BLF applauds the victory of the Zama Zamas in Kimberley

Posted on May 5, 2018May 5, 2018 by Black First Land First

Black First Land First (BLF) celebrates the progressive victory of the Zama Zama artisanal miners in Kimberley on obtaining the necessary permits for mining from the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) after a protracted struggle in this regard. This follows a deal concluded with the Kimberley Ekapa Mining Joint Venture (KEM-JV) which now allows the Kimberley Artisanal Miners (most of who are BLF members) to go ahead and mine for diamond residue on land they were previously prohibited from mining on. To this end the Zama Zamas have been given mining dumps to the extent of at least one thousand hectares on which they can now mine without being victimized by the state and private security companies.

BLF honors the Zama Zama miners for their resilience as well as for the gains that they have made via the revolutionary leadership of their Chairperson, Comrade Lucky Seekoei.

BLF has long maintained that the Zama Zamas are the only legitimate miners in the country and that it is the likes of DeBeers who are illegal land thieves. Nearly one year ago, on 10 May, the Zama Zama miners supported by BLF, marched to DMR and called for “an end to all evictions, interdicts on mining, police and private security violence, the industry to be regularized; to get the necessary subsidization; and to be given legal recognition for operations over the floors.” BLF maintains this call.

We further point out that the struggle beyond this victory, including for the total return of the stolen land (its the mineral resources included) and for the Zama Zamas to be covered by the Mining Charter in furtherance of implementing Radical Economic Transformation, continues. Salutations to the Kimberley Artisanal Miners!

Issued by Black First Land First, National Coordinating Committee of (BLF NCC)

5 May 2018

Black First Land First Email:[email protected]
Facebook: Black First Land First
Twitter: @black1stland1st
Website: www.blf.org.za

Zanele Lwana
(Deputy President)
Cell: +27799867225

Lindsay Maasdorp
(National Spokesperson)
Cell: +27 79 915 2957

Brian Tloubatla
(Head of Media & Communications)
Cell: +27 82 216 7664

De Beers take your bloody hands off the Zama Zamas

Posted on September 15, 2017September 15, 2017 by Black First Land First

The leadership of the Kimberley Artisanal Mine Workers (KAMW), being Lucky Seekoeie, Victor Taku, Elisa Louw and others are currently in the Northern Cape High Court for an urgent application brought against their movement by De Beers Consolidated Mines (Pty) Ltd (De Beers).

De Beers is seeking an interdict against KAMW to, amongst other things, restrain them from mining in Kimberley. The mining community including members of KAMW and the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) are outraged at De Beers’ anti blacks action. They are currently assembled outside the High Court in solidarity with KAMW and are calling upon the Court to dismiss the interdict sought by the white monopolistic mining house, De Beers who in the first place do not have rights to the land being mined neither do they have any mining rights. This is a classical case of white racism, where the victims who are black are branded as criminals while the white mining house, who is the real criminal is portrayed as the victim. KAMW, who currently comprise of a significant number of members who are also BLF members, have decided to fight to the end until their demands relating to the decolonization and deracialisation of mining are met. To this end the urgent intervention of the Minister of Mining and Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane, is needed. BLF will be seeking the Ministers action in this regard.

BLF applauds the resilience of the Zama Zamas in their legitimate struggle against the racist mining houses. We stand with them in their unwavering commitment to seek justice for the artisanal miners which includes an end to all evictions, interdicts on mining, police and private security violence, as well as to be regularized; to get the necessary subsidization; and to be given legal recognition for operations over the floors. We agree with their resolve that irrespective of any Court order or any other action to remove them from their land and the right to a livelihood, they are staying put in Kimberley because all the land in South Africa, including the minerals that is part of it, belongs to black people and not to the white criminal mining houses.

This Saturday, BLF President Andile Mngxitama will be addressing the mining communities of Kimberley on a way forward in honor of Steve Biko who was killed by the apartheid regime while in detention 40 years ago on 12 September. Biko’s black consciousness will be invoked to pave the way towards the institutional destruction of racialised and colonized mining. The event will take place under the following details:

Date: 16 September 2017
Time: starts 12 PM
Venue: Samaria, Bosheff Street, Kimberely

You are invited!

Land or Death! Izwelethu!

Issued by the National Coordinating Committee of Black First Land First (BLF NCC)

15 September 2017

Black First Land First Email:[email protected]
Facebook: Black First Land First
Twitter: @black1stland1st
Website: www.blf.org.za

Zanele Lwana
(Deputy President)
Cell: +27799867225

Lindsay Maasdorp
(National Spokesperson)
Cell: +27 79 915 2957

Brian Tloubatla
(Deputy National Spokesperson)
Cell: +27 82 216 7664

BLF in solidarity with struggle of Zama Zamas in Kimberley

Posted on September 14, 2017September 14, 2017 by Black First Land First

Black First Land First (BLF) supports the legitimate demands of the artisanal miners (Zama Zamas) – being members of the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) and Kimberley Artisanal Mine Workers (KAMW), many of whom are members and supporters of BLF – in their struggle against the racialized and colonized mining regime and practices as well as for decent housing and land.

We condemn in the strongest terms the indiscriminate attacks on the artisanal miners as well as the targeting of its leaders by police and private security at the insistence of the white mining houses led by Ekapa Minerals (Pty) Ltd (Ekapa) which resulted in several miners being injured yesterday while engaged in struggle against the white mining houses. Furthermore two members of its core leadership structure namely, Lucky Seekoei and Tebogo Taku were arrested yesterday on bogus charges. They are currently out on bail and have been subjected to harsh anti black bail conditions.

On 10 May this year the Zama Zamas marched to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and Economic Affairs and submitted a memorandum of demands. To this end they called, amongst other things, for an end to all evictions, interdicts on mining, police and private security violence, as well as to be regularized; to get the necessary subsidization; and to be given legal recognition for operations over the floors. To date none of their demands have been met.

The Zama Zamas also instituted criminal proceedings on 10 May against Ekapa Minerals (Pty) Ltd, Crown Resources (Pty) Ltd, Kimberley Ekapa Mining Joint Venture; and Super Stone Mining (Pty) Ltd for mining illegally without mining permits in Kenilworth, Samaria, Greenpoint, Greenside and other areas in Kimberley. Charges of theft of the mining equipment belonging to the Chaiperson of the Kimberley Artisanal Mine Workers, Lucky Seekoei, and 5 others were also opened against the perpetrators. The Zama Zamas have received no justice for the criminal prosecutions it has asked to be instituted.

Notwithstanding this, the Zama Zamas have remained resilient in their just struggle against the white monopolistic mining houses. They have said with one voice that irrespective of any court or other action to remove them, their guide to action is that all the land in South Africa, including the minerals beneath and on it, belongs to black people and not to the white criminal mining houses.

The Zama Zamas are determined to stay right here in Kimberley and to exercise their right to work and trade, and to the land.

On Saturday, the message of Biko’s black consciousness – which carries both a program and method of revolution for land, including mineral wealth – will be brought to bear upon the situation of the Zama Zamas in Kimberley so as to guide the way forward. BLF President Andile Mngxitama will be addressing the mining communities and residence of Kimberley on 16 September 2017, starting at 12 PM in Boshoff Street, Samaria. Everyone’s invited!

Land or Death!

Izwelethu!

Issued by the National Coordinating Committee of Black First Land First (BLF NCC)

14 September 2017

Black First Land First Email:[email protected]
Facebook: Black First Land First
Twitter: @black1stland1st
Website: www.blf.org.za

Zanele Lwana
(Deputy President)
Cell: +27799867225

Lindsay Maasdorp
(National Spokesperson)
Cell: +27 79 915 2957

Brian Tloubatla
(Deputy National Spokesperson)
Cell: +27 82 216 7664

BLF condemns the violence against the Kimberly Artisanal Small Scale Miners by Ekapa

Posted on August 24, 2017August 24, 2017 by Black First Land First

Black First Land First (BLF) condemns the naked brutality being currently unleashed by the police and private security acting on the instructions of the white monopoly capitalist mining house, Ekapa Minera (Ekapa), against the Kimberly Artisanal Small Scale Miners (KASSM) who are also referred to as the Zama Zamas. We further condemn the forced unlawful evictions and other acts of criminality that the Zama Zamas are being subjected to at gun point. Ekapa’s cowardly and criminal actions has been escalating with impunity in the past few weeks.

The Zama Zamas, many of who are also members of BLF, are subjected daily to inhuman treatment and harassment by the white mining houses. Right now the mining equipment of the artisinal miners, which are their tools of trade, are being stolen by Ekapa via the employment of a private security company. The miners are thus being deprived of their livelihoods.

Ekapa does not have mining rights to the land – they in fact have no rights to the land. They are land thieves who are illegally mining on the land. In a meeting held this morning the artisanal miners requested that Ekapa returns their mining equipment – they refused to do so and instead called the police and private security on the miners.

All the land in white hands in South Africa (SA), including the mines, is stolen property. The Zama Zamas are the only politically legitimate black miners in the country because they are able to earn a living wage within an anti black system of governance. Furthermore, they are able to function independently of the control of white monopoly capital in the system of mining. BLF calls for Radical Economic Transformation in the mining sector that will revolutionize mining so as to benefit the real owners, being blacks.
BLF calls for an end to the violence and all other acts of criminality against the Zama Zamas. This must be facilitated by the recognition over the floors, mining permits by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), land return, regularisation, an end to evictions, legal standing and recognition.

Issued by the National Coordinating Committee of Black First Land First (BLF NCC)

24 August 2017

Black First Land First Email:[email protected]
Facebook: Black First Land First
Twitter: @black1stland1st
Website: www.blf.org.za

Zanele Lwana
(Deputy President)
Cell: +27799867225

Lindsay Maasdorp
(National Spokesperson)
Cell: +27 79 915 2957

Brian Tloubatla
(Deputy National Spokesperson)
Cell: +27 82 216 7664