12 Sep 2013

Sand mining along the Bikwe River, eight kilometers outside Manyana, has been suspended indefinitely by the Moshupa police and officers of the Department of Mines following an uprising by the community last week.

Delivering the urgent suspension to miners who had already prepared mounds of sand for collection in the river, Assistant Supretendent Michael Maphephu of Moshupa police station said the decision was prompted by the situation that threatened to get out of hand.

Although the miners had valid licences, he said it was imperative for the police to suspend mining in the area while they awaited the resolution that would be delivered by the relevant departments before September 14. He added that they had a duty to protect peoples’ property and lives.

However, he said the suspension did not guarantee that the plot in question would be transferred to the Bikwe Village Development Committee (VDC) who claimed to have applied for it in 2008.

The feud heightened recently when the miners descended into the Bikwe River for business as usual, four days after the meeting with the MP for the area, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi, where it was agreed a final resolution regarding sand mining in the area would be delivered on September 14.Villagers said they took up arms because they had assumed the miner would stop his operation the resolution.

They also argued that they were not consulted before the miner was licenced to mine the sand in their area. Ms Motshegetsi Mahlasela said they were also saddened by the fact that the VDC had applied to mine the sand, but all their efforts went in vain.

A senior mining engineer in the Department of Mines, Mr Kenalemang Charles, who was party to the suspension, confirmed that the Bikwe VDC submitted an application in 2008 to mine sand, but was advised that the plot was occupied and that the owner had also applied for extension of his mining operations.

“This suspension should have occurred when the minister was here until such a time when the issue has been resolved,” he said. The miner, who is the director of Thobo Junior Holdings, Mr Goboletswe Motswere was advised to contact the Department of Mines to collect a written authority for the suspension.

Mr Motswere said in an interview that Bikwe residents refused to attend a meeting he had scheduled for the village to consult them about sand mining.

He said nothing to the effect that he should stop mining in the area was ever communicated to him.

He said he would claim loss of business from the Bikwe VDC, the Department of Mines and the Moshupa police.He said he would claim loss of business from the Bikwe VDC, the Department of Mines and the Moshupa police. Ends