Where were the voices when OMAI was raping our mines?

Oct 03, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
It has taken us too long to realise how much OMAI has exploited our gold, raped our mines, and damaged our land and rivers due to the massive cyanide spill that caused economic and environmental damages.
Strange enough, OMAI was given the go ahead to continue operations after the massive cyanide spill.

Now that OMAI has ceased operations, a few articles are now appearing in our daily newspapers, over the ‘bare face’ exploitation of our gold, one written by a senior member of one of the opposition parties.

Where were the voices of the combined opposition parties, EPA and the Amerindian Affairs Ministry during the period of mining that saw the cyanide spill and the exploitation of our gold?

Some 3.5 million ounces of gold were extracted from our country. Nothing much was done while our country was being sold for peanuts.

Now that the operation is closed and is ready to hand over the mines back to the government, we should never again allow such exploration to happen again in our country.

What has the country gained from this massive operation that saw 3.5 million ounces of gold produced? How much royalties were paid to the government? What about the cyanide spill? Were we ever compensated for that?

Multinational companies such as OMAI are lured by Third World corruption; don’t be surprised if they are given permission to mine in the future.
Vincent Ferreira

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