Mbuthuma and her neighbours have been fighting against an Australian mining company Mineral Commodities that has pushed for access to lucrative titanium deposits discovered in the russet dunes near their community. Company had plans to turn the area into an opencast pit for the extraction of zircon, rutile and titanium, which are used in laptop computers, bicycles, golf clubs, watches and drill bits. Defence of this land – located in an ecologically rich coastal region of Pondoland – has pitted Mbuthuma against her tribal chief and the regional government. Allegedly the tribe’s current chieftain accepted a directorship in the mining company and a new 4x4 in return for approving the deal. Several of her fellow campaigners have been killed after being warned not to oppose a project that would bring jobs and money to one of the poorest regions in South Africa. Mbuthuma herself is allegedly on a hitlist and her life is in ongoing danger. Mbuthuma says residents of her village of Xolobeni are overwhelmingly opposed and without their approval, the mining company and its supporters should back off. “The company believes that the development of the mine and the balancing of the environmental impacts with the social and economic upliftment can be managed to the satisfaction of all stakeholders,” said Mineral Commodities. Since one of the opponents, Bazooka Rhadebe was killed, the government imposed a moratorium on the mining project, which will expire at the end of 2018.