A silica sand mining company that has set its sights on 50 hectares of land in the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) in Cape Town is appealing the decision by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to refuse it a water use licence.

Keysource Minerals is owned by Ardagh Glass Packaging (formerly Consol Glass), the largest glass manufacturer in sub-Saharan Africa. It produces glass for big food and beverage companies such as Coca-Cola, Distell and Heineken. The company says it is running out of silica reserves at its current mine in Athlone. Click here to read the article