Mine Closures in South Africa

The world is going through a relatively radical shift, which has put special emphasis on the concept of Sustainable Development across multiple industries. This has significantly affected the way we do business and the legislations we are governed by, requiring us to change our attitudes. Mining can be viewed as diametrically opposed to the tenet of sustainable development, however, it’s no exception to this new reality which is why mine closures and mine rehabilitations need to be conducted well.

- Jacky Manyonga

South Africa is a mineral-rich country that has a long economically established mining sector, which dates back to the 1860s with the discovery of significant diamonds and gold. Over time there have been a number of commodities exploited such as iron ore, manganese, platinum, chromium and coal.

In 2017 mining contributed R334 billion, in 2018 it contributed R351 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) employing a total of 456.438 people in the sector. From the second quarter of 2019 GDP from mining increased from the 2284480.61 ZAR million which was identified in the first quarter to 220907.55 ZAR million in the first quarter of 2019. Between 1993- 2019 the GDP from mining has averaged 233780.85 ZAR million. Evidently, this proves that even though the numbers have gown down over the years, mining makes a significantly large contribution to the country’s GDP.

The nature of the mining territory is characterised by temporary land use, meaning once it reaches its viable economic production, a mine needs to be closed. It is at this stage that principles of sustainable development take centre stage. Successful closure of a mine should positively contribute to the surrounding area and community. However, the process of successfully closing a mine is a rather lengthy and complex one, involving various pieces of legislation. If observed diligently frameworks guiding the process should ensure mine closures contribute positively towards sustainable development.