Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital (ARC) and a private company, Kropz, headed by former tanzanite miner Mike Nunn, are waiting for two final permits before they start mining phosphate near Saldanha Bay.The Elandsfontein Phosphate Project, which will cost about R1.35bn in its first phase, has sparked environmental concerns as it will be a surface mine adjacent to the West Coast National Park and within the water catchment area of the Langebaan lagoon.At the recent Jo’burg Indaba, former finance minister Trevor Manuel cited Elandsfontein as an example of inconsistency in the department of mineral resources’ granting of mining licences and urged the department to "clean up its act". The West Coast Environmental Protection Association has resorted to the courts to challenge the granting of a mining licence.Elandsfontein’s technical director, Michelle Lawrence, says it took five years from filing a prospecting rights application to securing a mining right. ARC took a 30% stake in ...
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