Latest news with #NAAM
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
S Africa artisanal miners want stake in minerals boom
Agencies In South Africa's coal heartland, grey smog hangs over parts of the Mpumalanga province like a thick blanket, while miners descend underground to chip away at the black rock. One of them is Mooi Masuku, an artisanal coal miner of 17 years, who says a new bill to legalize informal mining is key to protecting and creating jobs, particularly as critical minerals are eyed for green technologies. 'In South Africa, I think the government will begin to see why it should legalize (artisanal mining) to protect these jobs,' said Masuku, sitting on a concrete slab outside his home in the Nomzamo informal settlement in the town of Ermelo. 'We want to work, and we want to work legally,' he said. Submissions for public comment on the Mineral Resource Development Bill closed last week before awaiting parliamentary review to become law. South Africa is rich in coal reserves, but as the country moves away from planet-heating coal industries towards renewables, miners - both formal and informal - fear mass unemployment. But mining experts say the industry is not going anywhere overnight. According to the government's Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy, coal is described as a 'critical mineral' based on its economic value, a similar stance to that taken by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who in May designated coal used in steel production as a critical material. This stands in contrast to most other countries who consider coal a fossil fuel that the world agreed to 'transition away' from at UN COP28 climate talks in Dubai in 2023. South Africa is rich in other minerals more commonly designated as 'critical' like copper and manganese, needed for green energy infrastructure like solar panels and wind turbines. The National Association of Artisanal Miners (NAAM), of which Masuku is a member, say artisanal and small-scale miners can be a part of this extraction. 'The critical mineral boom should benefit artisanal miners ... we want to mine all the minerals underneath our feet,' said NAAM spokesperson Zethu Hlatshwayo. Upskilling artisanal miners for critical mineral mining could fill the employment void left behind by phasing out coal, said Hlatshwayo. There are roughly 20,000 artisanal miners in South Africa, according to the Regional Policy in the Southern African Development Community book. However, figures vary widely and are considered to be underestimates as no proper baseline study has been conducted, according to the Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Overall, about 400,000 jobs are linked to the coal sector, from formal and informal miners, to street vendors selling food to them, government data found. When unregulated, artisanal mining can go hand-in-hand with environmental damage and criminality such as soil erosion and mineral smuggling, according to the Regional Policy in the Southern African Development Community. But human rights charity Global Witness say the abuses need to be cut out of supply chains, not the artisanal miners. Creating safe jobs is key, said Masuku, in a country with an unemployment rate of 33 percent, according to government data. NAAM is also pushing for local processing of minerals on South African soil, to bring greater financial gain to South Africans instead of exporting raw minerals. The Mineral Resources Development (MRD) Bill proposes formal regulation for artisanal and small-scale miners, including the roll out of permits and creating designated artisanal mining zones. Formalization could boost job creation, improve miner safety and ensure environmental compliance, said Kangwa Chisanga Jr., an advocate and legal studies lecturer at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) in Zambia. He said artisanal miners could be trained to take part in the future mining of critical minerals. 'If there is a shared common goal of environmentally sustainable mining (between government and mining companies), theoretically - this bill could do it,' said Chisanga Jr. But there is criticism of the bill too. Requirements for legalization, such as needing ministerial consent if there are any changes in ownership of an artisanal mining site, could over-regulate the sector, scare off investors and inadvertently spike illegal mining, said Chisanga Jr.
Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
S Africa artisanal miners want stake in minerals boom
ERMELO, South Africa: In South Africa's coal heartland, grey smog hangs over parts of the Mpumalanga province like a thick blanket, while miners descend underground to chip away at the black rock. One of them is Mooi Masuku, an artisanal coal miner of 17 years, who says a new bill to legalize informal mining is key to protecting and creating jobs, particularly as critical minerals are eyed for green technologies. 'In South Africa, I think the government will begin to see why it should legalize (artisanal mining) to protect these jobs,' said Masuku, sitting on a concrete slab outside his home in the Nomzamo informal settlement in the town of Ermelo. 'We want to work, and we want to work legally,' he said. Submissions for public comment on the Mineral Resource Development Bill closed last week before awaiting parliamentary review to become law. South Africa is rich in coal reserves, but as the country moves away from planet-heating coal industries towards renewables, miners - both formal and informal - fear mass unemployment. But mining experts say the industry is not going anywhere overnight. According to the government's Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy, coal is described as a 'critical mineral' based on its economic value, a similar stance to that taken by US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who in May designated coal used in steel production as a critical material. This stands in contrast to most other countries who consider coal a fossil fuel that the world agreed to 'transition away' from at UN COP28 climate talks in Dubai in 2023. South Africa is rich in other minerals more commonly designated as 'critical' like copper and manganese, needed for green energy infrastructure like solar panels and wind turbines. The National Association of Artisanal Miners (NAAM), of which Masuku is a member, say artisanal and small-scale miners can be a part of this extraction. 'The critical mineral boom should benefit artisanal miners ... we want to mine all the minerals underneath our feet,' said NAAM spokesperson Zethu Hlatshwayo. Upskilling artisanal miners for critical mineral mining could fill the employment void left behind by phasing out coal, said Hlatshwayo. There are roughly 20,000 artisanal miners in South Africa, according to the Regional Policy in the Southern African Development Community book. However, figures vary widely and are considered to be underestimates as no proper baseline study has been conducted, according to the Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Overall, about 400,000 jobs are linked to the coal sector, from formal and informal miners, to street vendors selling food to them, government data found. When unregulated, artisanal mining can go hand-in-hand with environmental damage and criminality such as soil erosion and mineral smuggling, according to the Regional Policy in the Southern African Development Community. But human rights charity Global Witness say the abuses need to be cut out of supply chains, not the artisanal miners. Creating safe jobs is key, said Masuku, in a country with an unemployment rate of 33 percent, according to government data. NAAM is also pushing for local processing of minerals on South African soil, to bring greater financial gain to South Africans instead of exporting raw minerals. The Mineral Resources Development (MRD) Bill proposes formal regulation for artisanal and small-scale miners, including the roll out of permits and creating designated artisanal mining zones. Formalization could boost job creation, improve miner safety and ensure environmental compliance, said Kangwa Chisanga Jr., an advocate and legal studies lecturer at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) in Zambia. He said artisanal miners could be trained to take part in the future mining of critical minerals. 'If there is a shared common goal of environmentally sustainable mining (between government and mining companies), theoretically - this bill could do it,' said Chisanga Jr. But there is criticism of the bill too. Requirements for legalization, such as needing ministerial consent if there are any changes in ownership of an artisanal mining site, could over-regulate the sector, scare off investors and inadvertently spike illegal mining, said Chisanga Jr. NAAM said the bill was still too vague, limited artisanal miners to small, surface mines and risked putting rehabilitation costs, such as planting vegetation and sealing off mine shafts, onto artisanal miners. 'We are concerned that the permit application process will be lengthy and costly,' said Bonginkosi Buthulezi, an artisanal miner in Ermelo and a NAAM member. The bill has also received pushback from national agricultural organization AgriSA, saying that an increase in artisanal mining poses a risk to water quality, the agricultural sector and food security. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy did not reply to requests for comment. As NAAM waits to see if its feedback on the bill is considered, it plans to keep campaigning to be seen as mining allies of the state, rather than enemies. 'To improve our communities, we need to share in the mineral wealth of our country,' said Masuku. – Reuters
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will anyone pay up for beleaguered Tacoma Town Center parcels? November auction looms
The long-abandoned Tacoma Town Center development near the University of Washington-Tacoma campus has hit another debt-collection benchmark. The site, a portion of which is at the center of an ongoing contractor's debt collection lawsuit, is now listed as 'in foreclosure' by Pierce County on the seven undeveloped parcels. The parcels' delinquent property taxes total more than $600,000. To be considered in foreclosure, a property has to be three or more years delinquent in payment and owe more than $100 cumulative. The 6.4-acre Tacoma property is bordered by South 21st to South 23rd streets and from Jefferson to Tacoma avenues. The project has just one building completed by the original developer (who is not part of the property-tax foreclosures) at the planned six-building campus. Boise-based Galena Equity Partners took on the development via affiliated Tacoma Town Center Partners LLC in 2021 after original developer Bellevue-based North America Asset Management (NAAM) was unable to generate sufficient financing, including EB-5 investment. Plans for the multi-phased project called for hundreds of apartments, office and retail space, accompanying infrastructure and a public plaza, at a cost of more than $300 million. After preliminary work and various permit filings, Galena faced financial struggles in both Washington and Idaho, including a more-than $10 million judgment against it for breach of contract with NAAM. Tacoma Town Center Partners LLC for now is tied to six of the seven vacant parcels. It conveyed the seventh early last year to Kurtin Properties of San Diego. For the seven parcels in arrears, 'By law, the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer must begin the foreclosure process by filing a Certificate of Delinquency on each of the delinquent properties with the Superior Court in Pierce County,' according to the county's website. In this case, those filings could begin in May, with a potential auction this fall. Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Marty Campbell, in an emailed response to questions about the properties, offered a timeline for the process, which allows for ample opportunity for property owners to pay up. ▪ Starting in January the Foreclosure Avoidance Team provides guidance to individuals subject to foreclosure. ▪ In February, a special tax statement is mailed 'with enhanced text advising the taxpayer to pay the 2022 and prior amounts before April 30, 2025,' Campbell wrote. Payment must be with cash or cashier's check. ▪ Another letter is sent mid-April 'warning that they have up to close of business on the day before filing, May 8, to pay,' he wrote. ▪ On May 9, a Certificate of Delinquency is filed in Pierce County Superior Court, which begins the property-tax foreclosure lawsuit. By that point, 'all tax years plus foreclosure costs become due, and payment may only be made by a party with a recorded interest ...,' he wrote. Title reports are ordered and persons with interest in the properties and lienholders receive notification. ▪ Nov. 3 is the final date to redeem a parcel from property-tax foreclosure, with payments due by close of business, 4:30 p.m. ▪ Final collection involves putting the sites up for auction on Nov. 4, with the auction held online via the county's contracted vendor, Bid4Assets. Meanwhile, a local contractor's pursuit continues for money owed for stormwater-pond overflow and piping work to connect the site to the city's stormwater system. Puyallup-based Northwest Cascade entered into the work contract around the end of August 2022 and filed a lien claim for more than $200,000 in February 2023 after nonpayment. In December, NWC received a judgment against Kurtin Properties in Pierce County Superior Court, the result of an earlier order of default against Kurtin issued in September. December's judgment noted NWC was entitled 'to foreclose its claim of lien ... against the property and the interest of Kurtin Properties, Inc. and against the interest of any persons claiming under it ... .' An attorney for NWC, Michael Murphy, told The News Tribune in early January via email that counsel for Kurtin had reached out to request 'time to market and sell the property before a sheriff's sale.' 'Northwest Cascade will be moving forward to get its attorneys' fees awarded and an order of sale entered, but has agreed to defer a sale for 3 months,' he added. Murphy confirmed those next steps in a court filing Feb. 6 and stated 'NWC will not schedule a foreclosure sale until March 13, 2025 or later.' Any sale would include addressing the past-due property-tax assessment on that parcel, as property tax liability follows the parcel. The Kurtin property, 2112 Jefferson Ave., is more than 2.3 acres. It owes a total of more than $250,000 in past-due property taxes, with an assessed value of more than $4.8 million, according to county records. As for the original Tacoma Town Center Parcels LLC, the entity failed to file its annual report by January 2024 with the Secretary of State's office, leading to an administrative dissolution in May. In October, it was reinstated, with a new principal office address listed as private equity firm's FrontRange Capital's office in Denver. Previous reporting from The News Tribune contributed to this report.
