TOURISM authorities in Oudtshoorn are up in arms after a company in the area revealed plans to start mining limestone near the Cango Caves. The company has since withdrawn its appeal after failing to gain consent from landowners in the areas of Matjiesrivier, Voorbedagt and De Cango, where mining activities were planned.
But another company, which owns land to the east of the national monument, has now come forward with a claim to mine in the region.
Cango Caves management and Oudtshoorn tourism departments have voiced serious objections to the proposed mining.
Tony Marshall from Cape Nature says: “There are various threats that arise from such an application: the threat to the environment, the possible contamination of the region’s water supply, the impact on the main caves as well as those that remain unexplored, not to mention the compromising of a World Heritage Site and the impact it will have on the town’s tourism industry.”
The Cango Caves generate 50% of Oudtshoorn’s income, attracting around 300 000 tourists a year. Mining activities will severely affect the appeal of the destination, leading to visual and noise disturbances.
Says Marshall: “Once mining activities begin around the Cango Caves, the area will become unsightly, with mine dumps alongside the mountain, making the World Heritage Site visually inaccessible to the public. The gravel roads in the region are also likely to be damaged as trucks move through the area and the traffic and noise around the site will increase considerably.”
The new proposal will have to go through the same steps as the one from the previous company, which includes obtaining clearance from the relevant government departments. Only once the company has been granted a prospecting licence can mining activities begin in the area. However, municipal authorities have asserted that they are taking all factors into account and no decision has yet been made.
Natasha Tippel
