IKWEZI MINING LIMITED On the outskirts of Dannhauser, in KwaZulu-Natal, police used rubber bullets to shoot at a group of environmental justice community activists who were protesting peacefully outside of
This came just two days after the South African Police Service members allegedly shot and killed Mthokizisi Ntumba during a
In Dannhauser, the activists were protesting against the coal mine's impacts on the community, their property and their livestock. The continuous blasting by the mine emits heavy black smoke that is not only debilitating to the community's general wellbeing, but also places them at greater risk of respiratory illnesses. The blasting has also cracked some community members' houses, and there is fear that some of the houses will not be able to withstand the continuous blasting.
Community members also contend that they are losing livestock because they are grazing on grass covered with black coal dust, and they think that mine waste may have contaminated some of the local water sources.
"The experiences of the community next to which Ikwezi operates its coal mine are standard for so many mining communities across the Mpumalanga Highveld," says Robby Mokgalaka, community coal campaigner from environmental justice group groundWork. "Mining companies arrive with many promises, but it is those communities that then face devastation to their lives and livelihoods, without sharing in any of the profits."
Participants in the two-day protest outside Ikwezi's coal mine were unarmed and non-violent, and were not trespassing on any property. Yet while community representatives were negotiating with mine officials during the second day of protest for a suitable meeting venue to discuss the community's grievances, police opened fire on the group when they refused to disperse. Various activists suffered injuries.
According to the protestors,
The protest was a last-ditch effort to get the mine to engage with the community regarding their complaints and to provide them with important information that will enable the community to assert their rights. From as far as 2018, this community has been trying to engage with the mine about negative impacts its operations are having on their health and wellbeing. The mine has failed each time to hear them out. Whenever the community tries to stage peaceful protests against this mine, they are always met with police brutality and arbitrary arrests.
After the shooting, 8 community activists were arrested and taken into custody by the police. They are:
All those that had their charges dropped were men, and the state is proceeding with a case against the three women:
Occurrences like these are not unique to the Dannhauser community. In
The Constitutional right to protest peacefully and unarmed continues to be unreasonably violated by the South African Police Services. It is unacceptable for the police to use violence and unlawful arrests against the community members who are merely trying to protest to assert their rights for a better life. However, exercising the right to protest is increasingly becoming a risk and danger to activists' freedom and to life.
"Condemning the acts of members of the
NOTES:
Past coverage of this community's struggles for justice:
newframe.com - New Coal Mining ulldozes Villagers.
www.miningreview.com - Historical Coal Mining leaves KZNCommunity Disrupted, Devastated.
www.biznews.com - 2019/07/24 - Ikwezi SLAPP suit Activist.
mg.co.za - 2018-07-27 - Scramble for Minerals leaves Rural Families Homeless.
www.news24.com/citypress - 20190726 - Mining Companies against Communities - These Families are Victims of scramble for Land.
www.thedailyvox.co.za - Court halts a
CONTACTS:
Robby Mokgalaka, Coal Campaigner at groundWork, robs@groundwork.org.za, 073 774 3362
Copyright groundWork. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source
