Mining company fights back over ActionAid claims

Anglo American has taken the unusual step of issuing a 40-page report rebutting allegations of human rights abuses by its Anglo Platinum arm in South Africa.

The international non-governmental organization ActionAid recently claimed that Anglo Platinum is forcing thousands of people off their land without proper consultation or compensation, and that it is polluting local drinking water. The allegations were given widespread coverage by the media, including the BBC.

However, Anglo believes ActionAid presented a ‘highly distorted’ view. It says residents in the three affected villages of Ga Pila, Ga Puka and Ga Sekhaolelo are being voluntarily resettled into new, bigger houses built for them by the company. The resettlements have been undertaken after negotiation ‘with each household agreeing terms and signing off the design and features of their new houses’.

Anglo claims the resettlements are supported by community leaders and the provincial government, and that, as well as new homes, villagers have been provided with schools, churches, a health clinic and other infrastructure. It points out that the mine expansion has created 1800 jobs and that consultation has been going on since 1998. A small number of families – 26 at present – have refused to move from Ga Pila, but new houses are waiting for them.

On the separate ActionAid allegation that mining has polluted boreholes – an issue that was raised at Anglo’s annual meeting last month – the company says some sources of drinking water have ‘seriously elevated nitrate levels’ but there is no evidence that this is due to mining. It says the cause is more likely to be pit latrines, but it has nonetheless undertaken to supply fresh water until the problem is solved.

Last year (EP9, issue 5, p2) Anglo was in dispute with another NGO, War on Want, over accusations of human rights breaches in various countries. The company issued a 12-page statement referring to ‘serious errors of fact’.