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The Democratic Alliance welcomes the statement by the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica, about her concerns regarding the granting of an Unconditional New Order Mining Right to Coal of Africa for a highly sensitive site near Mapungubwe. The Minister has rightly pointed out that Mapungubwe is one of South Africa's seven World Heritage sites, and has requested further details about the right before considering whether her Department can take any action. The DA is also happy that the Minister has stated publicly that she wants to engage with the Minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu, about mining in sensitive areas.

There needs to be an ongoing and coordinated relationship between Minister Sonjica and Minister Shabangu. Mining is an important part of the South African economy, but its effects on the environment can be severe. One only needs to look at the current decant of acid mine water on the west and east Rands to understand that mining can have a devastating impact on our water resources years after mines have closed.

The DA is however amazed that Minister Sonjica has entered the debate on the Mapungubwe mining application after the mining right has already been granted. She and her Department have known about the mining application for a long time.

The DA raised the issue of this mining application in a members statement in February 2009, and it featured prominently in my own contribution to the environmental affairs budget debate in June last year. I also wrote to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs personally on Heritage Day last year expressing my own concerns about the mining application and urged the Minister to start a mining advisory forum so that the government could engage with stakeholders about where mining should and should not be permitted to occur. The Minister even responded to my letter, thanking me for my interest in this matter, saying that she could not establish such a forum herself as it would be in "bad faith" but that the environment and mining departments should establish such a forum together.

It is worth noting that the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs and her Department had every opportunity to comment on the scoping report for this particular mining application, but it appears they did not. Nevertheless, Minister Sonjica and Minister Shabangu must engage on the issue of the mining right near Mapungubwe.

The DA will submit parliamentary questions to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs to ascertain what steps she will take to formalise her engagement with Minister Shabangu on mining in sensitive areas.