Preamble

Big corporations are seen as a power unto themselves, unanswerable to society, and unaccountable to communities and stakeholders they negatively impact on. Mining in Limpopo is but one example where mining houses ride roughshod over communities needs, ignoring legitimate community structures and moving people from their homes and livelihoods while claiming that what is good for business is good for the community.

Platinum has overtaken gold in value and is in great demand, from China to Europe. South Africa is the largest producer of Platinum group metals. Platinum group metals consist of platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium and iridium. It is found in the area called the Bushveld Complex stretching across the North West and Limpopo provinces. The major mining houses are Impala Platinum, Anglo Platinum and Lonmin Group and African Rainbow Minerals. Platinum is a heavy metal that is used in a number of different processes, such jewelry but most important in catalytic converters. Catalytic converters are used in motor vehicles to cut down on CO2 emissions, and are in great demand in Europe, where strict environmental laws are in place.

Like the discovery of gold, platinum is leading to huge conflicts in the Limpopo province with competing land rights claims. Communities are divided on platinum mining, and mining houses are allegedly forcing people off their land, by negotiating with company sponsored NGO's. There is conflict around who the true community representatives are, with some communities holding their own elections supervised by independent electoral commission.

However this conflict is over agricultural land, ancestral land and how communities benefit from the platinum mining.

We note the following:

1. Often where platinum deposits are found communities already exist and this leads to competing land claims.
2. That there is a platinum boom going on in Limpopo with the price of platinum ever rising and record profits being made.
3. That the benefits of the platinum boom are not trickling down to communities.
4. That the mining houses are encouraging people to move off their land in return for a mere pittance of compensation (R20 000)
5. People in Limpopo are divided over whether to relocate or not and many are tempted to take the money, causing community conflict.
6. Platinum mining is changing the ways and lives of people in Limpopo for ever
7. That those who depended on an agricultural existence are being forced against their will to move off their land and to adapt to new ways of existence.
8. That competing land claims revolve around agriculture, traditional livelihoods versus that of platinum extraction.
9. That there are huge environmental costs that are passed on to communities in terms of water pollution, air quality, and respiratory diseases.
10. That the new houses offered by the mines are not in good condition.
11. That there are also huge social costs reflected in the social upheavals dominating the Limpopo province today.
12. That mining houses like Anglo Platinum and African Rainbow Minerals are by-passing legitimate community representative in favour of mine sponsored NGO's.

1. In areas of conflict between mining houses and communities Anglo Platinum and other mining houses must stop their financial, logistical and technical support to community organisations in the form of section 21 Companies that the mining houses have chosen and with and engage with genuine elected representatives.
2. Anglo Platinum and the other mining houses must engage with the democratic and accountable structures that the communities are putting forward
3. That forceful removal of people must stop at once until the all the stakeholders are engaged with.
4. The mining houses must respect the communities' right to deal with it on a collective basis.
5. That the ongoing relocation processes must be halted until the terms of relocation have been renegotiated and agreed.
6. The right of communities to independent professional advice, assistance and representation must be recognised and respected by Anglo Platinum and all mining houses.
7. The members of the community should be better off after relocation not worse off and allow for the continuation of the lives of the livelihoods of the people.
8. Any relocation agreement should provide for fair compensation for the full range of social economic and environmental costs associated with the relocation of the community.
9. Any relocation agreement must provide for the community to receive an equitable share of the wealth generated through platinum mining operations on community land.
10. Individual households should have full title to their homes and commercial rights.
11. All replacement homes should have proper sewerage systems, internal plumbing and ceilings.
12. Anglo Platinum and the other mining houses must take responsibility for the quality of all houses and infrastructure and must remedy all patent or latent defects.
13. The community's food security should not be prejudiced by the relocation and that the mining houses comply with the constitution and bill of rights.
14. That the SACC though BeFSA intervene and mediate the conflicting interests between mining and communities.
15. That provincial and local government be challenged to intervene and uphold peoples constitutional rights.