Since Roodepoort and Johannesburg are plagued by illegal mining, the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Herman Mashaba has raised a very real concern with the Department of Mineral Resources.
In a press statement he wrote: “I once again wrote to the Minister of Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe, requesting his support and intervention with regard to illegal mining with the use of explosives near highways, Transnet bulk fuel supply and Sasol gas pipelines travelling across the City. I had previously written to the Minister, requesting that he instruct his Department to provide us with specific measures, plans and interventions to avert this pending disaster by 3 April.
Also Read: An inside look at illegal mining
“This follows several other attempts, made in good faith, to engage former Minister Mosebenzi Zwane on this issue as well, by writing to him on both 28 November 2017 and 12 February [2018]. In my letter dated 28 November 2017, I requested the former Minister’s assistance in terms of instructing his Department to provide us with measures and interventions to avert a pending disaster,” wrote Mashaba.
“Understanding the need for proper investigation into the matter, I requested this information by 28 February 2018, three months after my initial letter.
This deadline has come and gone without any communication form the former Minister, and it appears that Minister Mantashe is following in the footsteps of his predecessor by turning a blind eye to a potentially life-threating situation. Indeed, at an IDP public consultation meeting held over the past weekend within Region B, members of the community expressed their grave concern over illegal mining activity within their area. I committed to following up the matter and, once again, requesting Minister Mantashe’s direct intervention,” he continued.
“I have also taken the step of sending this letter to the Minister of [the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs] (COGTA), Hon Zweli Mkhize; the Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant-General Deliwe de Lange; and the Premier of Gauteng, Hon David Makhura, in the hopes of both informing them and receiving information from their offices should my request to the Minister Mantashe continue go unanswered. It is greatly disappointing that the City of Johannesburg has not received feedback from National Government on a matter which could ultimately lead to the loss of hundreds of lives,” said Mashaba.
Mashaba has pointed out the following dangers:
Illegal mining and the use of explosives –
· near pipelines carrying gas and fuel creates increased risk for neighbouring communities, puts services at risk and is an impending threat to the safety of city employees working along the pipelines and other services within the servitudes
· risks contamination of the City’s water supply
· has resulted in tremors, which risks the structural integrity of our roads, adjacent residential communities and businesses (Illegal blasting can create a spark that can ignite a fire capable of incinerating a large radius of up to 300sq m)
· has compromised the pillars that support the decommissioned mines, placing additional risk on the physical structure upon which the pipelines rests and the imminent collapse of the mine
· has compromised both Transnet pipelines and Sasol gas pipes
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