Johannesburg – Community activists representing the views of the mining-affected communities in KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast say legitimate beneficiaries of mining royalties continue to be sidelined, with traditional councils and mafia-style groupings said to be calling the shots in trust funds worth millions of rand.
Mlindeni Zungu told Sunday World that KwaMbonambi village under the King Cetshwayo district is one community that was yet to benefit meaningfully from the mining proceeds, which had been released four years ago by Richards Bay Minerals (RBM).
“There are no proper systems in place to ensure that there is greater accountability and that trust funds go towards community upliftment projects. Trustees are often hand-picked by traditional leaders and their business associates. In our case, about R74-million was allocated to a community trust.
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