Protect the Karoo from Uranium Mining

Working in the Karoo
SAFCEI volunteers Stefan and Erika Cramer were initially deployed to the Karoo to help local communities in their struggle against fracking. But Erika discovered a tiny notice in a local newspaper about the proposed uranium mining in the area around Beaufort-West, and they soon discovered that uranium exploration was advanced: mining rights were already applied for by an Australian mining company.
Mobilising communities against the dangers of uranium mining
In a whirlwind, the two traveled the Karoo and spoke to everyone they could: farming communities, farm workers, and students among them. Soon the tide turned and their efforts were met with both interest and anger: how could a foreign mining company endanger the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people across a vast region?


Eventually, a tiny and most unlikely fellow came to the rescue of the Karoo. A diminutive plant called Nananthus showed up, a few millimetres over the ground after some strong rains. This exotic succulent had never been found from these parts and in fact could be a new species. This discovery, coupled with solid technical and scientific evidence from a large group of concerned academics, led to endless delays in the licensing process for uranium mining.

Peninsula Energy gives up on the Karoo
The residents of the Karoo are relieved and can now again concentrate on what they can do best: sustainable agriculture, encouraging agritourism in the vast expenses of safe lands, and eventually provide the nation with endless power: renewable energy from the ideal sites for wind and solar energy.
SAFCEI’s challenge is now how to harness this gift of God to benefit the people of the Karoo.
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