The communities of Mmaditlhokwa and Lapologang in Marikana, North West, are planning protest action against the Tharisa Mine in Marikana, in the North West.
Speaking on behalf of a local union MACUA, Magnificent Mndebele said the protest today, is to demand immediate action from Tharisa Mine, in response to the severe environmental damage and human rights violations caused by its operations.
The communities are expected to deliver a memorandum to the mine’s management, calling for urgent measures to address the harm inflicted on their environment and well-being.
Mndebele said in a statement, “the community members are deeply concerned about the destructive impact of Tharisa Mine’s blasting operations, which have been conducted alarmingly close to their homes, compromising the safety and structural integrity of their houses. The constant vibrations from the mining operations have disrupted daily life and the communities are urging the mine to adopt best practices to minimise these effects.”
Tharisa Mine, which is owned by Tharisa Plc (Cyprus), have as their environmental mission on their website, a target to reach a 30% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030.
The company has chrome operations, arxo metals, logistics and other minerals.