Heritage Cases

SIGNIFICANCE: 1.) The Madimatle mountain ("Madimatle") and the Gatkop caves ("the caves") have significant spiritual, ancestral and cultural heritage importance to the local community, local traditional healers, local traditional leaders, persons that practice and belong to certain African Christian denominations locally and to many other people that travel from distances across South Africa and our neighbouring countries to access Madimatle and the caves. 2.) Investigations and interviews with believers and worshippers of African ancestral religion and culture both locally and from outside the area, together with expert reports (all of which are set out in the attached Statement of Significance), have shown that Madimatle and the caves have significance for people across the country, and in neighbouring countries, as well as community members living near Madimatle. 3.) Madimatle and the caves serve as a fundamental natural landscape/environment to African people. Madimatle and the caves are regarded as sacred and holy due to the mystical and healing powers that Madimatle and the caves are believed to possess. Madimatle and the caves are visited by large numbers of people nationally and internationally, varying in race, age and circumstance. Local visitors to Madimatle and the caves comprise of Sangomas, various traditional healers/practitioners, various church groups including Zionist Church and Apostolic Church members, in addition to members of various traditional communities spanning all across South Africa and its neighbouring countries. 4.) The name "Madimatle", meaning “Beautiful Blood”, comes from the fact that ancestors sought refuge and died inside the caves and on the hills of the mountain during times of battle and wars, between Africans, the Boers and the English, dating from the early 1800's. Madimatle is known to be a place of retribution, where the blood of martyrs who died on the mountain, is believed to cleanse the sins and moral transgressions of any person that visits the mountain and caves. THREAT: 5.) Aquila Steel South Africa (Proprietary) Limited (“Aquila”) (which is 100% owned by Aquila Resources Limited, an Australian listed company) has secured rights to prospect has already prospected on the Affected Farms for Iron Ore on the authority of a prospecting right over the Affected Farms granted in 2008. 6.) Aquila has since applied for a mining right to conduct an open pit iron ore mine on Madimatle, with an expected life span of 18 years. The caves are located about four (4) kilometres to the South South West of the prospecting and potential mining area ("the mining area") and are 600 metres lower in elevation to the mining area. This application is still pending and, as such, the proposed mining activity has not yet commenced. 7.) There have been various objections to the application for a mining right and such objections are still being considered by the Department of Mineral Resources. However, the local community, local traditional healers, local traditional leaders and persons that practice and belong to certain African Christian denominations locally were not adequately consulted during the prospecting right and initial mining right application process, despite being interested and affected parties. 8.) The prospecting activities already undertaken and mining activities to be carried out should a mining right be granted by the Department of Mineral Resources have and will all take place on Madimatle. The location of the mining area does not preclude the exposure of the caves to the negative impacts of prospecting and mining from a spiritual and environmental perspective. 9.) The proposed mining will irreparably change the face and profile of Madimatle. The attached Statement of Significance sets out how the prospecting activities have already scarred the peak of Madimatle. 10.) In the course of its application for a mining right, Aquila has identified a range of impacts that will arise from the mining activities, including – a. Archaeological; b. Paleontological; c. Anthropological; d. Social incorporating Sense of Place; e. Blasting and Vibration; f. Visual; g. Traffic; and h. Noise. The effects of these impacts on the traditional community’s cultural and religious rights are detailed in the attached Statement of Significance. VULNERABILITY 11.) If mining were to occur on Madimatle subject to the grant of a mining right to the mine, this would destroy the ancestral spirits on the mountain and the mountain would no longer be a landmark site, where people may practise and exercise their cultural and religious rights. In addition, thirteen (13) graves located on the mountain would either have to be relocated or destroyed. 12.) The mountain is significant for spiritual, cultural and religious reasons. In addition, the mountain is important for environmental reasons, as there are various endangered fauna and flora on the mountain which have already been removed when the mine was conducting prospecting activities on the mountain. If mining were to be conducted on the mountain, the fauna and flora will be further endangered.