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The portfolio committees on Mineral Resources and Energy, Police and Home Affairs concluded the last of their five-province joint oversight visits to assess the state of illegal mining in North West. The other four provinces visited were in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Free State. 

The committees conducted a two-day joint oversight visit in Klerksdorp and Rustenburg on Saturday and Sunday respectively. A joint presentation about the state of illegal mining in the province from the departments of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Police and Home Affairs confirmed some information gathered from other provinces, including that illegal mining threatens both the livelihoods and the security of communities, that illegal miners are predominantly foreign nationals from Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Eswatini, and that they are often armed. 

In the Klerksdorp area, the committees visited unused shafts 1 and 2 of the former Pamodzi gold mine in Stilfontein, which has since been licensed to a new company called Chinese African Precious Metal. The committees discovered that high-rise concrete structures and some buildings at these shafts were taken over by illegal miners to access underground tunnels and to store unlicensed firearms, ammunition and explosives. The committees unanimously recommended that all structures at these two shafts should be demolished and rehabilitated as a matter of urgency. They believe that the surge in illegal mining in and around Klerksdorp is mainly due to the effectiveness of the plan that has been put in place in the Welkom area, in the Free State. 

In Rustenburg, the committees visited two areas where chrome is mined illegally on the tribal lands of Batlhako and Mpudi. The committees observed with dismay the DMRE’s and South African Police Services’ lack of a comprehensive plan to address illegal mining. They expressed disappointment that the DMRE regional office appeared to be out of its depth inregulating mining affairs in the province. 

Furthermore, they recommended the immediate seizure of mining equipment and machinery in order to stop illegal operations. The committees were particularly concerned byillegal mining activity that looked like an old operation in Witrenkie Village. They were concerned that at some point illegal miners will abandon these mining sites without rehabilitation and deep holes will pose a serious risk to the community, in a similar way to a recent incident in Jagersfonteinin the Free State, and that it will eventually become the government’s responsibility to rehabilitate. 

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, said that the committees have observed some positive strides in the fight against illegal mining since they began the joint oversight in August. This follows the arrest of alleged ringleaders and the seizure of their luxury vehicles, the arrest of another suspect in the armed robbery and gang rape incident that took place in July in Krugersdorp, as well as the arrest and seizure of unlicensed firearms in Stilfontein, North West. 

The committees were mandated by the National Assembly in the wake of the armed robbery and gang rape of eight women at a mine dump in Krugersdorp to assess the state of illegal mining in so far as it affects communities through social crimes. They will express their observations and recommendations through a joint report, which will be tabled for adoption in the National Assembly. 

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Sahlulele Luzipo