"Zama zamas‚ backed by BLF‚ protest against 'illegal mine'", 11 May 2017

Informal miners in Kimberley in the Northern Cape have protested against mining company Ekapa [now operating as a joint venture between Ekapa mining and Petra Diamonds as Kimberly Ekapa Mining]‚ which the miners claim has been operating without a permit...“It has come to our attention that Ekapa has been operating without relevant mining permit. When we mine the same land‚ we are arrested. Why?” the miners said in a statement released by rights group Action Aid...The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) and informal miners plan to meet with the provincial government... Mining company spokesperson Gert Klopper said it had recently acquired an eviction order against the illegal miners‚ which is being contested in the Supreme Court of Appeal. Klopper works for Petra Diamonds‚ which last year entered into a joint venture with Ekapa in Kimberley. He said it was untrue that the company was operating without a licence...