pprust - SRK Consulting

SRK Consulting 7The Waterberg Savannah Biosphere, which was established in 1996, was recently awardedinternational status as the first savannah biosphere in Southern Africa, following recognitionby UNESCO in terms of its interdisciplinary ‘Man and Biosphere Reserve Programme’.The PPRust Mine is located in the Waterberg District Municipality of the Limpopo Province.The local municipality is the Mogalakwena Municipality, which covers a geographical areaof around 6184 square kilometres. The municipality consists of 31 wards represented by 62councillors (SA Municipal Demarcation Board, 2002). After the local government electionsin 1995/1996 Ga-Mapela was incorporated into the Bakenberg TRC. Currently, Ga-Mapelaforms part of the Mogalakwena Municipal Area (Table 2.1.1).Table 2.1.1: Local councils incorporated under the Mogalakwena MunicipalityNew Municipality Existing Municipality Category Whole/PortionNP367 Potgietersrus TLC Local WholeNP367 Naboomspruit/ Roedtan/Thusang Local PortionNP367 Moletje/Matlala RLC Local PortionNP367 Koedoesrand-Rebone RLC Local PortionNP367 Bakenberg RLC Local WholeSource: South African Municipal Demarcation Board2.2 Mining OperationsPotgietersrust Platinums Limited was set up as a public company in 1991 with the aim toexploit the Platreef deposits. The Platreef ore body was briefly mined in the 1920s but onlyexploited on a large scale since 1992. A key role-player in the recent mining development isPPRust. Other companies with interests in the Platreef deposits include Impala Platinum,Anooraq Resources Corporation, African Minerals Limited and Pan Palladium Limited.Following a significant expansion of concentrator capacity during 1997, Platinum Open CastServices (POCS) was formed in 1998 to run the actual mining operation. PPRust’s currentoperations at the Sandsloot pit will reach its economic limit in seven years time. Potentialexpansion of PPRust over the next 20 years will be in a south-easterly and a north-westerlydirection and may necessitate further population relocation. (Current Sandsloot operationsresulted in the relocation of Ga-Pila village to Sterkwater farm.)The proposed expansions at PPRust North entail open pit mining methods. Conventionalopen pit technology will be used, but the new pits are designed to accommodate currentand future technologies without compromising safe working conditions. A new pit is plannedBOENG:\347793 Mokgalekwena 2010\7Reports\Draft EIR\SRK website - electronic upload\Appendices\Appendix I3_Socio economicreport\PPRust SIA Final (Rev-1).doc June 2002