STEINKOPF, Northern Cape — A growing conflict over land use is unfolding in the Northern Cape, where new mining permits threaten farming in Namaqualand. Small-scale livestock farmers and community members in Steinkopf are raising urgent concerns about the rapid expansion of mining operations onto vital grazing land and the potential for severe water pollution in the region.
Local farmers are increasingly vocal about their exclusion from the decision-making process. Angeline Engelbrecht, a small-scale farmer operating near Steinkopf, expressed deep frustration over being consistently overlooked and excluded from boardroom meetings where critical decisions regarding mining permits are made.
Engelbrecht noted that her plans to expand her farming business are now in limbo as an increasing number of permits are granted to mining companies. She warned that the quality of the already limited grazing land, and the future viability of small-scale farming in the area, will be severely compromised if mining activities continue unchecked.
Community members emphasize that their livelihoods are directly tied to the land. “Our people live from livestock farming and our land has been taken because of these mining activities, and we feel that it’s not fair to us,” a community spokesperson stated. Residents argue that they are supposed to be involved in all decisions regarding their land, but are currently forced to watch helplessly as companies “do as they please.”
Farmers are demanding an immediate end to these irregularities and are calling for meaningful inclusion in the decision-making process regarding where land for mining is allocated. Some community members allege that authorities are “putting wool over their eyes,” pointing out a pattern where entities arrive in Namaqualand claiming they only want to prospect, but ultimately proceed to full-scale mining operations.
In response to the growing tension, farmers are calling on the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform to step in and mediate the dispute.
However, the Northern Cape Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform has stated that it has not yet received any formal complaints from small-scale farmers in Steinkopf. The department clarified that it has not conducted any area-specific investigations into the impact of mining on livestock farming. Despite this, the department noted that it is actively monitoring mining developments through spatial analysis and continues to contribute specialist environmental input during environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes.
As mining operations expand, the agricultural community in Namaqualand remains steadfast in its demand for transparency, fair consultation, and the protection of their ancestral grazing lands.
