Macua says R284 million in social development funds missing from South African mining sites

THE Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) has announced that a conservative estimate of at least R284 million in Social and Labour Plan (SLP) funds remained unaccounted for across 11 mining sites.

- BANELE GININDZA

This alarming trend, termed "Crumbs Capture," suggests a systematic appropriation of developmental funds intended to uplift mining-affected communities.

In a statement on Tuesday, Macua - a prominent social and community advocacy organisation - argued that if this pattern was extrapolated nationwide, it pointed to an astonishing R25 billion in potential theft from communities dependent on mining activities.

"Crumbs Capture" describes a morally bankrupt ecosystem where even the limited resources allocated for development are siphoned off through inflated tenders, ghost projects, falsified delivery reports and elite capture, all while communities languish in deepening poverty.