SERIOUS COSTS OF CHERT MINING

Sir,

While job creation is vital in eSwatini, we must not let our need for employment blind us to the serious costs of chert mining in Malolotja Nature Reserve. This operation will not only devastate the local ecosystem, but also harm our long-term economic potential by destroying a precious natural asset that we, and future generations, benefit from. Malolotja’s untouched landscapes attract ecotourism, one of the few sustainable industries in our country. Nature-based tourism creates jobs, without impacting the natural systems that provide us life, including our drinking and agricultural water.  Mining will be short-lived in comparison, creating minimal employment for a handful of years, but leaving behind irreversible environmental scars.

Jobs

Once the chert is gone, the small number of local jobs will go too, along with the wildlife, clean water, mineral-rich soil and pristine landscapes that make Malolotja so special
Ecotourism already plays a substantial role in our economy, contributing 6.9 per cent of GDP and supporting a sector with an annual growth rate of 2.4 per cent. Given that tourism revenue is largely sustainable and potentially increasing, disrupting the Malolotja reserve for a mining operation, with limited economic data, will undermine this significant GDP contributor.In contrast, mining currently contributes less than 1 per cent of our economy.

Without any concrete data provided by Michael Lee Enterprises (MLE), a Taiwanese-owned business, it is impossible to know how many jobs the chert extraction will actually provide, but we do know that it will not significantly alter this percentage because the avaliable mined chert is very modest in size, and it will be mostly exported; with minimal processing or value addition occurring within Eswatini.

Strategies

The MLE chert mine operation has moved forward with the submission of a very weak Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that lacks depth, specificity, and enforceable actions in its mitigation strategies. These deficiencies expose the EIA’s mitigation measures as inadequate for ensuring sustainable environmental management. Without strong, actionable plans, this document appears more focused on meeting minimal regulatory requirements, rather than genuinely safeguarding the environment and community interests for emaSwati.

To truly reflect Malolotja’s special status, an independent EIA study that reflects the nation’s commitment and responsibility to emaSwati by including a much deeper analysis of the socio-economic and environmental impacts, must be completed as due diligence. Instead of ripping up our land for fleeting profit, let’s focus on creating more jobs in ecotourism, regenerative agriculture and renewable energy; sectors that grow sustainably and offer a proven track record for greater economic impact in eSwatini.

Economy

If we are willing to innovate and invest in these areas, we can build an economy that does not sacrifice the environment that sustains us for minimal short-term gains. The ancient mountains of Malolotja stretch into South Africa where they offer a successful ecotourism destination and are preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We too must protect this natural asset for our children and their children. Let’s think longer-term and invest in industries that are proven to grow, rather than destroy our future.

Emma Granville
Strategic Director
Guba

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