The DA challenges Premier Ramathuba to come clean and reveal the truth about the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) – a project sold as progress and hope, but which in reality threatens to devastate Limpopo’s environment, water resources, and communities – and betray the promise of jobs and prosperity.
The recently released draft Environmental Impact Assessment Report (dEIAR) on the proposed ferrochrome smelter at the Southern site lays bare the dangers. Instead of delivering real industrialisation, empowerment, and jobs, the MMSEZ risks poisoning Limpopo’s air and water, draining scarce aquifers, and irrevocably damaging a pristine environment.
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were conceptualised to attract investment, industrialise the economy, create jobs, and ensure inclusive growth. When the MMSEZ was first proposed, the Department of Trade and Industry promised 21 000 jobs within five years, rising to 51 000 by year ten. This vision was sold as a lifeline for one of South Africa’s poorest provinces.
But the dEIAR reveals a very different reality. Instead of 21 000 jobs, the proposed smelter will create just 235 permanent posts. Even worse, 40% of executive roles are reserved for foreign nationals, leaving Limpopo residents scrambling for a handful of low-level jobs. This is exclusion, not empowerment. It is not development or empowerment — rather it is the sacrifice of Limpopo’s natural resources for empty promises.
The risks to water security are particularly alarming. The smelter would demand 12.7 million cubic metres of water every year from the Thuli-Karoo aquifer. This important aquifer, already stressed and polluted with fluoride, sulphates, and heavy metals, is classified as requiring Strictly Non-Degradation Protection. Yet the project threatens to deplete and irreversibly contaminate this scarce resource, endangering farms, households, and entire communities.
Equally troubling is the omission of any modelling of Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI)) emissions – a known carcinogen and one of the most dangerous pollutants produced by ferrochrome smelters. Cr(VI) is directly linked to cancer and respiratory disease. To ignore its impact in the dEIAR is gross negligence and a betrayal of Limpopo residents’ constitutional right to health and safety.
This matter goes to the very heart of section 24 of the Bill of Rights, which guarantees everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing, and obliges government to protect the environment for present and future generations. The Premier and her government cannot claim ignorance. They are obligated to prevent pollution, promote conservation, and ensure ecologically sustainable development.
The DA in Limpopo therefore demands that Premier Phophi Ramathuba:
- Disclose the full environmental and socio-economic risks of the MMSEZ and its proposed smelter.
- Halt all approvals until an independent, transparent, and comprehensive review has been conducted.
- Place Limpopo’s citizens first by pursuing development that creates real jobs, protects water resources, and safeguards long-term wellbeing.
There are more viable, sustainable alternatives for development in this environmentally sensitive region — particularly in conservation, tourism, and agriculture — that could boost growth and employment without destroying the natural heritage of Vhembe.
Limpopo deserves leadership that protects its environment and people. The province must not be reduced to a dumping ground for pollution and exploitation.