Another application to prospect for rare earth and heavy metals in the Richtersveld has added to increasing pressure by mining on the fynbos and fauna of this unique region.
Protect the West Coast (PTWC) has noted with concern the application by Cape Nickel Ventures that wishes to target two farms near Kliprand, and “all farms” in the Vanrhynsdorp Administrative District, which falls in areas of Namaqualand Klipkoppe Shrubland and Blomveld.
The application, which has been posted for comment on our public participation platform Ripl (www.ripl.co.za), is not just looking for nickel, but heavy metals, platinum group metals and rare earth metals that include copper, cobalt, platinum group metals, gold, silver, lead, zinc, tin, and tungsten.
This target area lies approximately 20km north of the town of Kliprand in the Vanrhynsdorp Magisterial District.
“The total Prospecting Right Application area is located on land parcels [Portion 4 of farm Matjesfontein No. 1; Remainder of Farm No 461; Remainder of Matjesfontein Annex No. 4; Remainder of farm Middel Post No. 3; Portion 1 of farm Middel Post No. 3 and all farms in Vanrhynsdorp Administrative District,” says the documentation on Ripl.
The PTWC legal team said that one of the problems associated with prospecting applications is that once granted, the likelihood of a mining application being approved increases exponentially.
“These applications eventually lead to major environmental consequences,” said Patrick Forbes, PTWC Head of Legal.
The site is located in the vegetation classified by Mucina and Rutherford as Namaqualand Klipkoppe (stone heads) Shrubland and Namaqualand Blomveld (flower veld). Klipkoppe Shrubland is a mountain renosterveld that grows on granite-derived soils, while Blomveld occurs on lower terrain. They are not endangered, but are known to be poorly protected.
“The entire Prospecting Right authorisation area does intersect with a Critical Biodiversity Area and an Ecological Support Area. This project further has the potential to impact groundwater resources and bird life within the area,” added Forbes.
While the impact of this type of prospecting is relatively low, the elements and minerals that are being tested for suggest potentially dangerous impacts on the environment down the line if a Mining Right is approved. However, more information is needed by specialists on the impacts as underlined in the Basic Assessment Report (BAR).
A public meeting regarding the application will be held at the Kliprand Community Hall on Thursday January 30.
View the application documents on ripl.co.za, where you can sign up as an Interested and Affected Party (I&AP) and voice your objection to this application.
The deadline for public comments is 5 March 2025.
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In late January, Protect the West Coast (PTWC) travelled to the Richtersveld in the far Northern Cape to improve communication within mining-affected communities through a new digital platform; to empower them to unite to resolve the myriad issues around their ongoing land claim, and to expose their social and environmental challenges in the mainstream media.
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