IFP distances itself from Mtunzini mine decision

THE residents of Mtunzini do indeed have reason to be outraged about the Tronox Mining operations virtually in their backyards, as does the IFP component of the uMlalazi Municipality Executive Committee, represented by Ald SB Larkan, Cllr QT Xulu and Cllr JK Powell.

At the Executive Committee meeting on 6 February the IFP’s observations were that the municipal administrators were not altogether conversant with the application by Tronox and the IFP consequently proposed the item be deferred to give Inhloso Planning an opportunity to present the planner’s report to management.

Our proposal was accepted and the meeting was duly postponed with the expectation that the meeting be held within the deadline, therefore no later than 11 February.

We believe it is worth mentioning that during 2013 no fewer than 40 meetings of Council were either cancelled or postponed, much to the disruption of sound municipal administration and other commitments by portfolio members.

The meeting was then only set down for 14 February (after the Planner’s indicated deadline), and proposals to accept the pre-determined resolutions which were carefully crafted, were quickly manoeuvred by the ANC through what we believe was an undemocratic process and had the resolution accepted.

According to Mayor Zulu when a proposal is made and seconded no more discussion is allowed, which we strongly contest to be in contrast to what is stated in Council’s Standing Rules and Orders, which were only recently adopted by Council and Gazetted.

The IFP were flatly refused the opportunity to submit their concerns on behalf of the Mtunzini residents. Cllr Powell should have been afforded the opportunity to make his submission.

The Town Planner, Coenraad Strachan, conducted an in-depth investigation into the matter, was remunerated for this enormous task (even though we have our own in-house Town Planner), but his recommendations were almost entirely in vain and literally dumped following the proposal submitted by Cllr. Irene Woollatt.

In his submission, Strachan categorically stated that mining 100 metres of the town’s residential area from a spatial planning perspective, was a valid concern of the Mtunzini Ratepayers and that 500 metres would be far more acceptable.

The IFP wishes to distance itself, as raised at the meeting by Cllr Powell, from this unwise decision, which by the way still has to be accepted by the full Council, where our strong objection will again be voiced.

Development and work opportunities are indeed a priority, but should not be to the detriment of a pristine locality and those who have invested hundreds of millions on their properties.

B NGIDI

IFP: UMLALAZI CONSTITUENCY