“If you think there is enough water, ask permission to use the water of the people who will die of thirst when it runs out,” an emotional Mphatheleni Makaulule of Dzomo la Mupo told the developers at a recent public participation meeting on the development of a heavy industrial zone in the Vhembe district in Limpopo.
By Jasper Raats, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
The smelter plant in the controversial Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) were faced with strong opposition from local community members, environmental groups and agricultural representatives at the participation meeting near Louis Trichardt on 17 July. Criticism focused specifically on water use and the cultural and environmental impact, as well as doubts about the credibility of the approval process.
The proposed MMSEZ consists of two components: a logistics and manufacturing complex at Antonvilla in Musina and a new heavy industrial zone about 50km south of Musina where several smelters and coal-fired power plants are planned.
In a previous environmental impact assessment report on the proposed development by environmental practitioner <https://www.deltabec.com/> DeltaBEC, the environmental practitioner stated he could not confidently recommend environmental consent for the project. Almost every specialist study report in the environmental impact assessment indicates catastrophic consequences for the environment. Although steps can be taken to mitigate the impact, it remains mostly negative.
The Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA), the development division of Limpopo’s Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, which aims to develop the industrial estate in partnership with a Chinese business consortium, has simply decided to appoint another environmental practitioner.
Damage And Deception
Now this large-scale development plan has been divided into smaller units, each of which, according to Leda, is being subject to impact assessments.
Environmental groups, organised agriculture and even individual farmers have said from the outset this is just a ploy by the developer to hide the full cumulative impact when applying for environmental approval.
Dr Sarah Venter of the Baobab Foundation did not mince words in her presentation at the public hearing on the smelter’s environmental approval application. “You want to pull the wool over our eyes,” she told representatives of LEDA. “Go back to Polokwane and tell them to stop wasting money on this MMSEZ. Start investing money in agriculture, businesses and tourism development for our people who live here – not for the Chinese to come and do business here.”
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Dispossessing The Community
The biggest concern raised throughout was the fact that the smelter will involve massive water consumption in a region already suffering from severe water shortages.
Thabo Sibeko of Earthlife Africa warned the smelter alone is estimated to use thousands of litres of water. “Many of the people here are subsistence farmers who rely on boreholes. If the project extracts that water, there will no longer be enough for our food production.
“How are you going to use all that water and not let a single drop of polluted water flow out? That is not realistic. Just look at what is happening in Mpumalanga.”
The development would inevitably cause air pollution and acid rain, which would harm local agriculture, said Sibeko. “So, I don’t understand how you can say agriculture will not be affected.”
He also warned that the developers were not considering the social consequences of the project. “Foreigners coming in will put pressure on services and increase crime. It will disrupt the structures of the community.”
Makaulule added the Limpopo government’s push for this development is once again seeking to alienate the Venda community from land that they only recently regained. “The graves that are here are those of our ancestors. In Venda culture, they are sacred. These are not just graves, it is land that we were robbed of during colonialism and apartheid – and for which we now have to fight again.”
“What are we leaving for our children and grandchildren after the project’s 30-year lifespan?” Venter asked. “Polluted water, crime, loss of culture – for whose benefit? For Chinese investors and politicians in Polokwane?”
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Suspicious Process
Christo Reeders, the legal representative of several individuals and organisations opposing the development, has once again questioned the validity of the public participation process. “The Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism should be the referee, but is now also a player. How can it promote this project and at the same time protect the environment?
He pointed out that the same shareholder who wants to develop the smelter is also involved in a coal mine that is currently operating without a valid permit and a rehabilitation guarantee. Reeders cited three independent water studies that all indicate there is not enough water. “If there was enough water, you would not have come up with the absurd idea of damming the Limpopo River.”
Several participants pointed out the project’s inconsistency with South Africa’s commitment to climate action under the Paris Agreement. According to calculations, the project will be responsible for about 16% of South Africa’s total carbon emissions budget.
A representative for the project acknowledged that boreholes will initially be the only source of water, and that there are plans for dams and pipelines “over time”. “There will be an initial impact on existing water users, but we want to recycle as much water as possible.”
Deidré Carter of Agri Limpopo said the meeting clearly showed how widespread the resistance to the smelter and the entire economic zone is. “The calls for replanning, sustainable local development and fair processes are growing louder. Whether the project goes ahead will likely depend not only on technical and environmental reports but on the political and social pressure that is increasingly building.”
