But threat to East Cape not over yet
While activists are celebrating that plans for large-scale uranium mining in the Karoo have shrunk significantly, farmers in the Eastern Cape remain concerned about the implications.
Australian-based uranium mining developers Tasman Pacific Minerals Limited, along with South Africa’s Lukisa JV Company, yesterday announced the withdrawal of their application for mining rights.
They will only be submitting an application for about 12% of the land they originally had in their sights.
However, part of that 12% is in the Kareepoort area, which stretches from the outskirts of the Western Cape to Aberdeen, one of the Eastern Cape hubs for small stock farming.
The rest will stretch in the direction of Beaufort West.
SA Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (Safcei) science adviser Dr Stefan Cramer said they were pleased about the news, but believed much more needed to be done to avoid uranium mining in the Karoo entirely.
“We are ecstatic to hear that planned mining operations have decreased so significantly,” he said.
“Our concerns now turn to the small portion left of the original pie.
“We expect major pressure from mining companies now to get their applications approved as quickly as possible, and to get as much as possible from the small portion in question.”
Uranium and its byproducts emit high levels of radiation and have a number of applications, including medical treatment, power stations and nuclear weapons.
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