Mokala Manganese Mine (DMRE: NC 30/5/1/1/3/2/ (00197/10090) MR) - Proposed Changes to the Approved Surface Infrastructure at the Mokala Manganese Mine.

Mokala Manganese (Pty) Ltd (Mokala) owns and operates the opencast manganese Mokala Manganese Mine which is located on the remaining extent and portion 1 of the farm Gloria 266, the farm Kipling 271 and the farm Umtu 281, approximately 4 km north west of the town Hotazel in the Joe Morolong Local Municipality, in the Northern Cape Province.

As part of their ongoing optimisation of mining operations Mokala proposed to amend their approved Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Programme (EIA and EMPr) to include infrastructure changes to their surface layout which have already taken place. In addition, Mokala also proposes to establish additional surface infrastructure and undertake new activities which require environmental authorisation and an amendment to the approved EMPr.

The infrastructure changes that have already taken place include:

• The reconfiguration of plant area, Run of Mine (ROM) and high-grade product stockpiles to accommodate the expansion of the open pit.
• The relocation of the low-grade product stockpile.
• The relocation of support infrastructure (water storage facilities (potable and process water), workshops and wash bay, change houses, sewage treatment plant, water treatment plant, fuel storage, administrative block (offices, kitchen, canteen, training centre, mustering centre, clinic), stores and waste storage).
• The relocation of transportation-related facilities/infrastructure (internal haul road, weighbridges, parking areas, truck loading and staging facility).
• The relocation of the approved WRD to accommodate the expansion of the open pit.
• The relocation of the approved topsoil stockpiles.

The proposed new infrastructure changes which have not taken place include:

• The proposed expansion of the open pit.
• The proposed mining of the barrier pillar between the Kalagadi Mine and Mokala Mine.
• The proposed increase in the capacity of the approved WRD.
• The establishment of an additional WRD (to the western portion of the Mining Right Area (MRA).
• The proposed establishment of additional topsoil stockpiles.
• The proposed relocation of stormwater management infrastructure.
• The proposed increase in the capacity and footprint of product stockpiles (ROM and Low Grade, High Grade).
• The proposed establishment of an underground potable water pipeline (Sedibeng Water Supply) to the Mokala Mine.

SLR Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd (SLR), an independent firm of environmental assessment practitioners, was appointed to manage the integrated environmental authorisation process for the project.