Modern Quarrying Q4 2019

Illegal mining threatens surface mining industry

Nico Pienaar, Director of Aspasa.

A widespread breakdown in the rule of law is threatening small and medium sized surface mining operations as rule-breakers and illegal mining operations undercut legiti- mate operators. In a sector of the mining industry that employs a large amount of the country’s miners, a collapse of this nature will have a devastating impact on the economy. Yet, regulators and government entities are turning a blind eye and in some instances promoting the proliferation of illegal practices. According to Nico Pienaar, director of surface mining asso- ciation, Aspasa, a wave of illegal and undisciplined mining practices is building and may become unstoppable without urgent intervention. Gross environmental damage, serious health and safety breaches, abuse of labour legislation and tax avoidance are some of the immediate issues at stake. “If left unchecked, the biggest problem will be the collapse of formal mines who can no longer compete on an equal footing. In many instances these mines and quarries supply essential products to build our roads, infrastructure and houses and without a large-scale and reliable supply we foresee a catastrophic and widespread fallout. “The problem has been growing for some time now and our tripartite alliance partners in government, business and labour are well aware of our concerns. However, recent reports from some of our regions indicate that lawlessness is starting to spread with the market in some of these areas becoming a free-for-all. “We are seeing municipalities allowing environmentally damaging borrow pits to be excavated ‘willy-nilly’ simply to have easy access to material to build roads, illegal mines operating alongside legitimate ones and threatening them with violence and we are seeing corrupt officials victimising individuals and companies who ‘dare’ to report illegal opera- tions or non-compliances of mines,” says Pienaar. l

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QUARTER 4 - 2019 MODERN QUARRYING