Open Letter: The National Union of Mineworkers, Mpukunyoni Traditional Authority, Mpukunyoni Community Mining Forum, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union

SouthernDefenders joins 38 other  civil society organisations in a open letter written to  the National Union of Mineworkers; Mpukunyoni Traditional Authority; Mpukunyoni Community Mining Forum; the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union to and their representative attorney.

The letter calls for the above mentioned entities to respect the Pretoria high court Judge Noluntu Bam’s 4 May ruling that Tendele Coal Mining’s 2013 application for a mining right (to expand its Somkhele operations) failed to comply with the law; and that the decision of officials in the Dept. of Minerals and Energy to award that right was invalid. In the  letter we also call for the respect the right of the Mpukunyoni people to assert their constitutional rights without fear of reprisal; and respect the right of their attorneys (ALL RISE) to act without fear of harassment, intimidation and defamation.

Please read the letter bellow: