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Chrome wash plants are springing up like mushrooms in the Bojanala District. Many of them without any Environmental Impact Assessments, water use licenses, rezoning of the property from farming to industrial, resulting in a loss to the fiscus, depletion of our water resources and the destruction of our environment.

Illegal chrome wash plants enable the continued illegal mining of Chrome. As with the Zama Zamas in the gold mines, the illegal chrome mines are responsible for the invasion of land, the theft of resources, the illegal use of water and the degradation of the environment together with the exploitation of unemployed people who due to the cost-of-living crisis, are desperate to try and put food on the table.

On 15 September, I submitted a question to the Minister of Water and Sanitation, regarding the illegal operation of one of the chrome wash plants in the Bojanala district. Clarity was sought on the existence or absence of a water use license for the property in question - the operation has applied for environmental authorization in terms of Section 24(G) of the National Environmental Act regarding the unlawful development of a chrome wash plant.

South Africa is a water-scarce country, with residents in many towns in the Bojanala area, including Rustenburg, particularly in high-lying areas, going without water for weeks at a time. It is extremely important that our water resources are protected for our people and the economy. Illegal chrome wash plants often operate with little or no regard for the environment or the conservation of water.

While we appreciate the speed with which the department responded to our Parliamentary Question more must be done to stop these plant operators from flouting the law and making millions at the expense of South Africans. The site visit to the premises by the Department of Water and Sanitation and the planned intervention by the department is a step in the right direction.

The Democratic Alliance looks forward to similar inspections being carried out at other chrome wash plants and the equal enforcement of the law in all aspects of the industry. Our economy is on the brink of collapse. Preventing illegal operations will contribute to increased employment in legal chrome mines and by extension, an increase in the tax base. Enforcing the law will also contribute to preserving our environment for future generations.

Issued by Cheryl Phillips MP - DA Additional Member on the Portfolio Committee for Minerals and Energy