Objection to mining in Malolotja Nature Reserve

Comments from Donald McCallum
donald@gecko.biol.wits.ac.za, C.E. Moss Herbarium

General Objections

• Reduced value as a wilderness area.
• Mining will reduce the value of Malolotja as a wilderness area in numerous ways. There will be noise associated with the activity, both from removal of the rock and transporting it, there will be very obvious roads and a marring of the landscape at the workings.
• The loss of area due to roads and workings will reduce the habitats of a number of species. This could affect the viability of some.
• There is likely to be pollution of various kinds such as silt in the waterways, litter of various kinds, spills of fuel and oil and domestic effluent.
• Easier access to this part of the park will allow removal of plants (wood, medicinal, horticultural), grazing by cattle, and hunting.
• Mounting evidence for climatic change means that areas such as Malolotja with large altitudinal ranges could be vital for the preservation of the diversity of life, as such areas allow movement of species along the altitudinal gradient along with their niche conditions.

Serpentine

There is a large patch of serpentine rock in Malolotja north of the Komati River. This area is of great importance for the preservation of plant diversity. It is one of two areas of serpentine conserved in Swaziland. It is much larger than the protected area of serpentine at Hawane Dam, is at a lower altitude and has undisturbed vegetation.

Of the known sites on serpentine rock in the lowveld areas only this site and a patch near Havelock Mine remain, the rest are now under plantation.

Conservation of serpentine flora is important. There are plants endemic to serpentine whose continued existence depends on the preservation of serpentine sites. In Malolotja Berkheya rehmannii var. rogersiana is a serpentine endemic.

Xerophyta villosa has only been found on serpentine in its southern most localities. A species of Vernonia and one of Helichrysum are possibly new species and might be endemic to serpentine. Further study will probably identify more endemic taxa as has been the case for serpentine sites in Mpumalanga.

There is a least one population of cycads (Encephalartos) on the serpentine. Fertile material has not been seen yet.

Two taxa which accumulate high levels of nickel have been identified namely Berkheya rehmannii var. rogersiana and Senecio coronatus. These plants are of great interest to biochemists and plant physiologists. Plants which accumulate high concentrations of metals are being investigated for removing these elements from contaminated soils. There is a slight chance that additional accumulator species may yet be identified in Malolotja.

Vegetation at threatened site

Good vegetation data from the threatened site could strengthen the case against mining activities. A complete species list in which rare and special plants are highlighted should be produced as soon as possible. The C.E. Moss Herbarium is willing to do the collecting and identifying for such a list, but is not in a position to fund it. I could do collecting when I am there working on my masters, but will not have funding for any additional time spent at the reserve.

This would provide the data needed to prevent future attempts to mine this area.