Sibanye presses on with projects despite land claimsLittle risk, independent expert says after R2.5bn renewable energy builds stalled for up to 18 months

• Published date: 07 May 2024
• Publication title: Herald, The (Port Elizabeth, South Africa)

Business Day understands that three of Sibanye’s renewables projects were delayed by 12-18 months due to land claims that were individually lodged between July 1 2014 and July 27 2016 over portions of land, including several owned by the group and its affiliates

However, the mining house said it was proceeding with the projects after it sought expert advice on the validity of the claims, saying undertaking independent assessment was necessary to inform a decision on the projects.

“Historically, the Constitutional Court ordered that land claims lodged between July 1 2014 and July 27 2016 are valid.

“However, it interdicted the Land Claims Commission from processing those claims until the commission has finalised claims lodged before December 31 1998 or until parliament passes a new law providing for the reopening of the lodgement of claims.

“As such, the Land Claims Commission could not and would not process the claims despite the significant impacts to the projects.”

Sibanye “consequently commissioned an independent expert assessment of the validity of the various claims that determined that the claims were either not valid or very low risk to the projects, given the redress sought by the claimants”.

According to the Minerals Council SA, 100 renewable energy projects to the value of R150bn are in the pipeline in various SA industries.

Sibanye announced in December the start of two utility-scale renewable energy projects in SA as part of its decarbonisation. Its Witberg Wind Energy...