MRC granted right to mine along SA's Wild Coast

By: Christy van der Merwe
Mining Weekly: Published on 4th August 2008

The Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) has granted ASX-listed mining junior Mineral Commodities (MRC) the mining right for a portion of the Xolobeni Mineral Sands project, along South Africa's Wild Coast. The company was awarded a mining right for the Kwanyana block in the Xolobeni project, representing about 30% of the original area applied for. The mining licence was awarded to MRC's South African subsidiary, Transworld Energy and Minerals, and the remaining areas in the Xolobeni project would be held under prospecting right valid until 2010, which could be extended until applications were made to convert the remaining areas into mining rights on a block-by-block requirement.
DME spokesperson Sputnik Ratau told Mining Weekly Online that it was not yet possible to tell whether further licences would be granted, as the areas were still under consideration owing to environmental concerns. He remained assured of the feasibility of granting a licence for the smaller area. The Kwanyana block contains some 139-million tons of heavy titanium producing minerals, including ilmenite, zircon, leucoxene, and rutile. Of the four blocks making up the Xolobeni project area, the Kwanyana block had the largest measured resource. The mining right would be signed and issued on October 31, along with the Environmental Management Plan, and thereafter the company has said that it would fast-track the development of the Kwanyana block into a mining operation to produce heavy-mineral concentrate to supply the local South African producers and international markets.
It was not stated whether or not the mine development would include a beneficiation plant. Initially, MRC had indicated that it would build a smelter, which would also boost the number of jobs created in the relatively poor region of the Eastern Cape, however, the company later said that the plant would not be a part of the project. Ratau could not immediately clarify on the question of the beneficiation plant was put forward.
The project has long been met with resistance from environmentalists and those concerned for the human rights of people living in the area. The project is located in an ecologically sensitive area, dubbed a "biodiversity hotspot", and it was felt by many that eco-tourism in the area could bring more benefit to locals. The mining company's black economic-empowerment structures have also been drawn into question. However, MRC has stated that the project would do much for the development of the area, as the mine would bring with it associated infrastructure, such as roads and electricity.
Nongovernmental organisation Sustaining the Wild Coast (SWC) said it considered the fact that mining licences were not granted for all the areas "a substantial, although clearly incomplete victory", and added that interested and affected parties "await to be officially informed by DME of their decision". Ratau said that the department did not issue statements every time a mining licence was granted.
In a statement, SWC said that it did not share MRC's optimism that its grip on the prospecting rights was as tight as it would like investors to think, "because the newly enacted Integrated Coastal Management Act has come into play, which gives the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (Deat) unquestioned jurisdiction in records of decision that impact on coastal areas".
Ratau said that the Deat had been involved in the granting of the Kwanyana block mining right, as was required by law. This was, however, a contentious issue as Deat officials had previously indicated environmental objections to the proposed mining in the area. SWC called on all interested and affected parties to respond with objections as soon as possible.

Editor: Mariaan Olivier

DOGS, WATER AND FISH

Well, there's no guessing what these two are up to. There are many fish caught in the pools between the rocks, waiting for high tide to wash them back to sea. These pools are crystal clear and anything that moves, is highly visible.

Dante and Katryn would literally spend hours chasing them up and down. They have both perfected a dive whereby they jump in, head first, and stay under for as long as they can, trying for better results.

SHIPWRECKED

This is a sight frequently seen along the Wild Coast - Shipwrecks. This specific wreck is that of the BBC China, a freight ship, which due to stormy weather and treacherous waters were thrown against these rocks like it was nothing. This happened in 2004, and we were here a few days later actually. This is not called the Wild Coast for nothing...

Dante was too busy fishing to pay much attention.

AMAZING ENCOUNTERS

Leaving Lupathana, we came across some extraordinary individuals, not to mention the sights. This little boy, for instance, we met early morning, where he was camping under a canopy of trees, with his parents. They had been robbed the night before, and was making arrangements to go in search of their lost goods. He seemed an amazing little man, as was his parents. We had coffee and biscuits before we moved on.

Also something you see a lot of on the Wild Coast, is various animals sunbathing on the rocks.

RAINY DAYS AND CAVES

It started raining fiercely, and the rocks were a little slippery, so we found this little cave by the pools on top of Waterfall Bluff, and waited for it to calm down.
The dogs seemed happy to chill for a bit. We had a lovely lunch consisting of energy bars and coke.

BREATHTAKING VIEWS FROM THE TOP OF WATERFALL BLUFF.

The first time ever that we have gone through these parts, we got so horrifically lost between mountains and swamps. It was days before we were found again. This time however, we knew where to go, and we didn't have our bicycles to carry up and down ridges, only ourselves and our backpacks. It's quite a strenuous hike, but positively gorgeous.

THANKS TO ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE...

Our hike turned out to be so much more than we planned, because of you... We have learnt from you tremendously, and know that we'll see you again...

CHRISTMAS, TURNING BACK, AND WHAT LIES AHEAD

Christmas day was beautiful. We knew we were turning back, so I guess that made us all the more cheerful. Guru somehow knew he was going back home too, because nothing seemed to stop him as he guided us back towards Lupathana.

We were almost at our destination, when it started raining, and I slipped on a rock surface, coming down hard on my right knee. The pain was shocking, and it was with great discomfort that we managed to get to the campsite.

MBOYTI is one of the most beautiful pictureque villages on the Wild Coast

BETWEEN LUPATHANA AND MBOYTI LIES MAGNIFICENT WATERFALL BLUFF

The hike between Lupathana and Mboyti is a strenuous, but gorgeous hike. It's easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going. Once we reached Sugar Loaf mountain, we knew we were fine. We didn't make it all the way to Mboyti however, because it was getting dark, and a storm was fast approaching...

LUPATHANA, or better known as Laplat, which refers to the flat rock formation which runs deep into the sea. This is a popular fishing destination...

MKAMBATI TO LAMBAZI BAY - LUXURY AT LAST

We woke up early, but getting up was challenging for me. My feet are all swollen and sore. My back hurts under the strain of it's heavy cargo, and from sleeping on the hard floor. The sun is out though, so that's good enough to get me out of bed.

We had a breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs and bread - tasty!!! Did some last minute typing, and started packing. We said our good-byes to everyone, and enquired about the route to the Msikaba River. The tide was coming in, so whether or not we would be able to cross, remained to be seen. As we got to the top of the ridge, the greatest views greeted us, and we stood there for a while, wind blowing fiercely.

Maria was on top form, and was eager to get going. It's a great feeling, when you feel like you can go on forever, regardless of your load or weather conditions. This was a good inspiration to me, because I was at a low when we started, but picked up the pace rather quickly.

As we started going down to the river, we hiked through the most exquisite forest. It was as if we had walked into a fairy tale, and all sorts of magic surrounded us. Dante and Katryn soon got lost, playing around, chasing lizards or each other. Guru, who is now officially part of the family, just lay watching them, waiting patiently while we all absorbed the magnificent energy present here.
We continued on, and once we got to the river, we couldn't find anywhere shallow enough to get through. We saw a guy on the other side, canoe in the water, attached to a rope which he was using to drag the canoe behind him. We called to him, to find out if there was either a shallow enough bit where we could cross, but couldn't see, or if he could get us across with his canoe. He said that he had just seen a shark - not too big - swim by, so he wouldn't advise crossing, so he offered to somehow get his canoe to us, but it was at this moment when the ferryman made his appearance. He saw us leaving the reserve, and came down especially to give us a ride across. WOW!!!

The little boat was big enough for all of us, and this time I made sure he knew that Guru was part of us, so therefor he was going in the boat. He had no problem at all, only Guru refused to get in the boat, instead he swam across. Now, this is a very wide river, with a strong current, but Guru is a die hard, special breed of dog. We tried to stay close to him, urged him on, but the ferryman kept assuring us, that this is a local dog, and that they are strong, and are used to this. I guess he proved as much...

We met some cool people on the beach, but Maria didn't want to waste time chatting, she was a girl on a mission, so we continued ahead. We hiked for a while, and when it was close to 12am I suggested we rest at a little stream where we could prepare lunch. We cooked up a quick Soy and Rice, but it suddenly became so hot, we had to get out of the sun. The only tree nearby, was a little upstream, so I went to check it out - Perfect!

We sat in the shade until it was a little cooler, and then continued on again. The coastline was rocky, with hardly any sandy beaches, so we followed the path along the grasslands. We passed a couple of homesteads and knew that Lambazi bay couldn't be much further anymore. We started seeing many faces, as we passed the first holiday cottages. The nicest lady, Jenny Dutton, handed us the coldest cans of Just Juice, and nothing has ever tasted that good, ever! They told us about the Drifters, Wild Coast Inn, on the other side of the river, and said we might find accommodation there. We weren't planning on staying in any Lodges or Inn's along the way, didn't even know this one existed, but we went there anyway. Thought we could get something to eat and drink, and maybe go on.

Once we got to the Drifters however, there was no way that we weren't gonna stay here. This is just what the doctor prescribed! Warm bed, hot shower, gorgeous rooms, lovely restaurant, and good company. There were so many faces, people on holiday, a couple from London, a big family, and our hosts, Otto and Adri were just amazing! This place is so worth it! A rare find in these parts.

We sat around, chatting with the guests, exchanging stories and had a brilliant time. I went to have a shower before dinner, because I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, and needed to freshen up. Been a long day, and we've been roughing it for a while now.

Dinner was fantastic! There was so much food, it was Divine! It was just a pity, because my tummy wasn't feeling too hot! Think maybe the soy and rice didn't go down that well, but that was preventing me from enjoying this beautiful feast before me! I didn't even have dessert!

We sat with the couple from London, and they were such fun people! He had an injury to his ankle, so they couldn't continue their hike, but instead spent their remaining days here. They are leaving for home tomorrow morning.

I am so tired, I'm virtually falling asleep at the counter, so I excused myself and went straight to bed. I fell asleep almost instantly. This didn't last long however, as my stomach was turned upside down, and I was doubled over in pain. Okay, yeah, so I was awake much of the night...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BABY!

I wish you the most beautiful day ever! Wish we could be there to share it with you... I hope that you have a fantastic year, and that all your dreams come true...
Thanks for always being there, urging us on, and sharing in our joy and laughter. You are Super Special!!!
Mwah!!!

HIKING THROUGH MKAMBATI

Maria and Nokanya, crossing the Mtentu

Zebra

We woke up early, and started packing. We had arranged with the local ferryman, a lady called Nokanya, to take us across the Mtentu river, at 9am today. Wonda came round early too, so we didn't have time to get breakfast before we headed out. Nokanya took us across, one at a time, because the canoe was too small for all of us and our bags. We said our good-byes to Wonda, and he instructed us to go to the Reserve Office, as he had arranged for us to charge our gear, and accommodation for the night, so we were to steer away from the beach just over a kilometer away from the river.
It is sunny and hot out which is my personal favourite. This bad weather, although refreshing at times, was starting to weigh me down. The hike was great. We saw a lot of wildlife under which was Red Hartebeest, Eland, Gemsbok, Zebra, and so many Baboons. When we got as far as the Horseshoe Falls, we decided to have a break, and enjoy the magnificent energy present here. We lingered a while longer. We met a father playing with his two young boys, and two cyclists stopping by for a dip in the pools.
The rest of our hike was mostly along 4 x 4 tracks, and later on a gravel road. Guru started chasing a Gemsbok herd, and we couldn't get him to stop. If someone had to see this, they'd kick us all out of the resort, but didn't bother him much. It was cool though, because he was just playing, no harm done. Later he chased a troop of baboons, and they eventually became very angry, but he didn't care much for the crowd around him, shouting heatedly.
We were hiking along this road for what seemed forever, and then I said to Maria how I wished a car would pick us up, and what do you know, the next thing, a Land Rover parked beside us, and offered us a ride. All of us fit in the back, except Guru. The lady asked if he belonged to us, and we explained how he's been tagging along since Mnyameni. We were upset with him for chasing the animals, so we thought he'd find his own way. It couldn't be more than 2kms to the office... Well, what happened next, was heartbreaking! As we pulled away, Guru followed, and he ran for all he was worth! I've never seen anything like it, and I felt like such a traitor, for disowning him, and making him chase behind us.
He was running like that for what seemed an eternity, but I actually have no idea, just felt like it. We were cheering him on, and I promised him everything his little heart desired. Finally, we stopped at the Reserve Office, and fell out the back, as we were all trying to give Guru the congratulations he so richly deserved. Wow, that was quite an experience.
Victoria showed us our quarters, which is what looks like the conference centre. The Reserve had been fully booked, and as the dogs aren't really allowed, they expected us to handle a low profile. We managed to get a lift to the spaza, on the truck that delivers every body to their homes. This is one of the most well stocked, happening spaza's I've seen this side of Port St Johns. We bought everything we've been craving along the way, or at least that which we could find, or the closest thing to it. If I said this spaza is well stocked, then I meant for the Transkei...
We cooked up a feast for the dogs. Chicken, rice, gravy... and as for ourselves, we were snacking away on junk food, but it was the best meal in ages. We had access to all the electricity we were hoping for, so we started charging, and catching up on blog postings.
Morale was quite high, and we were up until somewhere around midnight. I suddenly felt like I was gonna fall asleep in an upright position. We crawled in, but I couldn't sleep, because I was hearing all sorts of sounds, and imagining all sorts of creepy stuff, so I jumped up at the slightest movement. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I fell asleep.

MKAMBATI SHORELINE & FALLS

Rocky beaches with small sandy bays

Just because it's beautiful

These little guys were being washed out with the waves

Horseshoe Falls, from the top