By Zweli Martin Dlamini

MBABANE:King Mswati and his Taiwan investor Michael Lee, the Director of Michael Lee Enterprises Eswatini has been conducting an alleged illegal mining of a Green Chert mineral at Malolotja Nature Reserve.

These allegations previously exposed by various South African media entities including GroundUp, News24 and the Daily Maverick were allegedly confirmed after the Eswatini Environmental Authority(EEA) released a notice, urging the public to comment and/or send objections if any, before the issuing of the environmental assessment license for a company that “has already started” mining the Green Chert mineral.

“A public notice is hereby published in terms of Section 52 of the Environmental Management Act, 2002. Michael Lee Enterprises Eswatini has prepared an Environmental Impact Assessment and Comprehensive Mitigation Plan(EIA/CMP) Report for the proposed Mining of Green Chert Stone on Farm 780 and Portion 1 of Farm 357 in the Hhohho Region western Eswatini”, reads the public notice in part released this week.

Worth-noting, the Taiwan investor has already started mining the Green Chert mineral and King Mswati even visited or toured the Mine.

But it has been disclosed that, shortly after the alleged illegal mining was exposed by News24, the Daily Maverick and GroundUp freelance investigative journalist Cebelihle Mbuyisa, the mining was temporarily stopped, pending the processing of the environmental assessment license.

In the story, the investigative journalist further highlighted that, the mining was conducted without an environmental assessment license.

Responding to this Swaziland News on Tuesday evening, Michael Lee, the Taiwan investor and Director of Michael Lee Enterprises Eswatini clarified that, the full scale mining hasn’t commenced yet but, the process was at the maintenance and environmental assessment.

“We are currently doing site maintenance and conducting an environmental program. We are not mining at this stage; many people are giving false information for what reason we don't know”, said the Director of Michael Lee Enterprises Eswatini. 

Reached for comments on Tuesday afternoon,King’s Spokesperson Percy Simelane said, the process to establish the Mine was conducted before he was employed as the King’s Spokesperson, he referred comments to the Mines and Minerals Board. 

“I am not aware.To the best of my knowledge that Mine was in operation before my office was born.The King has Boards,Teams and Committees who are hands-on in all the country's socio-economic evolution.I want to believe the Mining Board in the matter in question is better positioned to respond to your queries”, said the King’s Spokesperson.

Efforts to reach Prince Guduza, the Chairman of the Mines and Minerals Board proved unsuccessful at the time of compiling this report.

But Gcina Dladla, the Executive Director of the Eswatini Environmental Authority(EEA) clarified that, the Mine was using a Prospecting License.

The Executive Director was responding to this Swaziland News after being asked to clarify why the alleged Taiwan investor was allowed to continue mining without an Environmental Assessment License.

“What happened is; they first used a Prospecting License, this is a license that allowed them to search for the mineral and temporarily do the mining to test the market before going on full scale mining. They wanted to mine five thousand(5000) tones but we suggested that, with the Prospecting License, they must at least mine two thousand(2000) tones. So if you can verify with the other Mines, most of them started with the Prospecting License before the Environmental Assessment, that then authorizes the full scale mining”, said the Environmental Authority Executive Director.

But a brief research conducted by this publication with regards to the meaning of a Prospective License suggests that, in other countries, it seeks to enable the inspection of the area for available minerals not to commence temporal mining. 

But the Executive Director of the Eswatini Environmental Authority consistently maintained that, the Prospective License also allowed the investor to mine at least two thousand(2000) tones to test the market. 

It has been disclosed that,the Mine subsequently halted operations after it attracted international spotlight for allegedly violating global environmental preservation laws but,insiders told this publication that,the mining might resume soon.

Eswatini, a tiny Kingdom that has since discovered minerals worth billions, has about 70% of the population living below the poverty line.

King Mswati has been heavily criticized for manipulating minerals and other State resources for his own benefit, Mswati rules the country as an absolute Monarch.