Indian mining giant, Jindal Africa, has reignited its bid to mine iron ore in the Zululand town of Melmoth in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The company’s first attempt around 2022-2023 was aborted when the community and local farmers resisted the move to establish a mine to ship products to the global market. The community argued that the mine would tamper with their graves where they perform traditional rituals and force them to move their ancestral homes.

The farmers resisted the mine on the basis that it would guzzle water and deprive them of the precious liquid needed for irrigation. They were joined by the tourism industry which argued that the mine would interfere with their businesses.

Jindal is now leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to all its stakeholders to bring them on board on the ongoing environmental assessment impact (EIA) process to resolve the conflict.

The process also seeks to gain the consensus needed in getting the R38 billion mine off the ground.

The meeting was held recently at Eshowe town hall where the mining company explained how it intends to address all the concerns raised. The meeting was attended in numbers by land owners surrounding the proposed project, All Rise Attorneys and affected communities.

The project manager of the mine, Shaitan Chouhan, said as part of their efforts to win the trust of the community they elaborated on the detailed process which will be undertaken for relocation of human settlement and graves affected by the operation. They also outlined the steps the mine will take to minimize the negative impact on the surrounding environment and the benefits this project will bring to the community.

“The success of the meeting is a true initiative taken by All Rise Attorneys whose humble efforts in bringing out all the concerns on the table for discussion, has provided an opportunity for other stakeholders to delve into very fruitful discussion to understand the impact of the project on their life. livelihood and surrounding environment,” Chouhan said.

The issue of community violence was raised and Jindal strongly denied and denounced such claims.

The mining company does not believe in any form of violence and division in the community, Chouhan added, but rather encourages robust consultative processes free of fear and favoritism.

“The Melmoth Iron Ore Project epitomizes Jindal Africa’s dedication to be part and play its role in transforming South Africa’s mining sector through sustainable development, robust community engagement, and technological innovation,” he added.

The previous opponents of the project are yet to comment on whether or not they accept the new proposals by Jindal.