[7] In spite of the decision, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe continues to support the mining project.
[2] The area is characterized by "high unemployment, poor education levels and a rural population primarily dependent on agriculture, animal herding for sustenance", with 72.2% of people in the larger region living below the poverty line.
[2] The proposed mine met fierce opposition from members of the local Xolobeni community, who formed the Amadiba Crisis Committee in 2007.
[15][14] The mining company was given a 90-day grace period to appeal, if they chose to address the environmental concerns at issue.
However, Shabangu also indicated that she considered the company to have followed an adequate community consultation process, a conclusion that did not agree with findings of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on the matter.
[16][17] In order for the Xolobeni project to move forward, as per South African law, and as administered by the Department of Mineral Resources, the Company was required to engage an Independent Environmental Consultant to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) as part of their Mining Right Application.
An independent assessment can be an important source of information for the residents of the local community, where the mining is proposed.
Without the EIA, local residents are unable to make a fully informed decision of the pros and cons of the project, thus are not empowered with the necessary information to make the decision to support the proposed mineral sand mine based on the merits of the project versus the consequences of mining to their community.
In April 2015, a delegation attempting to perform an environmental impact assessment on behalf of the mining company were forced to leave the area after residents protested.
[21] The Company released a report of a community engagement meeting at Xolobeni in 2015, stating that 498 questions/concerns were raised by an estimated 200 people.
The meeting was called by the Pondo queen MaSobhuza Sigcau, and chaired by Mdatya leader, Zadla Dlamini.
Zamile Qunya is a founder of Xolco, a company formed in 2003 to act as an "empowerment partner" on behalf of TEM and MRC.
[2] From the time of its formation XolCo presented itself as a company that represented the AmaDiba community’s interest in the mining venture.
The petition was discredited later as fraudulent after it emerged that some of the names and signatures were of deceased community members or people who denied having signed it.
[16] In December 2015, villagers returning from a mass-meeting opposing the mine, and in defence of a local headwoman who had been intimidated, were attacked by a gang wielding knobkerries and pangas.
[4] In July 2016, MRC announced its intention to withdraw from the project, stating that "In light of the ongoing violence and threats to the peace and harmony of the local Xolobeni community, the company accepts that the future viability of the Xolobeni Project should be managed by stakeholders and organisations exclusively owned by South African people.