Mining group eyes winelands
2010-02-19 10:10
Cape Town - The mining industry is eyeing the heart of the Boland wine region as well as part of the Cape Town metropole.
Wine farmers and land owners are upset about a government-controlled mining company applying for prospecting rights for the Bottelary area near Stellenbosch, as well as for the foot of the Tygerberg.
African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation (AEMFC) (Ltd) wants development rights for among others, the Bottelary Hills Renosterveld Conservancy, part of the Jordan wine estate and the historic De Grendel estate.
An application was handed in to the Department of Mineral Resources according to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act. Members of the public may respond until March 9. The mining company now has to hand in an environmental plan.
Ecological, tourism concerns
The area near Stellenbosch stretches over 4 700 hectares and includes the farms Annex Langverwacht 245, Haasendal 222 and the remaining Rosendal 249. The company wants to acquire prospecting rights for among others, tin, zinc, copper, manganese and silver ore.
The application for prospecting rights in the metropole includes Highlands 195, Hooggelegen 193, Hooggelegen 194, De Grendel 256 and De Grendel 255. The company wants to look for tin, lead, zinc, copper, manganese, silver and lithium ore on these properties.
Tielman Roos of the Mooiplaas wine estate and nature reserve in Bottelary said he only heard of these plans on Sunday. The area bordered his property.
Roos, the chairperson of the Bottelary conservancy area, said he was concerned about the application from an ecological and tourism point of view. The conservancy, to which several land owners belonged, was also home to the last remaining Swartland Granite Renosterveld – a highly endangered type of plant.
The prospective exploration activities are in an established agricultural region and furthermore lie in the buffer zone of the Cape Winelands Biosphere Reserve.
'I will have to close my cellar'
One of the exploration areas border the luxury residential areas Zevenwacht Country Estate, Zevenwacht Village and Klein Zevenwacht.
Gary Jordan of Jordan Wines, who had not known about the plans until Tuesday, said a large part of his farm fell into the planned prospecting area. He would definitely protest against it. "If a mine comes here, I will have to close my cellar. What will become of the 84 people who work for me and their families?"
Advocate Martin Coetzee, legal representative of the De Grendel estate, indicated that the application would be opposed. As Haasendal 222 bordered a residential area, the AEMFC had to include additional documentation with reasons for the application.