have not been able to explain anything to our constituents,” he said. He said councillors are held accountable by the people and they must have proper information about activities such as mining in their areas. “This is disturbing because when residents see people traversing their area they develop high hopes in prospects of the future of diamond occurrences,” said Ntau.

The MP for Kgalagadi South, John Toto, told Mmegi that he is worried about the lack of transparency by government on prospecting. “Who knows what they (prospectors) are doing in the field? You may realise that there are some dirty dealings out there, and that is why you will not even get feedback from government as to how they monitor the prospecting activities to hinder illegal dealings if there are any,” he said.